■ SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng calls for study on potential new international airport for Johannesburg as part of 25-Year Transport Plan.

The Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Dr Ismail Vadi, this week released the "25-Year Integrated Transport Master Plan (ITMP25)" for Ekurhuleni, the local authority and government for Gauteng, South Africa's former East Rand area, to ensure province-wide mobility in future for all residents. The 25 year plan, developed by an inter-disciplinary team of experts led by Gautrain CEO Jack van der Merwe, provides an assessment of the current transport and land-use challenges. It also forecasts economic and population growth scenarios, which have been used to plan the future transport needs and solutions in the province. Pertaining to aviation, the Plan states that OR  Tambo  International  Airport  will  remain the main airport serving Gauteng and South Africa but notes that "a thorough study should be done to determine the feasibility and, if found necessary, land should be reserved to develop a second major airport in Gauteng which can accommodate wide body aircraft up to and including the A380."

► SOUTH AFRICA: mango to start 3x weekly Johannesburg - George from mid November.

South African LCC, mango (JE), has announced plans to launch three times weekly flights from Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport to the south-western city of George with effect from November 18. Flights will operate using a B737-800.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Comair to take delivery of first 737-800 for its British Airways franchise.

South Africa's Comair Ltd is set to deploy its first B737-800 (MSN 30403 | ZS - ?) to its British Airways franchise. The aircraft had previously seen service with India's Jet Airways (9W).

► SOUTH AFRICA: SA Express granted traffic rights to serve Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique out of Durban.

South African Express (XZ) has been granted traffic rights to serve Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique out of Durban following its application in October 2012. 

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Gigaba seeks greater cooperation between Denel Aviation, SAA Technical & SAExpress Technical.

South African Minister of Public Enterprises, Malusi Gigaba, says he has directed the board of state-owned aerospace and defence technology conglomerate, Denel, to develop a long term Africa-centric growth strategy which will involve Denel Aviation collaborating with fellow parastatals, SAA Technical and SA Express Technical. The move falls in line with the Ministry's goal of developing Denel into a global player in the defence industry and to become a preferred supplier and prime contractor for the Department of Defence’s large programmes as well as for the African Continent.

► UNITED STATES: South Africa's Global Airways to resume Johannesburg - Miami via Cape Town; appoints Fuelstream its US rep.

With the impending relaunch of its Johannesburg - Miami via Cape Town flights, South Africa's Global Airways (QG) has appointed Fuelstream Inc. as their US Representative. Fuelstream will evaluate and recommend ground handling companies, caterers, crew transportation and services, coordinate with cargo handlers, and serve as Global's GSA for cargo in Miami. It will also work with the Aviation Department on gate assignments and ticket counters, and with all government authorities (TSA, Customs & Immigration and the local police) to ensure compliance. 

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Regulator dismisses SAA's complaint against kulula regarding the latter's controversial ad campaign.

The Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa has reportedly dismissed a complaint brought by South African Airways (SA) against local rival LCC Kulula (MN) over the latter's use of the South African flag and slogan "The Most South African Airways" in an advertising campaign launched in March this year.

► SOUTH AFRICA: SAA jet suffers another false hijack alert, this time in Port Elizabeth.

A South African Airways (SA) jet operating as flight SA417 from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth was yesterday met at Port Elizabeth International Airport by armed police and other emergency response teams after squawking that their aircraft had been hijacked. The incident turned out to be a false alarm.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Eleven BA-Comair B737s suffer mass grounding over expired parts.

The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) on Friday, August 2, reportedly grounded eleven of British Airways-Comair's aircraft after they were found to be flying with components whose life-cycle expired in August 2012.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Gryphon Airlines to début Johannesburg to Gabon, Congo & Benin flights in November.

South Africa's Gryphon Airlines (6P) will start scheduled flights from South Africa through to Benin via Congo and Gabon with effect from November 1. The airline will operate a former 1Time (T6) McDonnell Douglas MD83 (MSN 49829 | ZS-TRJ) on the route.

► SOUTH AFRICA: British Airways reduces Johannesburg service from March 2014.

British Airways (BA) is to tentatively reduce its London Heathrow – Johannesburg operation with effect from 3 March 2014, with overall frequencies being reduced from 17x to 14x weekly. This is mainly due to the introduction of the Airbus A380 aircraft on the route, scheduled to enter service 3x weekly with effect from 12 February 2014 and which will increase to 6x weekly from 10 March 2014.

► NAMIBIA: Kenya Airways, Air Namibia sign codeshare agreement.

Kenya Airways (KQ) and Air Namibia (SW) have announced the signing of a new code-share agreement paving the way for daily connections between the airlines’ Nairobi and Windhoek hubs through Johannesburg in South Africa and Lusaka in Zambia. This code-share agreement with Air Namibia brings the total number of code-share arrangements that Kenya Airways has signed with other international carriers to twenty.

► SOUTH AFRICA: fastjet starts Johannesburg from September 27 as yet another board member resigns.

fastjet (FN) has announced that its first international flights, from Dar es Salaam to Johannesburg, South Africa, will début from September 27. Initial frequencies will be limited to 3x weekly though this is expected to grow in line with demand. Flights will operate with an Airbus A319.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Skywise still aiming for an August launch as SACAA has yet to issue it an AOC.

Nascent South African Low Cost Carrier, SkyWise (SWZ), says it has already paid deposits on two Boeing 737-300s though operations, still scheduled for August as previously reported, will only begin once the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) issues it an Air Operator's Certificate.

► SOUTH AFRICA: SAA officially issues tenders to Boeing, Airbus for 23 widebodies.

Confirming former interim CEO Nico Bezuidenhout's statement regarding an order for 25-30 widebody aircraft, likely to be either 787s or A350s, South African Airways (SA) Chief Financial Officer, Mr Wolf Meyer, has confirmed that the airline has indeed issued a tender to both Boeing and Airbus for "twenty-three" aircraft, set to be delivered from 2017 onwards.

► ZIMBABWE: Twice weekly Air Zimbabwe Vic Falls - Johannesburg flights resume from today.

Air Zimbabwe (UM) has pushed back the resumption of its much anticipated Victoria Falls - Johannesburg route to today, Friday, July 26. Originally announced as operating 3x weekly from July 12, flights will now only operate on Fridays and Sundays with an Embraer ERJ145 (MSN 145607 | ZS-BBH) leased from South Africa's Solenta Aviation.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Condor begins seasonal Frankfurt - Cape Town ops from mid October.

German charter carrier, Condor Flugdienst (DE), will commence its seasonal operations between Germany and South Africa, starting October 16 and ending April 22. The twice weekly flights will operate using a wingletted B767-300ER.

► ZIMBABWE: SA Express adds fourth weekly Durban - Harare flight from early August.

Effective August 4, SA Express (XZ) plans to increase its frequency on its Durban - Harare route to four weekly flights. The additional flight will operate on Sundays on-board CRJ200 aircraft. 

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Denel SOC posts strong $7.3million net profit for 2012/13 Financial Year as revenue grows 10%.

South African state owned aerospace and defence technology conglomerate, Denel SOC Ltd, has posted a net profit of USD7.33million (ZAR71million) for its most recent 2012/13 financial year, buoyed by a 10% increase in revenue - thanks in part to an increase in demand for its products in Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and South America - a restructuring of its debt and a reduction in its expenditure.

► SOUTH AFRICA: British Airways starts A380 service to Johannesburg from February 2014.

British Airways (BA) will, starting 12 February 2014, begin introducing the Airbus A380 aircraft on its London Heathrow – Johannesburg route, where it’ll operate 3 times a week, replacing the Boeing 747-400.