► ITALY: Algeria's Tassili Airlines launches Hassi Messaoud to Rome-Fiumicino service.

Algeria's Tassili Airlines (SF), last week, launched once weekly direct flights between Hassi Messaoud in south-east Algeria, and Rome Fiumicino, Italy using a Boeing 737-800. This new route marks Tassili's first foray into the regional market, having been an exclusively domestic Algerian charter operator until now.

► MOROCCO: Air France introduces daily Paris Orly - Casablanca flights from 2013.

Air France (AF) will, from 31 March 2013, start daily operations to Casablanca, Morocco using an Airbus A318.

►► CAMEROON: Camair-Co delays Kinshasa/Lagos services until late October.

[UPDATED 7 OCTOBER 2012] Originally slated to start on 12 June 2012, Cameroonian national carrier Camair-Co (QC) has postponed the start of its 3x weekly Douala, Cameroon - Kinshasa, DRC and Douala, Cameroon - Lagos, Nigeria flights until 23 and 25 July 2012 respectively.

► GHANA: SSNIT to inject USD3million into Africa World Airlines.

Ghana's fifth and newest carrier Africa World Airlines (AW), the joint venture between China's HNA Group, the China-Africa Development Fund, SSNIT (Ghana's Social Security and National Insurance Trust) and SAS Finance Group, which launched its domestic operations between Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale on Friday 21 September, received a further shot in the arm on Saturday when the SSNIT revealed it would inject "between three and four million dollars into the new airline."

► GAMBIA: Gambia Bird to start ops on 1 October with flights to Dakar; to fly to Barcelona as well.

Following the arrival of its Airbus A319-100 in Banjul, The Gambia on Monday, Gambia Bird, the new 90/10 venture between German carrier, Germania (ST) and the Gambian government, has announced it will commence ops on 1 October 2012, with its first flight being Banjul, The Gambia to Dakar, Senegal.

► NIGERIA: Ethiopian to start Enugu; wants Kano, Port Harcourt and added Abuja frequencies too.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is looking to start flights to the southern Nigerian city of Enugu, in addition to a planned expansion to Port Harcourt, Kano (northern Nigeria) and an increase in its Abuja flight frequencies, currently flown 5x weekly with the airline's Boeing 777-200LR.

► BOTSWANA: Air Botswana planning Nairobi, Lilongwe, Blantyre, Cape Town, Lanseria flights from October onwards?

Reliable Zimbabwean aviation blog, Harare Airport Blogger, is reporting that Botswana's national carrier, Air Botswana (BP), is planning to launch various new regional routes with effect from 28 October 2012, though these reports have not yet officially been confirmed by Air Botswana itself.

► GAMBIA: Corendon Airlines to offer Amsterdam - Banjul from October.

Antalya-based tour operator Corendon Airlines (XC), a joint Turkish and Dutch registered airline, today announced that effective 1 October the carrier would launch a weekly Amsterdam, Holland - Banjul, The Gambia service which would increase to a 3x weekly service from 1 November onwards.

► ALGERIA: Emirates starts daily flights to Algiers from March 2013.

Its 22nd destination in Africa, Dubai based Emirates (EK) today announced it will serve the Algerian capital, Algiers, with a daily Airbus A330-200 effective 1 March 2013. With the Airbus A330's belly-hold capacity of 12 tonnes, Emirates SkyCargo expects to export commodities such as frozen fish, lobsters, oil and gas equipment and palm oil to points across its network whilst imports including a variety of manufactured goods are expected to form the bulk of goods shipped into Algeria.

► MAURITANIA: Turkish Airlines to launch Nouakchott via Dakar from mid September.

Turkish Airlines (TK) made another power move into the West African market by announcing a Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday weekly Istanbul – Nouakchott, Mauritania – Dakar, Senegal – Istanbul service using a Boeing 737-800 with effect from 16 September 2012. 

At present the Dakar sector is operated via Tunis, Tunisia, which will cease on the 16th.

► ANGOLA: TAP Portugal and TAAG considering flights to Catumbela?

Built by Brazilian contractors Oderbrecht International with finishing touches applied by Portuguese firm, Somague at a total cost of US$250 million and consisting of a new passenger terminal capable of handling 900 passengers/hour, 16 check-in counters, 18 immigration booths, two boarding bridges that can handle four aircraft simultaneously, a 3'500 metre long runway and an apron that can hold four Boeing 777-300 or Boeing 767 aircraft or 22 small/medium sized aircraft at the same time, Angola's new Catumbela Airport, in Benguela Province was on Monday, officially opened by Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos.

► MALAYSIA: Ethiopian Airlines launches Kuala Lumpur from late October 2012.

As reported by The African Aviation Tribune in late July, effective 31 October 2012, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is to start a 3x weekly service from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia via Bangkok, Thailand using a Boeing 767-300ER. 

Ethiopian Airlines 767 at Bangkok, Thailand (AJori)

The existing Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Bangkok, Thailand – Hong Kong service is to be reduced from 5x to 4x weekly. Consequently Bangkok will see a daily service once again.

Ethiopian Airlines: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Bangkok, Thailand – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

-Effective 31 October 2012

• ET618 ADD0025 – 1320BKK1430 – 1900KUL 763 357
• ET619 KUL2150 – 0125+1BKK0240+1 – 0750+1ADD 763 357

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Bangkok, Thailand

• ET608 ADD0040 – 1335BKK1435 – 1845HKG 763 x357
• ET609 HKG2150 – 0100+1BKK0210+1 – 0725+1ADD 763 x357

Source [Airline Route]

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines confirms 787 handover on August 14; to fly once off Washington - Addis flight on August 16.

Almost 3 years late, but the wait will be over soon enough as Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has officially announced that it is to take delivery of its first, and Africa's first, Boeing 787 Dreamliner at a ceremony in Seattle, Washington on Tuesday 14 August 2012.

""The fact that we are the first airline outside Japan to receive this ultra modern aircraft is an affirmation of our continuing pioneering role in African aviation. It is also a testimony of our commitment to give our passengers the best possible travel experience, with the best industry products and services." said Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian. "

ET-AOQ in Seattle recently.

After taking delivery, Ethiopian will fly its Dreamliner "ET-AOQ" to Washington D.C. the following day, where the aircraft will be on display to foreign dignitaries amongst whom will be US Senators and House Representatives as well as Ambassadors, Executives from the World Bank and IMF, members of the Ethiopian community, the media and other invited guests. 

It should be noted that since its early days with the Boeing 707 and 720, Ethiopian has maintained a very strong bond with Boeing and its financiers at the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

Thereafter, Ethiopian Airlines on 16 August, will operate a one-time only Washington Dulles – Addis Ababa service on board its 787-8 aircraft, operating as a nonstop eastbound flight (13hrs 30mins) essentially the aircraft début flight.

•  ET2501 IAD1230 – 0900+1ADD 788 16AUG12

The Dreamliner is scheduled to touchdown at Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport on Thursday 16 August 2012 following which the airline will hold celebrations.

UPDATE: The Guangzhou, China inaugural route has been CANCELLED effective 6 August 2012. (For the updated schedule of Ethiopian's 787 destinations see this thread).