► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines' 787 timetable for Beijing, Frankfurt, Toronto, Washington DC announced.

AirlineRoute reports that as per the 11 January 2013 GDS timetable and inventory display, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will continue to tweak its planned Boeing 787 long haul service between now and late-March 2013.

► GERMANY: Air Namibia reduces its Frankfurt service from late January to March 2013.

Air Namibia (SW) has announced it is to reduce its frequencies to Frankfurt, Germany from daily to 5x weekly over the period 19 January 2013 - 17 March 2013 as a result of reduced demand.  The carrier is to drop its Day 2,6 service from Windhoek to Frankfurt and its Day 3,7 services from Frankfurt to Windhoek.

►► LIBYA: Afriqiyah announces Paris, Casablanca, Rome, Khartoum, Dubai from December.

Libyan carrier, Afriqiyah (8U), has announced plans to launch various new routes ex-Tripoli and ex-Benghazi effective 1 December.

► SOUTH AFRICA: (Pics) Condor inaugurates Frankfurt - Cape Town flights.

The arrival of Condor flight DE6228 from Frankfurt to Cape Town at 10h52L today, marked the launch of  the airline's 2x weekly return Frankfurt/Cape Town flights. 

■ ETHIOPIA: Lufthansa Technik lands MRO deal for Ethiopian's 787s.

Germany's Lufthansa Technik have signed a 10 year deal with Ethiopian Airlines (ET) that will see the Hamburg-based MRO specialists providing component support for Ethiopian's growing fleet of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.

► CANADA: Ethiopian announces 787 ops to Toronto & Frankfurt for Winter 2012.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has announced further adjustments to its planned Boeing 787 operations. Frankfurt, Germany will receive the 787 on a daily basis from 27 October 2012 replacing its current 767, whilst Toronto, Canada's current 777-200LR service will be replaced with a 787 effective 9 November.

► TANZANIA: Air Tanzania resumes flights Friday as Government wants Lufthansa for joint venture.

As we reported last week, Tanzanian national carrier Air Tanzania (TC) will resume flights on Friday 12 October 2012 using their Bombardier Dash 8-300 (MSN 474 | 5H-MWF) along with two leased Boeing 737-500 of unknown origin. 

► GERMANY: Ethiopian to reduce Frankfurt service to 6x weekly from late October 'til late November.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will temporarily reduce its Boeing 767-300 operated Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Frankfurt, Germany service from daily to 6x weekly, effective between 28 October 2012 'til 25 November 2012.

► NAMIBIA: Air Namibia announces numerous changes to its timetable from October onwards.

As part of their strategy of efficient utilisation of their aircraft, Namibian carrier Air Namibia (SW) have again announced various changes to both their regional and international network, effective from October 2012 (the precise dates are subject to each individual post).

► GERMANY: Eritrean Airlines drops Frankfurt 6 months after its inaugural flight.

Eritrean Airlines (B8), the Eritrean national carrier, has announced that effective 1 October 2012, it will drop Frankfurt, Germany from its route network. The route is currently serviced once weekly via Rome, Italy using an Airbus A319, down from its original 3x weekly frequency when the route was inaugurated in April.

► KENYA: Air Berlin to quit Mombasa from April 2013.

Germany's second largest airline, Air Berlin (AB) will, from 7 April, cease its twice weekly Airbus A330 flight from Munich, Germany to Mombasa, Kenya, adding yet another airline to the growing list of carriers pulling out of the Kenyan port city route, as the Eurozone crisis continues to hurt the pockets of Europeans, with African tourism experiencing a knock on effect.

Air Berlin: Munich, Germany - Mombasa, Kenya

• AB7362 MUC 2105 - 0615+1 MBA 332 | 37 (ENDS 7 APRIL 2012)

► GERMANY: Lufthansa announces Africa schedule changes for European Winter.

German carrier Lufthansa (LH) has announced various operational and frequency changes to its Africa network for the duration of the European winter of 2012/2013.

Lufthansa's Africa Network

● Lufthansa Winter Africa Timetable ●

• Frankfurt – Johannesburg, South Africa: 08 January 2013 – 30 January 2013 - Service reduces from daily to 6x weekly.
• Frankfurt – Khartoum, Sudan – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Service to operate 6x weekly instead of planned daily.
• Frankfurt – Lagos, Nigeria – Port Harcourt, Nigeria: 16 January 2013 – 06 February 2013 Service reduces from daily to 6x weekly.

