► RUSSIA: Rosaviatsia reminds local carriers about unused South African traffic rights.

Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, has issued a reminder to local Russian airlines that there are still unused rights available for both passenger and cargo flights between Russia and South Africa.

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe resumes Vic Falls - Johannesburg from July 12.

Air Zimbabwe (UM) is to tentatively resume its Victoria Falls - Johannesburg flights with effect from July 12. The 3x weekly flights will operate with an Embraer E145. As of this posting however, the flight is not yet open to reservations and further changes to the schedule still remain possible.

► NIGERIA: Arik Air plans A330 London ops from July 12; Johannesburg A340 ops resume from 16 July.

As previously reported, Nigeria's Arik Air (W3) has outlined its initial Airbus A330-200 routes with the carrier's daily Lagos - London Heathrow flight set to switch from the current A340-500, to the A330 from July 12. Additionally, Lagos - Johannesburg will from July 16 see a return of the A340-500, replacing the current equipment, a B737-800.

► ITALY: Alitalia mulls Kenya, South Africa resumption from 2014 onwards; more Libyan, Moroccan routes too.

As part of its new 3-year restructuring industrial plan aimed at stemming continued losses, Italian carrier Alitalia (AZ) says it is considering introducing new flights to Morocco and Libya during the course of 2013/2014 with flights to South Africa and Kenya to possibly resume from 2014 on.

► SOUTH AFRICA: DoT grants fastjet Foreign Operators Permit paving way for Dar - Joburg; no mention of Kigali or Lusaka (yet).

Following on from its previous announcement, fastjet (FN) says it has been issued a Foreign Operator Permit from the South African Department of Transport thereby paving the way for the launch of flights between Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg.

► DUBAI: Emirates outlines African routes to be affected by closure of DXB runway 12L/30R in 2014.

With Dubai International Airport's Northern runway 12L/30R nearing the end of its designed lifespan and therefore requiring rehabilitation and upgrading, Emirates (EK) has outlined its planned service reduction set to come into effect from May 1, 2014 and ending July 20, 2014. The following list contains the affected African flights:

► MALAWI: Air Malawi Ltd's lone ATR42, two 737s put up for sale by liquidator.

Mr Lekani Katandula, a partner at audit and business advisory firm Deloitte, the officially appointed liquidators for the now defunct Air Malawi Ltd (QM), has announced that the airline's fleet of three aircraft, an ATR42, a B737-300 and a B737-500, are now up for sale to all interested parties.

► CONGO (KINSHASA): Chapman Freeborn begins weekly Joburg - Lubumbashi - Kinshasa cargo ops.

Ad-hoc cargo charter specialists, Chapman Freeborn Africa, has launched a new scheduled service from Johannesburg to Lubumbashi and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

► GHANA: South African Airways to tentatively boost Accra to daily from August.

According to AirlineRoute, South African Airways (SA) will from 7 August 2013 introduce a 7th weekly frequency on its Johannesburg – Accra route. The added service, which is still subject to government approval, will operate Wednesdays using an Airbus A330-200.

► TANZANIA: fastjet suspends South Africa launch as traffic rights to Lusaka, Kigali and Johannesburg are granted.

Struggling Tanzanian LCC, fastjet (FN), has been granted rights to service routes from Tanzania to South Africa, Zambia and Rwanda it has emerged. As a result of this development, the fastjet board has taken the decision to put the July 1 launch of its domestic South African operation temporarily on hold so that it can direct all its efforts and resources to starting its international services as soon as possible

► ST HELENA: Atlantic Star Airlines eyes Cape Town, even Johannesburg, flights from 2016.

Atlantic Star Airlines is a start-up founded by three ex-British Airways (BA) pilots with plans to begin flights from the British Overseas Territory of St. Helena, situated in the South Atlantic Ocean, to the United Kingdom (possibly via Southern Europe) using a B757-200.

► COMOROS: New carrier, Gafo Air, eyes flights to South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Sudan.

New Zealand energy consortium, GAFO Energy NZ, appears to be in the process of setting up a new regional carrier out of Moroni in the Comoros, dubbed Gafo Air.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Domestic operator, Freedom Air, débuts scheduled ops to Limpopo and Kwazulu.

South African domestic operator, Freedom Air, has débutted its first scheduled flights. Based out of Pretoria's Wonderboom Airport, Freedom Air now offers flights between Johannesburg (Grand Central), Newcastle, Durban (Virginia) and Venetia Mine in Limpopo Province using a Dornier 228.

► CHINA: Kenya Airways, China Southern expand codeshare to encompass more routes.

Kenya Airways (KQ) has expanded the scope of its code share agreement with fellow SkyTeam member, China Southern Airlines (CZ). Under the expanded agreement, Kenya Airways will code share on China Southern Airlines services from Bangkok to Wuhan, one of the busiest cities in Central China that is an important centre for trade, finance and transportation.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Competition Tribunal okays acquisition of Lanseria Airport, but with conditions attached.

South Africa's Competition Tribunal has approved the proposed acquisition of Johannesburg's Lanseria International Airport near Johannesburg by black economic empowerment company Holdco though conditions have been imposed on the deal.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Mthatha Airport's new runway now active; hopes to attract more carriers.

Following extensive works, an SA Airlink (4X) flight from Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport became the first aircraft to christen the new 2'700x60m runway 14/32 at Mthatha (formerly Umtata) Airport in the Eastern Cape. Both the Mthatha Airport runway and Terminal building upgrade projects form part of the wider King Sabata Dalindyebo Presidential Intervention Project led by the National Department of Transport and implemented by the Eastern Cape Department of Transport.

► CONGO (KINSHASA): SA Express resumes Lubumbashi ops as RVA beckons carriers to return.

SA Express (XZ) has announced a tentative resumption of its flights to Lubumbashi on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays following an announcement by the Congolese airport's authority, Regie des Voies Aériennes (RVA), that Luano International Airport's runway 07/25 would not be closed entirely during rehabilitation works.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Air Zimbabwe's A320 grounded in Johannesburg following birdstrike.

In a tale of very bad luck, Air Zimbabwe's (UM) first Airbus A320-200 (MCN 630 | Z-WPM) was today Wednesday May 29, temporarily grounded at Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport following a reported birdstrike. The A320 had only just been put into active service with the airline this past week.

► SOUTH AFRICA: TAAG to tentatively switch Johannesburg from the 777-200ER to the -300ER from July.

TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT) is to tentatively increase capacity on its 4 weekly Luanda – Johannesburg route with effect from 05JUL13. During the month of July, the 777-300ER will replace the -200ER on 3 out of 4 weekly flights. Thereafter, all 4 weekly flights will be operated using a -300ER model from 04AUG13.

► PERU: South African Airways considering Lima flights as talk of possible codeshare deals with Brazil's TAM and Azul grows.

South African Airways (SA) has expressed interest in commencing flights to Lima, Peru according to Carlos Canales, the head of Peru's National Chamber of Tourism (Cámara Nacional de Turismo del Perú - CANATUR).