► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe to get two ERJ135s; to start Munich, London, Nairobi, Mauritius flights in March?

A new dossier on Air Zimbabwe (UM) entitled "Aircraft rotation for summer 2013" purportedly showing the carrier's service resumption plans for Summer 2013, has been published with Embraer Regional Jets set to join the fleet. Additionally, flights to the UK, Germany, Ghana, Mauritius, Kenya and Nigeria are planned.

► MALAWI: British Airways, Emirates and Qatar Airways interested in starting flights: Government.

Malawi's Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Economic, Ted Sitimawina, has disclosed that British Airways (BA), Qatar Airways (QR) and Emirates (EK) have all expressed interest in starting flights to the landlocked Central African country, a move that would help to drive down the exorbitant cost of air travel to the country.

■ MALAWI: Establishment of new Airports Authority to aide improvement of ageing airport infrastructure.

The Malawian Government is optimistic that the establishment of a new independent airports management company - the Malawi Airports Authority - will provide the country with a unique opportunity to improve its ageing infrastructure.

► MALAWI: Ethiopian Airlines to start Blantyre flights from March 2013.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) continues its push into southern Africa with the launch in Summer 2013 of a service to Malawi's commercial hub, Blantyre. The new 3x weekly, Boeing 737-800 operated route, Addis Ababa - Lilongwe - Blantyre - Addis Ababa, begins 31 March 2013.

■ MALAWI: Strike by DCA workers at Lilongwe's Kamuzu Int'l Airport causes serious delays, disruptions.

Ground-handling staff at Lilongwe's Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) have, since Monday, abandoned their night shifts at the airport, amidst other industrial action, in protest at unpaid overtime allowances that they claim "date back years."

► 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.

► TANZANIA: Precision Air further delays Harare & Lilongwe to August amid strong growth.

Tanzanian carrier Precision Air (PW) over the weekend announced that its planned new routes to Harare, Zimbabwe and Lilongwe, Malawi, would only begin "in August this year" instead of early July as originally planned as the airline intends to await the arrival of more aircraft prior to servicing the new routes.

► TANZANIA: Precision Air to restart Arusha from July; postpones Lubumbashi & Lusaka.

With renovations to the runway at Arusha's International Airport nearing completion, Tanzanian private carrier Precision Air (PW) has announced the resumption of daily flights to Arusha with effect from July 10. For the duration of the renovation works, passengers have had to use Kilimanjaro International Airport - 50 km away. 

► ZAMBIA: Zambezi Airlines to resume flights next month.

Following numerous court cases and the repossession of its aircraft by lessor GECAS, Lusaka-based, Zambian airline Zambezi Airlines (ZJ), is scheduled to restart services from next month.

► MALAWI: Air Malawi struggles to get back on feet; rebuild confidence.

Having been forced to temporarily cease operations last year due to lack of aircraft, Air Malawi (QM) has been finding the going hard since re-entering the market for both regional and domestic flights.

Upon resuming flights on 29 March 2012 to Johannesburg using a leased Boeing 737-200, the airline encountered severe customer backlash as it was forced to fly a solitary passenger to Lusaka shortly after - a phenomenon not unknown to southern African airlines these days.

However, in an attempt to woe back passenger numbers on the domestic Lilongwe-Blantyre front, Air Malawi says it has carefully designed schedules for its daily flights between Blantyre and Lilongwe to serve the needs of business travellers between the two cities, using its Boeing 737 and ATR-42.

"Air Malawi's Tariffs and Industry Affairs Manager Tony Chimpukuso said the flights have  already proved useful and convenient for local travellers as it leaves early in the morning in Blantyre and returns late in the evening to enable customers do all their business assignments during the day.

The flights also operate during weekends, according to Chimpukuso."

Read More Here [The Daily Times Malawi]

The updates come as Malawi is scheduled to hold a summit of the African Union in July.

► TANZANIA: Precision Air adds Lilongwe and Lubumbashi from May 2012; Harare and Lusaka from July 2012.

Tanzania's Precision Air (PW) will with effect from May 2012 expand its route network to include 4 new sub-Saharan destinations - Harare, Lusaka, Lilongwe and Lubumbashi using its B733. UPDATE: Dar es Salaam - Lubumbashi - Lusaka will commence on 18 May 2012, whilst Dar es Salaam -Lilongwe - Harare will commence on 3 July 2012.