► SENEGAL: Angry husband calls in bomb threat to delay Royal Air Maroc flight to Casablanca; gets backtraced.

The Senegalese press is reporting a bomb scare on-board a Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737-800 as it was about to depart from Dakar's Léopold Sédar Senghor (Yoff) International Airport early this morning, bound for the Moroccan city of Casablanca.

► MOROCCO: (Pics) Delivery of Royal Air Maroc's 787s deferred until late 2014.

Originally due in Q4 of this year, Morocco's national carrier, Royal Air Maroc (AT), will only, according to press reports, be taking delivery of its first two Boeing 787 Dreamliners in Q4 2014, which now means that Kenya Airways (KQ) will be the second African operator of the type after Ethiopian Airlines (ET), if their Boeing 787 order comes through in late 2013.

► MAURITANIA: New agreement to increase Nouakchott - Casablanca flights.

With the signing of a new Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Mauritania and Morocco last week, Mauritania Airlines International (L6) and Moroccan national carrier Royal Air Maroc (AT) will each be able to operate seven weekly flights between Nouakchott and Casablanca.

► SAUDI ARABIA: Saudia increases capacity to Addis Ababa & Casablanca from October.

Saudi Arabian national carrier Saudia (SV) is to increase its capacity on flights between Riyadh and Jeddah to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Jeddah and Casablanca, Morocco with effect from 28 October 2012.

► ITALY: Air Arabia Maroc to start Marrakech - Milan from October.

Air Arabia Maroc (3O), the LCC joint venture between various Moroccan investors and Air Arabia (G9), is to start a once (1x) weekly Sunday service between Marrakech, Morocco and Milan (Bergamo), Italy effective 28 October 2012. The flight will operate with an Airbus A320.

► TUNISIA: Syphax Airlines announces Summer schedule changes; outlines new routes.

Newly founded Tunisian carrier Syphax Airlines (FS) has announced changes to its Summer timetable effective 5 July 2012.

Founded in 2011 and based in the coastal city of Sfax by businessman Mohamed Frikha, Syphax Airlines is a scheduled airline serving destinations in the Mediterranean with plans to increase its presence in both the Magreb region of Africa and Europe in the near future, amongst which will see Nice and Lyon in France being connected with Sfax, Tunisia a whilst Casablanca - Tunisia service is also in the pipeline.

Syphax Airlines Route Map

● Syphax Airlines Summer 2012 Timetable ●

Djerba, Tunisia – Paris CDG, France 
2x weekly service operating since 18JUN12

• FS110 DJE1510 – 1900CDG 319 14
• FS111 CDG1225 – 1410DJE 319 14

Sfax, Tunisia – Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen, Turkey
Operational days moving from Day 47 to Day 26 (SFA departure)

• FS212 SFA1635 – 2055SAW 319 26
• FS213 SAW2155 – 2220SFA 319 26

Sfax, Tunisia – Marseille, France
Service operates twice weekly instead of planned 3x weekly

• FS210 SFA0715 – 1000MRS 319 25
• FS211 MRS1045 – 1125SFA 319 25

Sfax, Tunisia – Paris CDG, France
Service operates 5x weekly instead of planned daily

• FS100 SFA0745 – 1125CDG 319 x267
• FS100 SFA1030 – 1410CDG 319 7
• FS101 CDG2000 – 2135SFA 319 14
• FS101 CDG2030 – 2205SFA 319 35
• FS101 CDG2215 – 2350SFA 319 7

Sfax, Tunisia – Tripoli, Libya
3x weekly service entered operation since early-June 2012

• FS250 SFA2250 – 0025+1TIP 319 135
• FS251 TIP0110 – 0050SFA 319 246

Tunis, Tunisia – Paris CDG, France
Service operates 3x weekly instead of planned daily

• FS104 TUN1555 – 1930CDG 319 35
• FS104 TUN1740 – 2115CDG 319 7
• FS105 CDG1225 – 1355TUN 319 35
• FS105 CDG1510 – 1640TUN 319 7

Routes to be launched in the near future:

• Sfax, Tunisia – Lyon, France: 3x weekly (previously due to start from 7 May 2012)
• Sfax, Tunisia – Nice, France: 2x weekly (previously due to start from 10 May 2012)
• Sfax – Tunis – Casablanca, Morocco: 2x weekly (previously due to start from 22 May 2012)
• Tunis – Lyon 3x weekly (previously due to start 7 May 2012)

Read More Here [Airline Route]

Presently, Syphax Airlines' fleet consists of two Airbus A319s.

