► ZAMBIA: Proflight mulls expansion into Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, the DRC and Zimbabwe.

With the recent launch of its first regional flights to Lilongwe, Malawi, Proflight Zambia (P0) is mulling adding three further international destinations to its growing network by mid-2014, effectively making Lusaka a regional hub for air travel.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Regulator dismisses SAA's complaint against kulula regarding the latter's controversial ad campaign.

The Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa has reportedly dismissed a complaint brought by South African Airways (SA) against local rival LCC Kulula (MN) over the latter's use of the South African flag and slogan "The Most South African Airways" in an advertising campaign launched in March this year.

► SOUTH AFRICA: SAA jet suffers another false hijack alert, this time in Port Elizabeth.

A South African Airways (SA) jet operating as flight SA417 from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth was yesterday met at Port Elizabeth International Airport by armed police and other emergency response teams after squawking that their aircraft had been hijacked. The incident turned out to be a false alarm.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Eleven BA-Comair B737s suffer mass grounding over expired parts.

The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) on Friday, August 2, reportedly grounded eleven of British Airways-Comair's aircraft after they were found to be flying with components whose life-cycle expired in August 2012.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Gryphon Airlines to début Johannesburg to Gabon, Congo & Benin flights in November.

South Africa's Gryphon Airlines (6P) will start scheduled flights from South Africa through to Benin via Congo and Gabon with effect from November 1. The airline will operate a former 1Time (T6) McDonnell Douglas MD83 (MSN 49829 | ZS-TRJ) on the route.

► SOUTH AFRICA: British Airways reduces Johannesburg service from March 2014.

British Airways (BA) is to tentatively reduce its London Heathrow – Johannesburg operation with effect from 3 March 2014, with overall frequencies being reduced from 17x to 14x weekly. This is mainly due to the introduction of the Airbus A380 aircraft on the route, scheduled to enter service 3x weekly with effect from 12 February 2014 and which will increase to 6x weekly from 10 March 2014.

► UNITED STATES: JetBlue, South African Airways ink codeshare deal.

US-based domestic and regional carrier, JetBlue Airways (B6), and South African Airways (SA) have announced a bilateral codeshare agreement aimed at connecting the carriers’ networks via New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Washington’s Dulles International Airport (IAD). While the agreement is still pending U.S. Department of Transport regulatory approval and subject to receipt of foreign government operating authority, it will allow customers to purchase a single ticket combining SAA and JetBlue-operated flights and is an expansion of an interline agreement first inked in 2010.

► NAMIBIA: Kenya Airways, Air Namibia sign codeshare agreement.

Kenya Airways (KQ) and Air Namibia (SW) have announced the signing of a new code-share agreement paving the way for daily connections between the airlines’ Nairobi and Windhoek hubs through Johannesburg in South Africa and Lusaka in Zambia. This code-share agreement with Air Namibia brings the total number of code-share arrangements that Kenya Airways has signed with other international carriers to twenty.

► SOUTH AFRICA: fastjet starts Johannesburg from September 27 as yet another board member resigns.

fastjet (FN) has announced that its first international flights, from Dar es Salaam to Johannesburg, South Africa, will début from September 27. Initial frequencies will be limited to 3x weekly though this is expected to grow in line with demand. Flights will operate with an Airbus A319.

► ZIMBABWE: Lufthansa not coming back to Harare any time soon: Dünhaupt

German carrier, Lufthansa (LH), will not be returning to the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, any time soon,  group communications director for Africa, Mr Aage Dünhaupt, has said, but would instead continue to maintain a presence in the market via a codeshare with its Star Alliance partner South African Airways' (SA) multiple daily Johannesburg - Harare flights.

► ZIMBABWE: Twice weekly Air Zimbabwe Vic Falls - Johannesburg flights resume from today.

Air Zimbabwe (UM) has pushed back the resumption of its much anticipated Victoria Falls - Johannesburg route to today, Friday, July 26. Originally announced as operating 3x weekly from July 12, flights will now only operate on Fridays and Sundays with an Embraer ERJ145 (MSN 145607 | ZS-BBH) leased from South Africa's Solenta Aviation.

► SOUTH AFRICA: British Airways starts A380 service to Johannesburg from February 2014.

British Airways (BA) will, starting 12 February 2014, begin introducing the Airbus A380 aircraft on its London Heathrow – Johannesburg route, where it’ll operate 3 times a week, replacing the Boeing 747-400. 

► SOUTH AFRICA: SAA takes delivery of first two of twenty A320s from Airbus.

South African Airways (SAA) has taken delivery of its first two A320s, (MCN 5637 | ZS-SZA) & (MCN 5680 | ZS-SZB), out of a total of twenty A320-200s ordered from Airbus. The development will allow SAA to expand its Sub-Sahara regional route network and boost revenue in the rapidly growing market.

► UGANDA: fastjet outlines further African licencing plans with Uganda, Zambia now mentioned.

Further to a previous report in which fastjet (FN) allured to being in talks with four unnamed African carriers over possible partnerships, company Chief Commercial Officer, Mr Richard Bodin, has said that his airline, in addition to now having a "confirmed licence" in Nigeria, was now close to completing the initial steps for applications to fly in Uganda though gave no further details.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Cirrus light aircraft crashes just outside Johannesburg Lanseria Airport; 2 dead.

Two people were killed yesterday morning when their Cirrus SR-20 (ZS-CAP) light aircraft crashed after take off from Johannesburg's Lanseria International Airport. According to the South African Press Association, a Lanseria spokeswoman has stated that the "plane left the airport and appeared to be trying to return when it crashed on open land outside the airport."

► SOUTH AFRICA: fastjet keen on Mozambique, Zimbabwe markets as more SA carriers eye Dar es Salaam.

With the launch of Johannesburg - Dar es Salaam flights said to be approaching "soon", fastjet says once operations are in place, it would like to get in on the difficult to access, albeit very lucrative, South Africa - Mozambique and South Africa - Zimbabwe markets.

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► SOUTH AFRICA: Thai Airways cuts Johannesburg flights from late July 'til September.

Thailand carrier Thai Airways International (TG), will from 27 July until 19 September, temporarily reduce its Bangkok – Johannesburg operation. With the loss of Friday flights during the period, frequencies will drop to 3x weekly from the current four.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: FlightSafety International now offering Embraer ERJ145 training in South Africa.

FlightSafety International has announced that it now offers training for the Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Embraer ERJ 145 full flight simulator, is installed at FlightSafety’s Learning Center in Johannesburg.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Bombardier sets up a Regional Support Office and Parts Depot in Johannesburg.

Canadian aircraft manufacturer, Bombardier Aerospace, has opened a new Regional Support Office (RSO) and parts depot in Johannesburg, South Africa. The office and depot will anchor regional support capabilities for Bombardier business and commercial aircraft customers in Africa. Both the Johannesburg RSO and parts depot are co-located at Bombardier’s Business Aircraft Authorized Service Facility (ASF) at ExecuJet South Africa’s facility at Johannesburg's Lanseria Airport. It will be the 11th parts facility in Bombardier’s network.

► MALAWI: Malawi Airlines to launch with a B737-800, Q400; outlines planned network.

Malawi Airlines, successor to the now defunct Air Malawi Ltd, has outlined its planned initial route network and its fleet, which has now been revealed to consist of a Boeing 737-800 and a Bombardier Q400. The aircraft are to be sourced from majority shareholder Ethiopian Airlines (ET).