► KENYA: Astral Aviation outlines B747-400F plans; to codeshare with Emirates SkyCargo on Joburg - Nairobi flights.

Nairobi-based cargo operator, Astral Aviation (8V), and ANA Aviation Services have announced a new strategic partnership in Africa following the delivery of a B747-400F (MSN 29261 | N408MC), on wet-lease from ACMI specialists, Atlas Air (5Y), on September 27.

► FLEET UPDATE BULLETIN: Rwandair, FirstNation Airways, GEASA Guinea Ecuatorial Airlines, Libyan Airlines, Senegalese Air Force, Dana Air.

The following is a fleet update bulletin for aircraft that are in use, have been in use or will be in use for these listed airlines: FirstNation Airways Nigeria (FRN), Libyan Airlines (LN), Rwandair (WB), GEASA Guinea Ecuatorial, the Senegalese Air Force, Dana Air Nigeria (9J).

► SÃO TOMÉ & PRÍNCIPE: Punto Azul begins 3x weekly Malabo - São Tomé flights.

Equato-guinean carrier Punto Azul (ZR) has begun regional operations following the arrival of one of its three Embraer ERJ145s in São Tomé from Malabo on Tuesday.

■ LIBERIA: Equatorial Guinea to finance the expansion of Monrovia's Roberts International Airport.

Equato-Guinean strongman, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, has agreed to arrange the financing and construction of infrastructure at Liberia's sole international airport, Monrovia's Roberts International Airport, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries.

► MALI: Douniah Airlines now eyeing an ATR72 with new launch date set for late May.

Malian startup, Douniah Airlines (DTS), is now set to add an ATR72 to its fleet in preparation of its planned launch, delayed from earlier this year likely due to the crisis in Mali.

► NIGERIA: Cronos Airlines launches Malabo - Port Harcourt; plans Lagos and Abuja later this year.

Equatorial Guinea-based carrier, Cronos Airlines (C8), has officially launched flights to Port Harcourt in Nigeria out of its hub in Malabo. The carrier also plans to add flights to Abuja and Lagos during the course of the year as part of its Nigerian expansion plans.

► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: (Pics) Punto Azul's first ERJ145 touches down in Malabo - domestic ops to follow.

The first Embraer ERJ145 (MSN 145244 | PR-PSQ) to be operated by National Airways Corporation on behalf of Equato-guinean carrier Punto Azul (ZR), has touched down in Malabo.

► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: CEIBA to take delivery of three 737-800s within the next 12 months; hunting for more 777s.

Equatorial Guinean national carrier, CEIBA Intercontinental, (C2) has confirmed that it will take delivery of three Boeing 737-800 (as reported by us here) within the next 12 months, with plans to add further Boeing 777s to its current one as the fledgling airline begins to spread its proverbial wings.

► FLEET UPDATE BULLETIN: Nasair Eritrea, Viajes Guinea, Air Madagascar, Forces Aériennes du Bénin and AeroJet Angola.

The following is a fleet update bulletin for aircraft that are in use, have been in use or will be in use for these listed airlines: Nasair Eritrea (UE), Viajes Guinea (GS),  Air Madagascar (MD), Forces Aériennes du Bénin and AeroJet Angola.

► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: See Pics of Punto Azul's first of three Embraer ERJ145.

Equato-guinean carrier Punto Azul (ZR) is to commence operations with its three Embraer ERJ145s leased from ECC Leasing Company Ltd, a subsidiary of Embraer, and operated by South Africa's National Airways Corp. (NAC). The first Embraer ERJ145 (MSN 145244 | PR-PSQ) was delivered to NAC in late February.

►► ETHIOPIA: ASKY Airlines now codesharing with Ethiopian on the latter's West Africa, Brazil flights.

[UPDATE 26 FEBRUARY] Ethiopian Airlines (ET) and its West African subsidiary ASKY Airlines (KP) have expanded their code-sharing agreement to now cover the majority of Ethiopian's routes between Ethiopia and West Africa with Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Benin, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Togo and Burkina Faso now operating with an ASKY IATA code (KP).

► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Air Annobón finally starts operations with daily Bata - Malabo flights.

Enigmatic Equatoguinean startup, Air Annobón, has at long last launched scheduled flights, albeit one month ago. Operations are understood to have commenced on 25 January using only one (and not two) BAe146-300s.

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Ethiopian announces various changes to its West African network from June.

AirlineRoute reports that Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will from June 2013 adjust its operations to West Africa with numerous equipment and frequency changes to come into effect.

► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: (Pic) Cronos Airlines set to receive its first Airbus A320.

Equato-Guinean carrier Cronos Airlines (C8) is set to take delivery of its first Airbus A320 (MSN 533 | YL-LCL) wet leased from Latvia ad-hoc charter specialists, smartLynx Airlines (6Y).

►► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Punto Azul to resume regional ops in March with Angola, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana planned for later.

[UPDATE 12 FEBRUARY] Equato-guinean private operator Punto Azul (ZR) has announced the resumption of services with new routes in the pipeline. Making the announcement in Malabo, Punto Azul CEO, Rene Janata, explained the necessity of the measure in relation to the consolidation of future operations and compliance with airline's projected growth targets. The carrier has also signed a new agreement with a new operator, South Africa's National Airways Corporation.

►► SPAIN: Iberia to drop Cairo; to boost capacity to Casablanca, Algiers, Dakar, Nouakchott, and Malabo.

[UPDATE 30 JANUARY] Spanish carrier, Iberia (IB), has announced details of its new commercial and routes policies under the Transformation Plan it announced recently with various routes in Africa to be affected, for better and for worse.

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Karinou Airlines to go regional in early 2013.

Amidst a turbulent political climate, Karinou Airlines (KRN), formerly Africa Airlines, has outlined plans to launch scheduled regional operations out of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, possibly in early January.

► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Cronos Airlines leasing MD87 from DAT.

Swiss aviation newswire CH-Aviation reports that Equato-Guinean carrier Cronos Airlines (C8) has wet-leased a McDonnell Douglas MD87  (MSN 49403 | OY-JRU) from DAT - Danish Air Transport.

► GABON: DHL awards Solinair logistics contract for Nigeria, Cameroon, Equat'l Guinea ops.

The South African division of DHL Aviation has awarded Ljubljana-based Slovenian airline Solinair (SOP) a wet-lease contract for cargo operations using its lone B737-4K5F (MSN 24128 | S5-ABV) . 

■ SENEGAL: ASECNA signs $35million contract with Thales, INEO Engineering for Radar, ATM Systems.

The Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (L'Agence pour la Sécurité de la Navigation aérienne en Afrique et à Madagascar) or ASECNA has signed a USD35million contract with a French consortium comprising Thales Air Systems SAS and INEO Engineering & Systems for the supply and installation of Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radars (MSSR) with Mode S capability in addition to its Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems.