► SUDAN: KLM drops Khartoum, Addis Ababa from March 2013.

AirlineRoute is reporting that effective 31 March 2013, KLM is cancelling its Amsterdam – Khartoum – Addis Ababa route, where it currently operates 3x weekly service using an Airbus A330-200. Reservation for this route is closed and flights being removed from the system. Existing schedule as follows.

► SUDAN: Marsland Aviation leases B737-300 from Alexandria Airlines.

Egytian ACMI & charter specialists, Alexandria Airlines (XH), having taken delivery of their first Boeing 737-300 (MSN 29244 | SU-KHO) in August, are to lease the aircraft to Sudanese scheduled carrier, Marsland Aviation (M7), according to Swiss aviation site, CH-Aviation.

► SUDAN: Kenya Airways B737-700 suffers engine failure after take off, returns to Khartoum; no casualties.

A Kenya Airways Boeing 737-700 (MSN 32371 | 5Y-KQG) operating flight KQ320 bound for Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday 1 January 2013, was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after take off from Khartoum International Airport, Sudan, following an engine failure. No casualties have been reported.

► SUDAN: Sudanese Air Force plane crashes on landing in El Obeid killing pilot as SPLM rebels shoot down Antonov.

A Sudanese Air Force fighter jet today crashed at El-Obeid Airport in North Kurdufan state, central Sudan, killing the pilot, according to a press release from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

► SUDAN: Gulf Air reduces Khartoum flights from late January 2013.

Bahraini carrier Gulf Air (GF) has announced that, with effect from 21 January 2013, it will reduce its frequencies to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum from 11x to 7x weekly.

► LIBYA: Air Libya gets two B737-400s; an ARJ-100 set to arrive shortly.

Air Libya (7Q), the private Libyan carrier formerly known as Tibesti Air Libya, has announced the lease of 2 Boeing B737-400 for use on its daily Benghazi - Alexandria, Egypt flights.

►► LIBYA: Afriqiyah announces Paris, Casablanca, Rome, Khartoum, Dubai from December.

Libyan carrier, Afriqiyah (8U), has announced plans to launch various new routes ex-Tripoli and ex-Benghazi effective 1 December.

►► SUDAN: Marsland Aviation to receive first A320 in coming weeks.

According to Skyliner.de, ACMI operator Aeolus Air will shortly wet-lease an Airbus A320 (MCN 368 | C5-AAO) to Sudanese scheduled operator Marsland Aviation (M7).

■ SUDAN: "Restructuring of Civil Aviation Authority to improve air safety": Abdulaziz

After two disastrous crashes in three months and a perilous aviation safety record, the Sudanese government has announced the restructuring of the country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in which the regulatory body and the operational body are kept separate from each other, in line with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) recommendations.

► SUDAN: Azza Air Transport AN-12 crashes near Khartoum, 15 dead.

An Azza Air Transport (AZZ) Antonov AN-12BP (*confirmed MSN 402010 | ST-ASA) operating a flight for the Sudanese military, has crashed 40 kilometers west of Omdurman, as it was climbing out of Khartoum International Airport en-route to El Fasher, capital of North Darfur.

► SUDAN: See Pics of Nova Air's Boeing 737-500 in new colours!

Khartoum based carrier Nova Air (O9) are set to receive their maiden Boeing 737-500 (MCN 29122 | M-ABES), leased from Dutch leasers Sojitz Aircraft Leasing B.V. The airline is currently in Bournemouth, UK having been painted in the company's colours, and is now awaiting its ferry flight to Khartoum where it will be used for charter flights.

► KENYA: See Pics of 748 Air Service's Bombardier Dash 8!

Nairobi-based air charter specialists 748 Air Services (SVT) is set to receive its first Bombardier Dash 8-400 (MCN: 4013 | 5Y-SMJ) from Amsterdam, Holland where it has just received its paint-job in 748's livery.

► SUDAN: Sudan Airways, Marsland Aviation apply for Juba rights as flights between Sudan/South Sudan are set to resume.

In a sign that strained relations between Sudan and its new southern neighbour, South Sudan, are improving, the two countries' civil aviation authorities on Friday reached a provisional deal that now opens the way for Sudanese carriers to restart direct flights between Khartoum and Juba, though whether flights between other towns and cities have been given the go ahead, is unclear.

►► SUDAN: Numerous Sudanese government officials killed as Alfa Air Antonov 26 crash claims 32 lives.

What should have been a day of celebration to mark the end of Ramadan instead turned into a day of national mourning as an Alfa Air Sudan Antonov 26 (MSN: 47302606 | ST-ARL) crashed into a slope in the Nuba mountains south of Talodi, at about 08h00 local time, en route from Khartoum to Talodi, South Kordofan State, killing all 32 (26 passengers and 6 crew) passengers on board.

Alfa Air Sudan An26 (ST-ARL) (UR-SDV)

The Aviation Herald reports that: 

"Local Television reported the aircraft went around on its first attempt to land in Talodi due to weather but did not manage to climb above the terrain during the go-around. Sudan's Civil Aviation Authority reported at the time of the crash, visibility was substantially reduced due to a dust and dirt storm in the area. "

Source [The Aviation Herald]

The Antonov was chartered to take the various officials to Talodi to "congratulate the town's citizens on Eid Al-Fitr."

Wreckage from the An26 "ST-ARL" (Al Shorouk)

Amongst the dead are:

1. Engineer Ghazi Al-Saddiq - the federal Minister of Guidance and Endowments.
2. Mahjoub Abdul-Rahim Tutu - the State Minister at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. 
3. Eissa Daifalla - the State Minister at the Ministry of Tourism, Antiquities and Wildlife. 
4. Ali Al-Jailani - the Minister of Education of Khartoum State. 
5. Mekki Ali Balayel - Leader of the Justice Party. 
6. Mohamed Hassan Al-Jaafari - Commissioner at Headquarters of Khartoum State. 
7. Tariq Mubarak - Commissioner of Khartoum North. 
8. Maj. Gen. Salah Ismail - the Air Forces. 
9. Maj. Gen. Ahmed Musa Ahmed - the Police Forces. 
10. Maj. Gen. Ahmed Al-Tayeb Abu-Guroon, the Security and Intelligence Organ. 
11. Brigadier Lugman Omer - Second Commander of the People's Defence Forces. 
12. Hamid Al-Aghbash - the National Assembly. 
13. Dr. Mohamed Al-Bakhit Al-Bashir - the Islamic Figih Council. 
14. Al-Saddiq Abdul-Majid Al-Makkawi - the People's Defence Forces. 
15. Awadal-Karim Siral-Khatim - Deputy Coordinator of the People's Defence Forces. 
16. Waeez Salaha Omer - Headquarters of the People's Defence Forces. 
17. Omer Mahjoub Ahmed - Deputy Coordinator of the People's Defence Forces. 
18. Salah-Eddin Mustafa - the People's Defence Forces - Jabal Aulia Locality. 
19. Abdul-Azim Hamza - the National Congress - Khartoum State. 
20. Abdul-Atti Ahmed - Correspondent of the National Television. 
21. Al-Sheikh Abdul-Rahim - the media mission. 
22. Bashir Fadl Al-Sid - Khartoum State Media. 
23. Abdul-Hai Al-Rabie - the media mission. 
24. Ismail Abdul-Karim - the media mission. 
25. Captain Saif-Eddin - Director of Office of Maj. Gen. Abu-Guroon. 
26. Al-Sayer Mohamed Al-Sayer - the Ministry of Guidance and Endowments. 

27 /28/ 29/ 30/ 31/ 32 - the crew of the plane.

Source [SUNA Sudan] 

►UPDATE: The authorities revealed that the crew of the ill-fated plane was comprised of four Russian pilots, a Sudanese pilot called Abdel Moniem and two female Sudanese stewards. The head of the Sudanese Civil Aviation Corporation (SCAC), Mohammed Abdel Aziz, has resigned as a result of the crash.

In recent years, Sudan has had numerous aviation accidents and incidents that have severely damaged the country's aviation image. Khartoum has frequently complained that its poor record in air safety is largely due to lack of spare parts for its aircraft caused by US Sanctions.

► BAHRAIN: Gulf Air brings forward Khartoum & Cairo capacity increases to September.

Bahraini carrier Gulf Air (GF) has announced that, encouraged by strong passenger growth witnessed across its network during the summer 2012 season, it will bring forward its planned Winter schedule to 10 September 2012 which would otherwise have started in late October.

Khartoum International Airport, Sudan (Eduard Onyshchenko)

Gulf Air: Bahrain - Cairo, Egypt

- Equipment to vary between Airbus A330 and Airbus A321.