Previously reported:

• Munich – Cape Town, South Africa: Effective 28 October 2012 - Service to switch from Frankfurt to Munich due to Frankfurt Noise Abatement rules.  

Read More Here [Airline Route]

► SOUTH AFRICA: Lufthansa drops Frankfurt for Munich to Cape Town following curfew ruling.

Following on from April's landmark ruling by a federal court in Leipzig, Germany to ban flights at Frankfurt between 11pm and 5am in response to complaints about the noise from residents, so German carrier Lufthansa (LH) has been forced to switch its Cape Town, South Africa service from Frankfurt to Munich effective 28 October 2012.

Lufthansa Boeing 747 at Cape Town (Jacobus Saayman)

Lufthansa: Munich, Germany - Cape Town, South Africa
Effective 28 October 2012

• LH574 MUC2200 – 1035+1CPT 343 x13
• LH575 CPT1900 – 0535+1MUC 343 x24

Read More Here [Airline Route]

As if the restrictions and its economic consequences at Frankfurt were not enough, Lufthansa has threatened to move some of its traffic to either Brussels, Zurich or Vienna after a referendum in Munich on the 20 June put plans to build a third runway at Munich Airport into jeopardy.

► ANGOLA: TAAG boosts Dubai; looks to expand greatly in coming years.

Angola's flag carrier TAAG Angolan Airlines (DT) has announced, that effective 10 September 2012, it will add a third weekly Wednesday frequency to Dubai from Luanda and it is also looking to further increase its international presence by opening new international routes to Frankfurt, Germany, Paris, France and an as yet undisclosed destinations in the US.

With Angola's growing regional importance, both as a trade route and as an economic hub - with its vast oil wealth to boot - so the need to establish a direct air link between the US and Angola has grown ever more crucial. At this time, the only airlink between the two countries is that of SonAir Angola operates the 3x weekly "Houston Express" from Luanda to Houston, USA using a leased Atlas Air Boeing 747-400  which caters more for the oil industry's needs than anything.

Recently, Angola signed bilateral agreements with Argentina amongst which saw the Angolan airline opening a ticket office in Buenos Aires, that some see as being the first step in the opening of a future Luanda - Buenos Aires route.

TAAG Angolan Airlines: Luanda - Dubai
-Effective 10 September 2012

• DT550 LAD2100 – 0800+1DXB 772 135
• DT551 DXB1020 – 1520LAD 772 246

From 28 October 2012, Day 1/2 service operates with Boeing 777-300ER instead of -200ER.

Read More Here [Airline Route]

TAAG Angolan Airlines Africa Network

Meanwhile, ATWOnline reports that chairman and CEO of TAAG, Pimentel Araujo, disclosed that it plans to phase out its last three 737-200s and is considering acquiring either additional 737-700s, of which five are already in service, “or a lighter aircraft for some domestic routes,” he said. In January 2011, the airline retired its fleet of Boeing 747-300s to make way for the first of their Boeing 777-300ERs, of which another three are due for delivery in 2016.

TAAG, in keeping up with international trends, also launched its own Frequent Flyer Programme called the "Umbi Umbi Club" which it will use to build a customer loyalty base.

► MOROCCO: Lufthansa starts Berlin & Dusseldorf to Marrakech from November.

German carrier Lufthansa (LH) has announced Berlin Tegel to Marrakech, Morocco and Düsseldorf to Marrakech both of which will start from 3 November 2012.

The flights are both once weekly, and will be served with an Airbus A320.

A Lufthansa Airbus A320 (Lasse Fuss)

Dusseldorf – Marrakech effective 3 November 2012

• LH3476 DUS1105 – 1350RAK 320 6

• LH3477 RAK1450 – 1940DUS 320 6

Berlin Tegel – Marrakech effective 3 November 2012

• LH3478 TXL2105 – 0020+1RAK 320 6

• LH3479 RAK0205 – 0715TXL 320 6

Note that from 17 March 2013, Berlin Brandenburg Airport will come on line.

Read More Here [Airline Route]

► CAPE VERDE ISLANDS: Condor increases Banjul/Ilha do Sal/Boa Vista frequencies from Winter 2012/13.

German charter company, Condor (DE), has announced a new weekly service each to Ilha do Sal and Boa Vista (Cape Verde Island). Both flights will operate via Banjul, Gambia on the inbound sector with effect from from Winter 2012/13.