► MOROCCO: Royal Air Maroc, Delta Airlines drop code-share agreement.

With effect from June 2012, American carrier Delta Airlines (DL) and Moroccan flag carrier Royal Air Maroc (AT) will cease their 12 year long code share agreement.

■ MOROCCO: Bombardier to build plant in Casablanca.

Canadian aircraft manufacturer, Bombardier Aerospace, has announced plans to open an assembly plant in an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Casablanca, Morocco, pending Moroccan Government approval.

Located near Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport, the Nouaceur MidParc EPZ offers investors a 5 year tax-free honeymoon period, after which the rate rises to 8.75% for the next 20 years.

Last year, Bombardier signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Moroccan Government  with the

intention of investing approximately USD$200 million in equipment, buildings and start-up costs over the next eight years though it has only now decided on an actual site.

A nearly-completed Q400 in Montreal (Steelhead)

Scheduled to be implemented in phases starting in 2012, Bombardier Aerospace’s new Moroccan facility will initially include sub-assembly capabilities for simple structures. The new facility is scheduled to start manufacturing in 2013. Details on the type of components to be manufactured will be finalized in the coming months.

By the end of 2020, employment at the Morocco facility is expected to reach 850 skilled and trained workers. Bombardier Aerospace anticipates that there will be no impact on its current workforce level at other sites as a result of this announcement.

Read More Here [Bombardier]

Morocco's economy has seen a minor boom in recent years thanks to free trade deals with international partners, amongst whom there is French car manufacturer Renault who, in February, opened a massive USD$1.5billion plant in a similar EPZ in Tangiers.

► MOROCCO: Lufthansa starts Berlin & Dusseldorf to Marrakech from November.

German carrier Lufthansa (LH) has announced Berlin Tegel to Marrakech, Morocco and Düsseldorf to Marrakech both of which will start from 3 November 2012.

The flights are both once weekly, and will be served with an Airbus A320.

A Lufthansa Airbus A320 (Lasse Fuss)

Dusseldorf – Marrakech effective 3 November 2012

• LH3476 DUS1105 – 1350RAK 320 6

• LH3477 RAK1450 – 1940DUS 320 6

Berlin Tegel – Marrakech effective 3 November 2012

• LH3478 TXL2105 – 0020+1RAK 320 6

• LH3479 RAK0205 – 0715TXL 320 6

Note that from 17 March 2013, Berlin Brandenburg Airport will come on line.

Read More Here [Airline Route]

► MOROCCO: Royal Air Maroc to lease two A310s this summer.

Moroccan flag carrier Royal Air Maroc (AT), is to wet-lease 2 Airbus A310s from Portuguese airline Hi Fly for the duration of summer.

► UNITED KINGDOM: British Airways to replace BMI codes on 3 Moroccan routes.

British Airways (BA) is to replace 3 BMI coded flights (BD) to Morocco with effect from 23 May 2012.

London Heathrow – Agadir 

• BD44x > BA816x

London Heathrow – Casablanca

• BD44x > BA816x

London Heathrow – Marrakech 

• BD44x > BA816x

Read More Here [Airline Route]

British Airway's parent company International Airlines Group (IAG) bought British Midland International from Lufthansa in April.

► MOROCCO: Jetairfly to start Brussels - Rabat this summer.

Belgian LCC Jetairfly (TB) is to start 2x weekly Brussels - Rabat service for the duration of this summer i.e. 26 June 2012 to 02 September 2012 using a Boeing 737.