 Bahrain - Khartoum, Sudan

- Frequency has been increased from six to 11x per week with one new flight departing Bahrain early morning while four flights leave at 11h15 hours. 

Source [Gulf Air]

As the timetables become available, so we will update the post accordingly.

► EGYPT: Alexandria Airlines to get first Boeing 737-300.

Swiss aviation site CH-Aviation reports that Egyptian ACMI and air charter specialists Alexandria Airlines (XH) are set to receive their first Boeing 737-300 (MSN 29244) which will join their Boeing 737-500, currently wet-leased to Sudan's Marsland Aviation.

Alexandria Airlines' 737-300 (Dominik Burger)

The airline was established in August 2006 as a joint venture with Jordan Aviation (suppliers of their Boeing 737-300) and initially operated charter services connecting Egypt to Europe and Jordan before briefly operating a limited number of scheduled flights from Alexandria International Airport to the Gulf and Middle East.

► DJIBOUTI: Turkish Airlines to serve Mogadishu via Djibouti from September.

It seems hardly a week goes by that Turkish carrier Turkish Airlines (TK) doesn't announce a new African destination. This time round, the new African route to be served will be Djibouti, with a tag on leg to Mogadishu, Somalia, which was previously serviced via Khartoum, Sudan. 

Turkish Airlines Africa Network

The 2x weekly flights are scheduled to begin 4 September 2012 with an Airbus A320 and, it should be noted, Turkish Airlines has also been given 5th Freedom rights to ferry passengers on the Djibouti - Somalia sector of the flight.

Turkish Airlines: Istanbul – Djibouti – Mogadishu, Somalia

- Effective 4 September 2012

• TK686 IST2325 – 0440+1JIB0530+1 – 0705+1MGQ 320 24
• TK687 MGQ0830 – 1005JIB1055 – 1600IST 320 35

Source [Airline Route]

► SUDAN: Tarco Air leases Boeing 737 from Gambia's Aeolus Air.

Sudanese domestic-carrier Tarco Air (TRQ) has signed a lease with Gambian ACMI Aeolus Air for a Boeing 737 as the airline seeks to increase its share of the booming Sudanese aviation pie, by starting regional and international operations.

► EGYPT: Egyptair Express mulls fleet renewal before expanding into Africa.

Following on from the events of last year's Arab Spring and consequently a very difficult financially 2011 whereby the airline's profits took a 75% plunge, Egyptair (MS) has decided to reorganize its fleet and route operations by offloading several of its "thinner" African routes to its subsidiary Egyptair Express (MSE).

Egyptair Express Embraer E-170LR

Possible routes to be moved to Egyptair Express are Cairo to: Khartoum, Sudan, Asmara, Eritrea and Juba, South Sudan all which are presently served by the Boeing 737-500, whose capacity appears to have come in under Egyptair's proposed policy of maintaining only 140+ seater aircraft in its main fleet. In the interests of fleet renewal and of finding suitable aircraft for these new routes, Egyptair is considering the Embraer E-190 or Bombardier CSeries.

"It has also used Embraer aircraft to increase frequencies. Following the sharp drop in passenger numbers after the Egyptian revolution in early 2011, it moved some strategic short-haul routes to the E-170LR fleet to maintain frequencies and transferred non-strategic short-haul routes to the Brazilian aircraft to preserve market presence."

Read More Here [ATW]

Presently,  EgyptAir Express operates 12 Embraer E-170LRs to destinations in Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Lebanon, Malta and Saudi Arabia.

► UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Air Arabia boosts Sharjah - Sudan & Egypt from June.

UAE based LCC Air Arabia has announced an increase in flights between Sharjah and various destinations in Egypt and the Sudan.

Air Arabia A320

Sharjah – Alexandria Bog el Arab

• Effective 16MAY12 - Increases from 10 to 12 weekly

• Effective 01JUN12 - Increases from 12 to 14 weekly

• 20JUN12 - 08SEP12 Increases from 2 to 3 daily

Sharjah – Assiut, Egypt

• 21JUN12 – 05JUL12 / 26AUG12 – 09SEP12 - Increases from 2 to 4 weekly

Sharjah – Sohag, Egypt

• Effective 01JUN12 Service resumes with 3 weekly flights

• G9673 SHJ1310 – 1440HMB 320 246

• G9674 HMB1520 – 2035SHJ 320 246

Sharjah – Khartoum

• 03JUN12 – 02SEP12 Increases from daily to 9 weekly

Read More Here [Airline Route]