► COTE D'IVOIRE: Air Cote d'Ivoire to add an Embraer E170 as further routes in West Africa are announced.

According to Airline Route, the Ivory Coast's new national carrier, Air Côte d’Ivoire (HF), is set to receive an Embraer E170 to add to its two Airbus A319s, as the airline seeks to expand its operations.

► MALI: Douniah Airlines to start ops from 2013.

Malian startup, Douniah Airlines (DTS), is planning to launch operations from January 2013 using a Boeing 737-300. Its initial routes will encompass various destinations in West and Central Africa.

► SENEGAL: Senegal Airlines starts Libreville and direct Cotonou flights; inks code-share with Corsair for daily Paris ops from February 2013.

Senegalese national carrier, Senegal Airlines (DN), has signed a code-share deal with French carrier Corsair International (SS) which will result the introduction of daily flights Dakar-Paris-Dakar flights from February 2013 on.

► NIGERIA: Etihad Cargo launches 15 new West African destinations via its reactivated Lagos hub.

Etihad Cargo, a division of Etihad Airways (EY), will re-introduce a weekly freighter service from Abu Dhabi to the Nigerian city of Lagos, effective November 15. The service will be complemented by the addition of 16 new interline destinations across West Africa.

►► GHANA: Ethiopian makes various operational changes to Accra, Abidjan, Cotonou, Lomé and Ouagadougou flights from late November.

Effective 25 November 2012, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will adjust its operations to Accra, Abidjan, Cotonou, Lomé and Ouagadougou service. Of particular interest is that Accra will receive a daily 787 service, replacing its current 757.

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Air Cote d'Ivoire announces further destination launches.

Following on from our post yesterday, Air Cote d'Ivoire (HF) have announced further details about their intended network launch, set for 12 November 2012. 

► BURKINA FASO: Ariella Airlines launches with aid of Spain's IMD Airways.

Burkina Faso now has a second operator in addition to Air Burkina (2J); Ariella Airlines has now started operations with its first route being Ouagadougou - Bamako (Mali) - Pointe Noire (Congo Brazzaville) and Pointe Noire (Congo Brazzaville) - Cotonou (Benin) - Bamako (Mali) - Ouagadougo.

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Air Cote d'Ivoire outlines future route network; to start ops in "late October".

After taking delivery of its first Airbus A319-100 (MCN: 2213 | TU-TSA) leased from Air France last week in Abidjan, Air Cote d'Ivoire (VRE), the joint venture between the Government of Ivory Coast, Air France and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, has announced that intends to commence operations towards the "end of October".

► NIGERIA: Saudia Cargo launches 9 new West African destinations via its Lagos hub.

Using its various interline partners in West Africa, Saudi Airlines Cargo (SV) is to launch cargo services from Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire), Accra (Ghana), Cotonou (Benin), Douala (Cameroon), Libreville (Gabon), Lomé (Togo), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Niamey (Niger) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) via its new Lagos, Nigeria hub, which it presently serves with a daily Boeing 747F.

► CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): EC Air Congo to start Douala, Cotonou, Ollombo following last week's Paris service launch.

As previously reported by The African Aviation Tribune, Congolese private carrier Equatorial Congo Airlines, better known as EC Air Congo (LC), last week Friday 24 August, inaugurated its first international route: a 3x weekly Brazzaville, Congo - Paris (Charles de Gaulle) service using a Boeing 757-200 leased from Switzerland's PrivatAir.

►► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: CEIBA Intercontinental waves Adios to its 777.

The Boeing 777-200LR (3C-LLS) of Equatorial Guinean carrier CEIBA Intercontinental (C2) (with what had to be one of the coolest liveries ever on a Boeing 777) today left Malabo, Equatorial Guinea for Lisbon, Portugal to be re-registered under White Airways (WI), a Portuguese leisure and charter flight operator out of Lisbon, becoming CS-TQX on the Portuguese registry.

(ex) CEIBA Intercontinental Boeing 777-200LR (sabian404)

It is unclear, however, what purpose the 777 served whilst under the CEIBA name, as the Equato-guinean flag-carrier is on the European Union's Banned Operator's List. In all honesty, it wouldn't be a massive surprise if it turned out that the aircraft had originally been bought for exclusive Presidential/VIP usage given Equatorial-Guinean President Teodoro Obiang's family's penchant for the high life and luxury which of late, has come under increasing scrutiny from the international media.

With the departure of the 777, CEIBA is now left with a fleet of two ATR 72-500s, one ATR 42 - 500, one ATR 42-320 and three Boeing 737-800 on order whilst its network consists of Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Bata (Equatorial Guinea), Cotonou, Douala, Accra, Abidjan, Lomé, Libreville, Pointe Noire and Brazzaville.

[UPDATE]: SkyLinerAviation informs us that the 777 has now been re-registered as CS-TQX and is to be ferried back to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea as of 21 August 2012. Hopefully the plane will now return to operation for CEIBA and we'll see it in possible international service in the near future. Watch this space for further details!

► CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Check out Trans Air Congo's swanky new livery! (Pic)

Pointe Noire-based regional carrier Trans Air Congo (Q8) has applied a smart new livery to its Boeing 737-200 (TN-AHI). 

►► BELGIUM: Brussels Airlines announces Africa schedule changes from October onwards.

Belgian carrier Brussels Airlines (SN) has announced sweeping changes to its African network effective 1 October 2012.

Brussels Airlines' Africa Route Network.

● Brussels Airlines Africa Timetable ●

►Destination Summary: 

Airbus A330-200 replaces -300 on service to Abidjan (1 weekly only), Bamako, Lome, Ouagadougou from 1 October 2012.

• Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire: Reduces from daily to 6x weekly with some operational routing change 
• Banjul, Gambia: Reduces from 4x to 3x weekly from 01 February 2013 
• Conakry, Guinea: Service remains 2x weekly 
• Cotonou, Benin: Service remains 2x weekly 
• Dakar, Senegal: Service remains 4x weekly 
• Douala, Cameroon: Service remains 5x weekly 
• Freetown, Sierra Leone: Reduces from 2x to 1x weekly from 01 February 2013 with A330-200 (A330-300 also operates from 01 October 2012 to 31 January 2013) 
• Kinshasa, DRC: Service reduces from daily to 5x weekly 
• Lome, Togo: Service operates via Ouagadougou in each direction, replacing BRU ABJ LFW BRU 
• Monrovia, Liberia: Service remains 3x weekly 
• Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Service operates nonstop in each direction, extending to Lome. This replaces BRU-BKO-OUA-BRU.
• Yaounde, Cameroon: Service reduces from 5x to 4x weekly, via Douala.
• Bujumbura, Burundi: Service reduces from 3x to 2x weekly
• Entebbe, Uganda: Service reduces from 4x weekly in NS12 to 3x weekly in NW12
• Kigali, Rwanda: Service reduces from 5 weekly in NS12 to 3 weekly in NW12 (routing via Nairobi cancelled)
• Mombasa, Kenya: NEW 1x weekly service [CANCELLED]
• Nairobi, Kenya: Service reduces from 4x to 3x weekly; 1 weekly service operates via Mombasa, 2 via Bujumbura (Routing via Kigali is cancelled)

 

►Schedules of New Routing (effective 28 October 2012):

Brussels – Bamako – Abidjan

-A330-300 replaces -200 from 17 December 2012 to 03 January 2013

-Local Traffic rights currently available for Bamako – Abidjan sector

• SN281 BRU1125 – 1635BKO1725 – 1905ABJ 332 1
• SN282 ABJ2015 – 2155BKO2255 – 0540+1BRU 332 1

Brussels – Banjul – Conakry – Brussels

-A330-300 replaces -200 from 14 November 2012 to 30 January 2013

• SN215 BRU1325 – 1835BJL1950 – 2055CKY2215 – 0540+1BRU 332 3

Brussels – Ouagadougou – Lome

-A330-300 replaces -200 from 10 November 2012 to 02 February 2013

-No Local Traffic Rights on Ouagadougou – Lome sector

• SN261 BRU1200 – 1650OUA1740 – 1910LFW 330 26
• SN262 LFW2020 – 2150OUA2250 – 0530+1BRU 330 26

Brussels – Abidjan – Cotonou – Brussels

• SN229 BRU1405 – 1945ABJ2055 – 2315COO0025+1 – 0655+1BRU 333 2 

Brussels – Mombasa – Nairobi – Brussels [CANCELLED]
NEW 1x weekly service to Mombasa

• SN477 BRU1030 – 2110MBA2210 – 2310NBO0025+1 – 0710+1BRU 332 5

Brussels – Bujumbura – Nairobi – Brussels
2x weekly service

• SN453 BRU1030 – 1955BJM2055 – 2325NBO0025+1 – 0710+1BRU 332 37

Brussels – Kigali – Entebbe – Brussels
-3x weekly flights
-Service to Kigali reduces from 5x to 3x weekly, Entebbe from 4x to 3x weekly.

• SN465 BRU1030 – 1940KGL2055 – 2245EBB2350 – 0620+1BRU 332 246

 

►Operational routing summary:

• Brussels – Abidjan – Monrovia – Brussels SN247 1x weekly service unchanged 
• Brussels – Conakry – Banjul – Brussels SN217 1x of 2x weekly service operates as SN215 in opposite direction 
• Brussels – Cotonou – Abidjan – Brussels SN231 1 of 2 xweekly service operates as SN229 in opposite direction 
• Brussels – Freetown – Banjul – Brussels SN219 Service reduces from 2x to 1x weekly from  01 February 2013 
• Brussels – Monrovia – Abidjan – Brussels SN245 2x weekly service unchanged 
• Brussels – Douala – Kinshasa SN351/352 Day 5 southbound service, Day 6 northbound does not operate from 08 December 2012 to 10 January 2013 (However BRU-DLA sector will operate as SN371/372) 
• Brussels – Luanda – Kinshasa – Brussels SN359 on Day 7 operates with A330-200 instead of -300 from 16 December 2012 to 06 January 2013.

Read More Here [Airline Route]

► KENYA: Kenya Airways announces vast changes to Summer Schedule.

Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced sweeping changes to its Summer Schedule, suspending several routes most notably Rome (Italy), and Muscat (Oman) due to low uptake, whilst announcing new destinations that are to be launched between July and October 2012 including Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Eldoret (Kenya), Abuja (Nigeria) and Beirut (Lebanon).

Kenya Airways Route Map

The optimized schedule comes as the airline moves to increase frequencies on existing routes to meet changing and growing demand, while opening new routes in Africa and the Middle East. Kenya Airways Group Managing Director, Dr. Titus Naikuni said the decision to halt operations on the routes was also based on insufficient demand to sustain the routes.

"“Owing to the decreased passenger volumes on these routes, we have decided to re-align our capacity across the entire network to meet growing demand on other destinations including new ones,” said Dr Naikuni."

Kenya Airways' Summer 2012 Schedule

Kenya (Domestic) 

• Kisumu City boosted with introduction of an extra frequency over the weekends bringing it to 4x daily. On specific weekdays the airline will maintain its 3x daily flights. An Embraer E190 will be deployed on the route especially in the mornings and evenings. 

 Africa

• All Lagos daytime flights to Accra are combined as KQ 534 operating Nairobi – Lagos – Accra – Nairobi. As a result, Kenya Airways will be flying into Accra 12 times a week and 9 times a week to Lagos.  
• Additionally, the introduction of wide-body capacity into and out of Lagos and Accra is set to have significant impact on Kenya Airways’ passenger and cargo revenue streams as it will enable it to offer more capacity and minimum connecting time between Guangzhou, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Dubai, Mumbai and West Africa.  
• Ndjamena increased to 3x direct flights a week.
• Dakar will now connect through Ouagadougou which increases flights to OUA to 3 times a week. 
• Bamako flights will operate via Cotonou 3 times a week; this is expected to ease out on the payload issues that the Bamako passengers have experienced in the past. 

Middle East & Asia

• Mumbai, India is increased from daily to 10 flights a week with 3x weekly flights to Delhi. 
• Jeddah, Saudi Arabia has an extra flight added, bringing the frequency to 3x weekly effective July 2012. 
• New direct flight to Dubai which will operate 3x a week with late evening departures from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to capture the late connecting traffic arriving into Nairobi. This is in addition to the daily Dubai service that the airline operates. The airline will now operate 10 non-stop flights to Dubai.

Europe

• Europe has a capacity increase despite the suspension of Rome flights.
• Effective July 2012, flights to London Heathrow will increase to 10 flights per week on the 322 seater Boeing 777-200. This is to cater for increased traffic demand during the Olympics. 
• Paris flights will increase to 6 weekly flights during the July – August peak period and the daily Amsterdam capacity will be upgraded to a Boeing 777-200. 

Read More Here [Kenya Airways]

► BENIN: Westair Benin to start Libreville, Abidjan, Niamey, Ouagadougou shortly; to acquire various aircraft.

Beninois start-up Westair Benin (WH) is to planning to use a Bombardier CRJ-200 on flights between the capital, Cotonou, and Libreville (Gabon), Niamey (Niger), Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) with other destinations to be added in future.

Founded in 2002, the airline has maintained a relatively low profile thus far, though it is considering a Boeing 737-300 for use in future operations.

Read More Here [CH Aviation]

► FRANCE: Air France announces various Africa changes for Winter 2012.

French carrier Air France (AF) has announced various operational equipment changes to its Africa network, effective 28 October 2012 (i.e Winter 2012).

Air France Equipment Changes (Effective 28 October 2012)

• Paris CDG – Bangui (Central African Republic)1 weekly service operates with A330-200, replaces A340-300
• Paris CDG – Niamey (Niger) – Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) 4 weekly service operates with A330-200, replaces mix of A330/340

Other Equipment changes announced previously: 

Air France 777 over the Sahara (Ken Iwelumo)

• Paris CDG – Antananarivo (Madagascar) 3-class Boeing 777-200ER operating, replaces A340-300 in W12.
• Paris CDG – Douala (Cameroon) – Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) Boeing 777-300ER replaces -200ER, daily operation
• Paris CDG – Mauritius 3-class “COI” Boeing 777-300ER operating, replaces 747-400 in NW11

In Northern Winter 2012/13 season, Air France’s Airbus A340-300 and Boeing 747-400 operational frequencies continue to be reduced on following routes:

Airbus A340-300

• Paris CDG – Bamako (Mali)1 Daily
• Paris CDG – Cotonou (Benin) 5 weekly
• Paris CDG – Lome (Togo) 4 weekly

Boeing 747-400

• Paris Orly – St. Denis de la Reunion 3 weekly

 Read More Here [Airline Route]

► GHANA: Starbow Airlines leases BAe146-300; To start Cotonou, Abidjan, Monrovia, Abuja, Ouagadougou.

Starbow Airlines (S9), a Ghanaian airline that commenced operations in 2011, has announced the lease of a BAe146-300 from Fair Aviation of Lanseria Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa.