■ BOTSWANA: Government fires Chinese firm Sinohydro over delays to Gaborone Airport Expansion project.

Fed up with continual delays and deadline setbacks, the Botswana Government has decided to fire the primary contractor on Gaborone's Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA) Expansion Project Phase 2, Chinese state construction firm Sinohydro, with 95% of the works completed.

► GHANA: Africa World Airlines inks deal with Hainan Airlines; aims to launch in September.

Ghanaian startup Africa World Airlines (AWA) has entered into a joint venture with Haiku based Hainan Airlines (HU) which will see the Chinese carrier taking a controlling stake in the soon-to-be launched Low Cost Carrier, the third of its type  to launch in Ghana after Starbow Airlines, fly540 Ghana and CTK CiTylinK.

Under the deal, management for AWA will be sourced from HNA Carriers, Hainan Airlines' parent company.

An Africa World Airlines (AWA) advertisement.

Other shareholders in the joint venture in addition to Hainan Airlines will be the China-Africa Development Fund, Ghana SAS Financial Group and Ghana Social Security and National Insurance Trust of Ghana.

"The Chinese carrier said that “big market demand for air transport industry in Ghana and other parts of West Africa triggered by the backwardness of ground traffic” is the main reason it decided to launch AWA. But industry analysts also pointed out that “instability of political situation and harsh natural environment in Africa” would present some challenges for the successful operation of the new Joint Venture."

Source [ATW]

Founded by Ghana's Togbe Afede XIV, a king from eastern Ghana's Asogli state, Africa World Airlines aims to launch in September with two Embraer ERJ145LR aircraft from Tianjin Airlines, with its initial route network set to focus on its Accra, Ghana hub and domestic destinations, before expanding into the region, pending regulatory approval.  Should it be feasible, AWA's international expansion would only likely occur after five years, a sufficiently long-term date to quell any immediate concerns about 'over-reaching' - a major mistake that has been the undoing of many African carriers in the past, mostly due to its allure and prestige.

► BURUNDI: Air Burundi gets its first MA-60.

Burundian state carrier, Air Burundi (8Y), has taken delivery of the first of two Chinese Xian MA-60 aircraft both of which will form the foundation for the airline's fleet renewal programme that is being jointly sponsored by the Burundian and Chinese governments.

► MADAGASCAR: Air Madagascar announces Asia operational changes for Summer.

Air Madagascar (MD) has announced that it will introduce its Airbus A340-300 on its Asian routes for the duration of 5 July to 27 October 2012. Presently, the airline operates a Boeing 767-300ER on its Antananarivo – Bangkok – Guangzhou and Antananarivo – Bangkok routes.

Air Madagascar's A340 "F-GLZL" (Didairbus)

The Madagascan carrier signed a 6 year lease with Air France for two Airbus A340-300s in March of this year, with the option of buying the two aircraft when the lease expires. Previous attempts in May of last year to modernize the fleet with other Boeing 767s ran into a brick wall as the planes were added to the European Union's Banned Operator's List.

Antananarivo – Bangkok – Guangzhou

• MD010 TNR1625 – 0540+1BKK0720+1 – 1110+1CAN 343 15
• MD011 CAN1355 – 1555BKK1730 – 2205TNR 343 26
• MD012 TNR1850 – 0805+1BKK 343 3
• MD013 BKK2315 – 0350+1TNR 343 4

 Read More Here [Airline Route]

► EGYPT: Egyptair adds 777 to summer service to Guangzhou.

Egyptian carrier Egyptair (MS) has announced operational changes to its Cairo - Guangzhou, China route for the duration of summer 2012. Initially, the airline planned to use an Airbus A340-200 exclusively on the route, but will now employ a mixture of Boeing 777s and A340s.

Egyptair Boeing 777 at Guangzhou, China (MSAL)

Egyptair: Cairo, Egypt - Guangzhou, China (1 June 2012 - 27 October 2012)
MS958 CAI2325 – 1515+1CAN EQV x27
MS959 CAN0005 – 0500CAI EQV x24

• 01JUN12 – 15JUL12 Boeing 777-200ER
• 16JUL12 – 31AUG12 Airbus A340-200
• 01SEP12 – 14SEP12 Boeing 777-200ER
• 15SEP12 – 27OCT12 Boeing 777-300ER

Read More Here [AirlineRoute]

● ZIMBABWE: Zim government signs USD$150m loan with China for Vic Falls Airport upgrade.

In an update to our previous article on the upgrade of Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwean Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Walter Mzembi, has announced the signing of  a USD$150 million loan facility between the Zimbabwean Government and the China EXIM Bank, to supplement funds already availed last month to get the works off the ground.

So far, the only real work done has been by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) which has laid pipes that will take water to the airport from the Zambezi River during the construction period, that is now expected to move head in 2 months time.

Victoria Falls Airport (Alannah Eames)

"The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe is also expected to pay a fee of US$2,4 million dollars to the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the project is expected to incorporate the expansion of the airport runway, terminal, immigration, customs and radar control points.

The expansion of the airport will see bigger and wide-bodied aircraft such as the Airbus A340 and the Boeing 777 flying directly into the resort town, making it more accessible to the outside world."

Read More Here [ZBC News Zimbabwe]


Last year, Minister Mzembi said it was his intention to try and lure large international carriers to Victoria Falls, amongst them Emirates, British Airways,  Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic, in preparation for next year's United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly, to be held in Victoria Falls.

● ETHIOPIA: See the renderings for Ethiopian's new HQ and hotel.

With almost 50 aircraft in its fleet and another 43 state-of-the-art jets on order, a much coveted Star Alliance membership, and a profit for 2011 of USD$25million making it one of the few profitable African airlines, Ethiopian Airlines has much to be proud of.

BACKROUND

Based out of Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport, Ethiopian Airlines last year put forth its future plans in a paper entitled "Project 2025" which set out its goals and objectives to make Ethiopian "the most competitive and leading aviation group in Africa by providing safe, market driven and customer focused passenger and Cargo Transport, Aviation Training, Flight Catering, Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO), Ground Services, Domestic and regional services by 2025."

Having surpassed its original goals set out in 2005 in its "Vision 2010", the airline states that its overall target for Vision 2025 is to implement a new restructuring program that will transform Ethiopian Airlines into an aviation investment group.

Vision 2025 objectives & goals summarized:

• Construction of Maintenance Hangar
• Expansion & upgrading of Ethiopian Aviation Academy
• Construction of Simulator building for different fleet type
• Construction of 5 star hotel
• Expansion of Cargo Terminal
• Construction of new Catering facility
• Construction of parking building
• Construction of new Headquarters

Herein we will discuss the two administrative/hospitality projects slated under Vision 2025 - The 5 Star Hotel & The head quarters.

THE HEADQUARTERS DESIGN COMPETITION

In 2009, Ethiopian issued a tender to indigenous Ethiopian companies for the design and supervision of contract for it's new headquarters at Bole Airport. However, the airline was not satisfied with the submissions and only second to fifth place of the design bid were announced on Monday, April 11, 2010, with no actual winner being declared.

“Our company is the only one that received a very good result from the airline on the evaluation form,” Samuel Alebel, Technical Assistant of Ultimate Plan Plc, told Fortune.

The bidders were told by the airline to wait until a formal decision was made as to the next step to be taken, according to Samuel.

“We are not satisfied with the designs,” Girma Wake, CEO of Ethiopian, told Fortune, “because most of them do not meet the requirements set by the airline. Most likely, we will go for an international bid. However, it is still under process.”   

Read More Here [AddisFortune]

In theory, the "winner" was the second placed bid Ultimate Plan Plc, then Sileshi Consult Plc, Mulugeta Asfaw Consult, and finally Gereta Consult in fifth place, respectively. Berhanu Mussa Architecture & Engineering had also entered the bid but did not make the top five.

UltimatePlan PLC's 2nd place bid. (UltimatePlan)

A second round tender was announced in September 2011. In February 2012 Ethiopian Airlines finally made its decision settling instead for a design by Ethiopian architectural firm BET Architects Plc, in collaboration with Soehene Partners Architects, an Austrian company. 

THE WINNING DESIGN

The winning ‘concept of flows’ led to a fragmented yet interconnected simple-single- forms to be organized like a village allowing the flow of people, air, light, and  nature into and out of the building that will be Ethiopian Airlines’ new HQ in a 15,500 meter square total floor area, the designers say.

This proposal is also intended in creating a high class international standard building and a structure that would address the requirement of its growth, active operation and accomplish its Vision-2025. The administrative blocks are in a floating form that resembles mountains and canyons. Similar to the landscape that flows into the building the lobby is also floating and rising. There are gardens in between the blocks which are made up of landscapes with trees and art sculptures. The sun shade of grand lobby around which the office blocks are situated is symbolized with timber trees.

Read More Here[ArchitectureTicker]

Location: Bole Airport, Addis Ababa
Net Area: 15.000 sqm
Expansion Area: 4.500 sqm
Planned Number of Employees: 1450
Estimated Completion: 2014

Estimated Cost: USD$20million

The winning bid (SoehnePartner Austria)

See More Here [Arthitectural]

The deal was signed by Yissehak Zewoldi, Vice President of Alliances & Corporate Strategic Planning with Ethiopian and Tesfamariam Teshome, Manager, Senior Partner, and Architect at BET Architects plcon May 17 February 2012.

The 4 or 5 Star Hotel

Anyone who has ever had the "pleasure" of missing their Ethiopian connecting in Addis Ababa will know of the Riviera International Hotel in down town Addis - the hotel used by Ethiopian Airlines for passengers in transit. While not necessarily dreadful, in light of Ethiopian's membership of Star Alliance, it could do with a far smarter hotel - something that is presently in the pipeline under the guise of a  proposed joint venture between Ethiopian (to have 53% shareholding) and China's Hainan Air (18.8%) and the China Africa Development Fund (CADF) (28.2%) with a value of USD$60million. 

The plot of land to be used near Bole Airport (Addis Fortune)

"It had announced a bid in January 2009 to hire consulting firms to design and supervise the construction of the hotel, where domestic companies such as National Consult Plc, Ultimate Plan Plc, and ETG Designers & Consultants Plc, all in partnership with their international associates, had made their offers. Nonetheless, the management had cancelled this in November 2009, claiming to have an interest in searching for other alternatives."

 Read More Here [Addis Fortune Ethiopia]

The rendering for the hotel (Addis Fortune)