■ TANZANIA: TCAA issues ground-handling tender for all airports excepting Dar es Salaam JNIA.

The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) has issued a tender for the provision of ground-handling services at the country's airports excepting Dar es Salaam's Julius Nyerere International Airport which the body claims, already has adequate licence holders awaiting to be concessioned by the Tanzania Airports Authority,

► KENYA: Turkish Airlines boosts Mombasa via Kilimanjaro to daily from late October.

Turkish Airlines (TK) will, from October 27, be increasing its Istanbul – Kilimanjaro – Mombasa – Istanbul round trip frequency from 5x weekly, to daily, with the route operated by a Boeing 737-900ER. The route was launched in December 2012.

■ TANZANIA: Direct Maintenance's stations in Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro approved for EASA Part 145.

Dutch-based line maintenance provider, Direct Maintenance, has announced that its two Tanzanian line stations at Dar es Salaam (DAR) and Kilimanjaro (JRO) have been approved for line maintenance under the company's EASA Part-145 approval. Following an initial start during 2012 for launch customer Qatar Airways (QR), both stations were recently added to the EASA approval thereby offering the same capability to a larger customer base.

► SOUTH AFRICA: fastjet's launch delayed until July - Bodin.

As previously speculated by The African Aviation Tribune, fastjet (FN), has indeed announced a postponement in its planned South African venture with flights now set to commence from July 1, the carrier's chief  commercial officer, Richard Bodin, has said.

► RWANDA: Rwandair announces further changes to its Summer 2013 schedule.

AirlineRoute reports that as per the 23APR13 GDS timetable and inventory display, Rwandan national carrier, Rwandair (WB), will further revise its planned operation for Summer 2013 season, effective 01JUN13. 

► TANZANIA: fastjet suspends Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar, Mwanza just 4 weeks after their launch.

Tanzanian LCC, fastjet (FN) has announced it is temporarily suspending two of its routes between Kilimanjaro and Mwanza, and between Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, effective immediately, due to what it calls "low demand during the rainy season."

► RWANDA: Rwandair announces further Summer 2013 schedule changes.

Following on from our previous post, Rwandair (WB) will, according to the 08APR13 GDS timetable and inventory display, adjust a number of its operations from 01JUN13 in preparation for the Summer 2013 season.

► KENYA: SafariLink to only accept passengers with prevalidated visas on Kilimanjaro - Masai Mara flights from June.

Safarilink Aviation (XLK), the Kenyan regional airline based at Nairobi's Wilson Airport, has announced that from 15 June, owing to lengthy delays in the issuance of visas at Nairobi Wilson Airport, it will only guarantee a connection on its Kilimanjaro - Masai Mara service to arriving passengers who already have a valid visa in their passports.

►► TANZANIA: Air Uganda planning for Entebbe - Kilimanjaro flights; launches "Crane Class" product.

[UPDATE 2 APRIL] Air Uganda (U7) has revealed that it is in the process of planning a new route from its hub in Entebbe to the Tanzanian tourist mecca of Kilimanjaro. Currently, the airline operates to the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam.

■ TANZANIA: TCAA opens airport ground-handling sector up to more players.

Following a meeting of the Board of Directors in late February, the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority has reviewed and adjusted 2009 legislation governing the liberalisation of ground handling services, including aviation fuelling, in Tanzania. The changes affect airports in Dar Es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and Arusha.

► TANZANIA: Tanganyika Flying Co. starts flights to Serengeti Lamai airstrip.

Tanzanian domestic operator, Tanganyika Flying Co. (TFC), has launched services into Serengeti Lamai Airstrip bringing the number of airstrips that TFC serves in the Serengeti National Park, to five.

► TANZANIA: fastjet to start daily Kilimanjaro - Mwanza & Zanzibar ops from mid March.

Tanzanian LCC Fastjet (FN), is to expand its network with the announcement today of the launch of daily Kilimanjaro - Mwanza and daily Kilimanjaro - Zanzibar flights effective 18 March. Both flights will operate with an Airbus A320.

►► 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.

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines announces changes to Somaliland, South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania ops.

AirlineRoute reports that Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is to adjust its Horn of Africa/East Africa service in Summer 2013, which will see the following changes effective as of 06FEB13. Amongst the routes affected are those to Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Sudan. As always, further changes remain possible.

► TANZANIA: See Pics of Turkish Airlines inaugural Kilimanjaro route launch.

Turkish national carrier, Turkish Airlines (TK), added Kilimanjaro, Tanzania and Mombasa, Kenya to its growing global network last week 5 December, when the first of its 5x weekly Boeing 737-900ER operated flights, touched down.

► RWANDA: RwandAir announces modifications to its NW 2012/2013 schedule.

Rwandair (WB) has implemented various modifications to its operations following the launch of its 2012/13 Northern Winter season schedule on 28 October 2012. 

► TANZANIA: (Pics) fastjet's inaugural revenue flight to Mwanza.

LCC fastjet (FN) finally became a reality with the launch today of its maiden route from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza followed by Dar es Salaam to Kilimanjaro later in the morning.

► TANZANIA: fastjet website now live; announces timetable.

fastjet (FN) this morning activated their online booking portal - www.fastjet.com - thereby allowing passengers the option of making online reservations. Additionally, the carrier can now be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

► TANZANIA: fastjet to start ops on 29 November with Kilimanjaro & Mwanza.

fastjet, the first pan-African low-cost airline, which is backed by easyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou, announced today that it will start flights between Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam and Mwanza  on November 29, with tickets to cost $20 one-way, excluding taxes. Flights will operate from Dar es Salaam's Julius Nyerere International Airport.

► TANZANIA: fastjet announces initial domestic and regional routes.

fastjet has revealed its first routes to be served when it launches later this month. In an bizarre interview with with Linzie Janis on Bloomberg Television's "Countdown," fastjet CEO, Ed Winter, announced the first destinations to be Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda, though could not give an exact date for operations to start, as "all the necessary government approvals were not yet in place."