► CONGO (KINSHASA): Korongo adds Mbuji-Mayi from late October.

As previously reported by The African Aviation Tribune, Congolese carrier Korongo Airlines (ZC), have announced plans for twice weekly flights between Lubumbashi and Mbuji-Mayi (Eastern Kasai) and Kinshasa and Mbuji-Mayi respectively, effective 31 October 2012.

►► 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.

► TURKEY: Turkish Airlines announces changes to Africa Network for Winter 2012.

Turkish carrier Turkish Airlines (TK) has announced various changes to its African network effective Q4 of 2012.

Turkish Airlines Africa Network

Istanbul – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
-Effective 28 October 2012 service reduces from daily to 5x weekly using 737-900ER.

• TK603 IST1910 – 0335+1DAR 739 x13
• TK604 DAR0435 – 1050IST 739 x24

Istanbul – Nairobi, Kenya 

-Effective 28 October 2012 Boeing 737-800 replaces -900ER, daily service

• TK607 IST1950 – 0325+1NBO 73H 1234567
• TK608 NBO0445 – 1020IST 73H 1234567

Istanbul – Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
-Effective 9 October 2012 NEW 4x weekly service to its 3rd destination in Egypt. Schedule below effective 28 October 2012.

• TK700 IST0205 – 0440SSH 737 135
• TK701 SSH0640 – 0925IST 737 135

Istanbul – Kigali, Rwanda – Entebbe, Uganda - Istanbul
- Effective 28 October 2012 service increases from 4x to 5x weekly using a 737-900ER

• TK606 IST1840 – 0130+1KGL0225+1 – 0420+1EBB0520+1 – 1045+1IST 739 x27

Istanbul – Kinshasa, DRC
- Effective 27 September 2012 service increases from 4x to 5x weekly. Schedule below effective 28 October 2012.

• TK671 IST1445 – 2115FIH 739 26
• TK672 FIH2215 – 0630+1IST 739 26

Source [Airline Route]

►► BELGIUM: Brussels Airlines announces Africa schedule changes from October onwards.

Belgian carrier Brussels Airlines (SN) has announced sweeping changes to its African network effective 1 October 2012.

Brussels Airlines' Africa Route Network.

● Brussels Airlines Africa Timetable ●

►Destination Summary: 

Airbus A330-200 replaces -300 on service to Abidjan (1 weekly only), Bamako, Lome, Ouagadougou from 1 October 2012.

• Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire: Reduces from daily to 6x weekly with some operational routing change 
• Banjul, Gambia: Reduces from 4x to 3x weekly from 01 February 2013 
• Conakry, Guinea: Service remains 2x weekly 
• Cotonou, Benin: Service remains 2x weekly 
• Dakar, Senegal: Service remains 4x weekly 
• Douala, Cameroon: Service remains 5x weekly 
• Freetown, Sierra Leone: Reduces from 2x to 1x weekly from 01 February 2013 with A330-200 (A330-300 also operates from 01 October 2012 to 31 January 2013) 
• Kinshasa, DRC: Service reduces from daily to 5x weekly 
• Lome, Togo: Service operates via Ouagadougou in each direction, replacing BRU ABJ LFW BRU 
• Monrovia, Liberia: Service remains 3x weekly 
• Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Service operates nonstop in each direction, extending to Lome. This replaces BRU-BKO-OUA-BRU.
• Yaounde, Cameroon: Service reduces from 5x to 4x weekly, via Douala.
• Bujumbura, Burundi: Service reduces from 3x to 2x weekly
• Entebbe, Uganda: Service reduces from 4x weekly in NS12 to 3x weekly in NW12
• Kigali, Rwanda: Service reduces from 5 weekly in NS12 to 3 weekly in NW12 (routing via Nairobi cancelled)
• Mombasa, Kenya: NEW 1x weekly service [CANCELLED]
• Nairobi, Kenya: Service reduces from 4x to 3x weekly; 1 weekly service operates via Mombasa, 2 via Bujumbura (Routing via Kigali is cancelled)

 

►Schedules of New Routing (effective 28 October 2012):

Brussels – Bamako – Abidjan

-A330-300 replaces -200 from 17 December 2012 to 03 January 2013

-Local Traffic rights currently available for Bamako – Abidjan sector

• SN281 BRU1125 – 1635BKO1725 – 1905ABJ 332 1
• SN282 ABJ2015 – 2155BKO2255 – 0540+1BRU 332 1

Brussels – Banjul – Conakry – Brussels

-A330-300 replaces -200 from 14 November 2012 to 30 January 2013

• SN215 BRU1325 – 1835BJL1950 – 2055CKY2215 – 0540+1BRU 332 3

Brussels – Ouagadougou – Lome

-A330-300 replaces -200 from 10 November 2012 to 02 February 2013

-No Local Traffic Rights on Ouagadougou – Lome sector

• SN261 BRU1200 – 1650OUA1740 – 1910LFW 330 26
• SN262 LFW2020 – 2150OUA2250 – 0530+1BRU 330 26

Brussels – Abidjan – Cotonou – Brussels

• SN229 BRU1405 – 1945ABJ2055 – 2315COO0025+1 – 0655+1BRU 333 2 

Brussels – Mombasa – Nairobi – Brussels [CANCELLED]
NEW 1x weekly service to Mombasa

• SN477 BRU1030 – 2110MBA2210 – 2310NBO0025+1 – 0710+1BRU 332 5

Brussels – Bujumbura – Nairobi – Brussels
2x weekly service

• SN453 BRU1030 – 1955BJM2055 – 2325NBO0025+1 – 0710+1BRU 332 37

Brussels – Kigali – Entebbe – Brussels
-3x weekly flights
-Service to Kigali reduces from 5x to 3x weekly, Entebbe from 4x to 3x weekly.

• SN465 BRU1030 – 1940KGL2055 – 2245EBB2350 – 0620+1BRU 332 246

 

►Operational routing summary:

• Brussels – Abidjan – Monrovia – Brussels SN247 1x weekly service unchanged 
• Brussels – Conakry – Banjul – Brussels SN217 1x of 2x weekly service operates as SN215 in opposite direction 
• Brussels – Cotonou – Abidjan – Brussels SN231 1 of 2 xweekly service operates as SN229 in opposite direction 
• Brussels – Freetown – Banjul – Brussels SN219 Service reduces from 2x to 1x weekly from  01 February 2013 
• Brussels – Monrovia – Abidjan – Brussels SN245 2x weekly service unchanged 
• Brussels – Douala – Kinshasa SN351/352 Day 5 southbound service, Day 6 northbound does not operate from 08 December 2012 to 10 January 2013 (However BRU-DLA sector will operate as SN371/372) 
• Brussels – Luanda – Kinshasa – Brussels SN359 on Day 7 operates with A330-200 instead of -300 from 16 December 2012 to 06 January 2013.

Read More Here [Airline Route]

► CONGO (KINSHASA): Korongo boosts frequencies/capacity to Kinshasa & Johannesburg.

Lubumbashi-based Congolese carrier Korongo Airlines (ZC) is to increase both capacity and frequency on its routes to Johannesburg, South Africa and Kinshasa, DRC with effect from 1 September 2012.

Korongo Airlines Boeing 737-300 (Pixstel)

Korongo Airlines: Lubumbashi, DRC – Johannesburg, South Africa
-Frequency increases from 2x to 4x weekly

• ZC123 FBM0730 – 0945JNB 733 4
• ZC123 FBM1510 – 1730JNB 733 137
• ZC124 JNB1130 – 1350FBM 733 5
• ZC124 JNB1845 – 2105FBM 733 13
• ZC124 JNB1850 – 2110FBM 733 7

Korongo Airlines: Lubumbashi, DRC – Kinshasa, DRC
-All flights to operate with Boeing 737-300 instead of 3x weekly B737/Bae146.

• ZC101 FBM0730 – 0850FIH 733 137
• ZC105 FBM1655 – 1845FIH 733 256
• ZC102 FIH1020 – 1340FBM 733 137
• ZC106 FIH1945 – 2305FBM 733 256

Read More Here [Airline Route]

Korongo Airlines started operations in April 2012 and is a joint-venture between Brussels Airlines and the Belgian multinational Groupe George Forrest International, with full support from Brussels Airlines' parent company Lufthansa.

Since its inception, Korongo has attempted to carve out a niche for itself in the lucrative, albeit accident and bureaucracy infested quagmire that is the Congolese aviation market. In the past, many foreign based airlines have failed where Korongo is attempting to succeed, the most recent casualty of which was South African Express' Congo subsidiary, Congo Express.

► CONGO (KINSHASA): flyCongo to start Johannesburg from late June.

Congolese carrier flyCongo (EO), previously known as Hewa Bora Airways, has announced 2x weekly Boeing 767-200ER flights from Kinshasa to Johannesburg, South Africa via Lubumbashi, DRC, with effect from 27 June 2012. 

The new route will be flyCongo's first regional route as it currently only serves Congolese cities. 

flyCongo's Boeing 767-200ER

flyCongo: Kinshasa - Lubumbashi - Johannesburg
From 27 June 2012

• EO031 FIH0900 – 1215FBM1315 – 1530JNB 762 3

• EO061 FIH0900 – 1215FBM1315 – 1530JNB 762 6

• EO042 JNB1020 – 1235FBM1345 – 1500FIH 762 4

• EO072 JNB1020 – 1235FBM1345 – 1500FIH 762 7

Read More Here [AirlineRoute]

Presently, the Kinshasa - Johannesburg route is serviced by Korongo Airlines and South African Airways.

► CAMEROON: Camair-Co starts Douala - Kinshasa, Douala - Lagos; Misses 1st Year targets.

Camair-Co (QC), the "newly" founded (2006) flag carrier of Cameroon, has announced Douala - Kinshasa and Douala - Lagos with effect from 10th June 2012 and 12th June 2012, with 3x weekly frequencies, using their Boeing 737-700.

Douala – Kinshasa eff 10JUN12, 3 weekly service
QC341 DLA1710 – 1900FIH 73G 247
QC342 FIH1950 – 2135DLA 73G 247

Douala – Lagos eff 12JUN12, 3 weekly service
QC361 DLA0940 – 1105LOS 73G 246
QC362 LOS1135 – 1310DLA 73G 246

Read More Here [AirlineRoute]

However, despite also launching flights to Lyon, Ndjamena and Malabo, the airline has not fulfilled its own 1st year service expectations

"Camair’s initial objective was to handle 400,000 passengers during 2011 and expand its network to 13 destinations, an objective that fell short. Current destinations including its hub number 10 (Kinshasa and Lagos will bring the number to 12) while traffic was well below expectations. 

Although no full year data is available, the carrier flew 110,000 passengers over its first eight months of operations, with most traffic concentrated in the latter half as traffic accelerated following fleet expansion to three aircraft and increasing public confidence.

Passenger and cargo revenue in the first eight months was reportedly XOF15 billion (USD32.2 million). Losses in the first year of operations were approximately XOF9 billion (USD18.1 million), although losses had been anticipated for the first three to four years of operations."

Read More Here [CAPA Centre For Aviation]