►► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Punto Azul to resume regional ops in March with Angola, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana planned for later.

[UPDATE 12 FEBRUARY] Equato-guinean private operator Punto Azul (ZR) has announced the resumption of services with new routes in the pipeline. Making the announcement in Malabo, Punto Azul CEO, Rene Janata, explained the necessity of the measure in relation to the consolidation of future operations and compliance with airline's projected growth targets. The carrier has also signed a new agreement with a new operator, South Africa's National Airways Corporation.

► TANZANIA: (Pics) Air Tanzania resumes 4x weekly Mtwara flights.

Air Tanzania (TC) has resumed its Dar es Salaam - Mtwara flights as of  Friday 8 February 2013. Flights will initially operate 4x weekly using the airline's Bombardier Dash 8-300 with plans to boost capacity should demand pick up. Flights to Arusha and Mtwara were originally scheduled to have begun in November 2012, though no reason was given for their deferment.

► 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.

► DUBAI: RwandAir resumes Mombasa - Dubai, reduces Bujumbura frequencies from February.

Rwandair (WB) has announced the resumption of its 5th freedom flights between Mombasa (Kenya) and Dubai with3x weekly flights effective 02FEB13. Additionally, the carrier will from 01FEB13 reduce its current service to the Burundian capital, Bujumbura, from 3x to 2x daily flights, following the suspension of flights to Mwanza (Tanzania) effective 31JAN13.

► TANZANIA: Air Tanzania's DHC-8-300 completes repairs in Kigoma; resumes ops to Dar es Salaam.

Air Tanzania (TC) yesterday resumed its Kigoma - Dar es Salaam route after its Bombardier DHC-8-300 (MSN 474 | 5H-MWF) was grounded in Kigoma on its début flight 10 days ago following an in-flight cracked windshield.

►► DENMARK: Royal Air Maroc resumes Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin from March 2013.

[UPDATE 18 JANUARY] Royal Air Maroc (AT) has continued its expansion into Europe with the announcement of of the resumption of 3x weekly flights from Casablanca to Berlin Tegel, Germany via Copenhagen, Denmark.

► COMOROS: Government now looking to resurrect Air Comores?

After the successful launch of inter-island services last week using a Let 410 (MSN 072640 | D6-NHD), the Comorian Government is now considering resurrecting defunct national carrier Air Comores.

■ KENYA: Israel keen to resume Tel Aviv - Nairobi flights following improvements in Kenyan airport security.

Following improvements in security measures in place at the country's airports, Israel is considering the resumption of direct flights to Kenya before the end of the year says the country's Ambassador to Kenya, Gil Haskel. 

■ SOUTH AFRICA: DoT claims fastjet's relaunch timeframe for 1Time unrealistic, as Skywise remains ontrack for 1 March launch.

The launch of Skywise, the South African carrier founded by the original founders of defunct South African LCC 1Time (T6) is on track for a 1 March launch as fastjet's (FN) plans to push forward with a relaunch of 1Time face a protracted, relicensing process that could derail plans for a 27 February relaunch.

► GABON: Afric Aviation to take delivery of an ATR72.

Gabonese private carrier Afric Aviation (L8) is to take delivery of its first ATR72-200 to complement its current ATR42-300 reports Swiss aviation newswire, CH-Aviation.

► NIGERIA: See Pics of Dana Air's inaugural flight from Lagos to Abuja.

Nigerian carrier Dana Air (9J) today resumed flights with its first route being Abuja-Lagos. The aircraft used was (MSN 53016 | 5N-JAI) which departed as flight 9J 353 at 09h45L with regular passengers, VIPs, journalists, stakeholders in the aviation sector and celebrities, including Nollywood stars, on board. (Note, Dana air's flight tracker shows a previous flight 9J350 from Abuja to Lagos at 07h20L).

► KENYA: Jetlink Express hoping to resume ops by 31 March.

News reports out of Kenya state that bankrupt Kenyan regional operator, Jetlink Express (J0), grounded since November owing to a liquidity crunch, could resume operations by the end of March, if talks with potential investors come through.

► NIGERIA: Dana Air to resume flights tomorrow 4 January 2013.

Nigerian carrier Dana Air (9J) is to resume flights on Friday, 4 January 2012 using a fleet of five MD83s. Initial operations will resume with Abuja-Lagos with schedules to be announced "in due course".

■ SOUTH AFRICA: 1Time sets late February 2013 date for resumption of service.

Defunct South African LCC 1Time (T6) has set 27 February 2013 as its intended date of relaunch as talks with suitor Fastjet (FN) and the airline's creditors progress. On 19 December, it was announced that fastjet had entered into an option agreement to buy the entire issued share capital of 1Time Airline from its parent company, 1time Holdings Limited, for ZAR1 (USD0.12).

► ZIMBABWE: Egyptair to resume Harare from June 2013.

Egyptair (MS) has joined the list of foreign carriers returning to the Zimbabwean capital with plans to tentatively start a 4x weekly Boeing 737-800 operated Harare via Dar Es Salaam service from 1 June 2013. The Egyptian national carrier last served Harare in 2003 as an intermediate stop between Cairo and Johannesburg using an Airbus A340-200.

► NIGERIA: Chanchangi Airlines resumes ops with flights between Lagos, Abuja and Kaduna.

Kaduna-based Nigerian carrier, Chanchangi Airlines (5B), is to resume flight operations once more, with flights being offered between Lagos to Kaduna and Lagos to Abuja, according to the company's official Twitter.

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe to launch further regional ops shortly as Minister dismisses any KLM partnership as a "dream".

Troubled Zimbabwean national carrier Air Zimbabwe (UM) has announced further route developments and equipment changes as it looks to resume international operations in the new year.

► LIBYA: Tunisair goes Sfax - Tripoli, Benghazi from April 2013.

Fresh from announcing better pax uptake and stronger financials for November 2012, Tunisair (TU) will, starting 2 April 2013, expand its Boeing 737-600 operations from the Tunisian city of Sfax to Libya.

► LIBYA: See Pic of Air Libya's ARJ100 in their new swanky livery!

As mentioned in our previous post, Air Libya (7Q), the private Libyan carrier formerly known as Tibesti Air Libya, is set to receive its first BAe146-300/ARJ100 (MSN: 3234 | 5A-FLB) in the carrier's new corporate identity and livery.

► MOROCCO: Ryanair to resume London Stansted, Luton - Marrakech from 2013.

Infamous Irish LCC, Ryanair (FR), have confirmed the resumption of two London - Marrakech, Morocco routes to its winter schedule, with 8 weekly flights to/from London Stansted (4 per week) and London Luton (4 per week) from February 2013, as late additions to its winter 2012-13 schedule