■ GHANA: Kumasi Airport partially closed again after huge cracks, subsidence appear in runway 20.

Kumasi Airport in Ghana has been closed once more owing to its runway 20 cracking and subsiding. This follows after the airport was closed year in December to allow for repairs to the same runway.

►► NAMIBIA: Air Namibia to axe Accra, reduces Cape Town, Joburg due to low demand, Frankfurt due to A340s undergoing maintenance.

[UPDATE 7 APRIL] Air Namibia (SW) is, according to Amadeus, to axe its Windhoek - Accra (Ghana) flights effective 10 April. In addition, Windhoek to Cape Town, and Windhoek to Johannesburg flights are to be reduced from 3 to 2 a day, with Windhoek to Frankfurt flights being reduced to 4x a week effective immediately.

● GHANA: Kwame Mamphey elected Chairman of AFCAC at 23rd Plenary session.

The Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Air-Commodore Kwame Mamphey has been elected to the Chairmanship of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) during the organ's recently ended 23rd Plenary session held in Accra.

► GHANA: RwandAir announces Douala, Accra, Juba as next destinations to come in June/July.

With the imminent arrival of the first of two Boeing 737-700NGs, replacing the airline's Boeing 737-500s whose leases expire mid year, Rwandair (WB) has announced that Douala and Accra will be the airline's next new destinations from 1 June 2013.

■ GHANA: DVB Bank SE to advise Starbow on fleet renewal/selection process.

Ghana's Starbow Airlines (S9) and Germany's DVB Bank SE (“DVB”) have announced the signing of an agreement in which DVB will assist and advise Starbow on its fleet renewal and aircraft selection process.

► ZIMBABWE: A sneak peek at Air Zimbabwe's planned N. Summer 2013 Route Network.

Following on from our previous bulletin yesterday, Air Zimbabwe's (UM) planned route expansion and fleet utilization plans have been unveiled. AirlineRoute writes that as per the 06MAR13 GDS timetable and inventory display, as well as OAG Schedules iNet, Air Zimbabwe’s planned Northern Summer 2013 operation are as follows, effective 31MAR13. Amongst the routes being introduced are Bulawayo - Victoria Falls, and tentatively Harare - Lagos - Accra - Harare and Harare - London Gatwick. No mention has been made of the Embraer ERJ135s.

■ GHANA: Keith Luxton appointed CEO of Starbow Airlines.

Keith Luxton was last month appointed the CEO of Ghanaian private carrier Starbow Airlines (S9), replacing previous CEO, Dr.  Brock Friesen, who oversaw the carrier's inaugural flight in 2012.

► NIGERIA: Discovery Air outlines its planned route network though launch date is still uncertain.

Nigerian startup Discovery Air has outlined its intended route network with various domestic and regional destinations planned. The Lagos based carrier intends to launch commercial flight services with a fleet of Boeing 737-300s and Bombardier CRJ-200s, though when exactly, remains uncertain.

■ GHANA: Government once more looking to partner private sector in launching new national carrier. Fifth time lucky?

Following the successful conclusion of feasibility studies, Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama says the Ghanaian government is to partner the private sector under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative in the establishment of a new national airline before year end.

► 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.

■ GHANA: China Airports Construction Corporation set to begin work on Accra's new international airport.

Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ghanaian government last year, China Airports Construction Corporation (CACC) is set to begin construction of Accra's new International Airport, to be situated near Prampram in Dangbe-East District, near Accra. The move comes after CACC successfully concluded a feasibility study for the conceptual design for the new airport.

■ GHANA: Fuel shortages ground domestic airlines 'til Tuesday; international operators forced to make other plans.

An ongoing jet fuel crisis caused by supply problems in Togo and exacerbated by lack of reserve at the national oil refinery in Tema, has compelled Ghana's domestic operators to suspend flights for the next three days (Sunday included), say reports out of Accra.

►► 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.

► RWANDA: RwandAir to start Juba, Zanzibar and Accra "by May"; Harare, Cape Town to follow "later" says Mirenge.

Rwanda's growing national carrier Rwandair (WB) has set its sights on expanding its regional footprint and uplifting more passengers in the hopes of becoming a profitable airline by 2015.

►► NETHERLANDS: KLM announces changes to Accra, Cairo, Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Johannesburg and Lagos from Winter 2012.

[UPDATE 7 FEBRUARY] Further to KLM's (KL) previously announced Summer Timetable changes, so they have announced equipment i.e aircraft changes to their Winter 2012 timetable.

■ KENYA: Fly540 now withdraws brand licence issued to Fastjet for Tanzania, Angola, Ghana; Fastjet claims it is sole owner of Fly540 brand.

Fly540's owner Don Smith has ratcheted up the stakes in his ongoing war with Fastjet (FN) by withdrawing his carrier's brand licences granted to fastjet for Angola, Ghana and Tanzania. Fly540 yesterday claimed that Fastjet still owes its USD7.7 million in licensing fees (USD6.9 million in Tanzania, USD500'000 in Angola and USD300,000 in Ghana), a claim David Lenigas, Chairman of fastjet, disputed stating that fastjet is the sole owner of the 540 brand (including fly540 Kenya).

► GHANA: Starbow Airlines increases flights to Kumasi, Tamale in February.

Ghanaian carrier Starbow Airlines (S9) has announced the addition of added flights on its Accra - Kumasi and Accra - Tamale  routes following strong demand to both destinations.

► GHANA: Antrak Air to launch Kumasi - Tamale from 28 January.

Ghanaian domestic operator Antrak Air (4O) is to launch daily Kumasi - Tamale flights using an ATR72-500 effective tomorrow Monday 28 January 2013.

■ GHANA: The outcome of talks between the GCAA and Delta Airlines over allegations of the latter's shoddy service.

The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has met with officials of the Delta Airlines (DL) at the GCAA Head Office in a bid to resolve complaints from passengers stemming from flight delays, cancellations and poor customer service.

► GHANA: Two new startups looking to start ops: Eagle Atlantic Airlines and Air Ghana.

Eagle Atlantic Airlines (EAB) is planning to launch regional operations from its Accra hub should it acquire its Air Operator Certificate (AOC). According to its website, Eagle Atlantic plans to operate a single McDonnell Douglas MD-82 to Abuja, Lagos, Abidjan, Conakry, Freetown, Monrovia, Dakar.