• The African Aviation Tribune •

Monday, March 25, 2013

■ MAURITIUS: Air Mauritius signs up for OSyS's Fuel Management System in a bid to reduce fuel overheads.

Mauritian national carrier, Air Mauritius (MK), has selected Optimized Systems and Solution's (OSyS) Fuel Management Solution (FMS) to further optimize its operational fuel usage, reducing associated costs and emissions.

Tanzanian private operator, Auric Air (AUK), has announced plans to launch flights to numerous new destinations on both the Tanzanian mainland, Mafia Island and Zanzibar effective 01JUN13.

The Associated Press is reporting that Egyptian national carrier, Egyptair (MS), says it will cease operating flights to Japan until further notice citing "major economic losses and lack of support from either the Egyptian or Japanese governments."

The introduction of Airbus A340-600 flights between London and Johannesburg during South Africa's peak season has provided a welcome boost in capacity for Virgin Atlantic Cargo (VS) on one of its most in-demand routes.

Nyassa Air Taxi, a Private Charter and Fly-In Safari company operating out of Lilongwe and Blantyre, has partnered Wilderness Safaris Malawi in offering guests direct access to the best rates for fly-in safaris and charters in Malawi and its neighbouring countries.

Etihad Cargo, the cargo division of Abu Dhabi based carrier, Etihad Airways (EY) has published its planned Summer 2013 Freighter operation, which has been in effect since 11MAR13. Its planned African operation based on the airline’s PDF timetable listing as follow.

► TURKEY: Turkish Cargo looking to add 10 additional stations in Africa before 2014.

Turkish Cargo, the cargo division of Turkish Airlines (TK) plans to add a further 10 operational stations in Africa before the end of the year says Halit Anlatan, Turkish Cargo VP of Sales & Marketing.

Burundian national carrier, Air Burundi (8Y), is in the process of launching a re-branded website (though it currently lacks any functionality) with a possible resumption of services to follow writes Rwandan aviation blog, Rwandan-Flyer.

Tony Tyler, the Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) will visit the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, next month (16 April) on the occasion of Aviation Day Africa where he and his delegation will meet with executives from Ethiopian Airlines (ET) and officials from the Ethiopian Ministry of Transport and the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority.

Struggling Egyptian charter carrier, Air Memphis (MHS), has been sold to French-Egyptian businessman, Raymond Lakah, (aka Rami Lakah) who intends to use the airline to début charter flights between upper Egypt and Iran it has emerged.

► FLEET UPDATE BULLETIN: Nasair Eritrea, Viajes Guinea, Air Madagascar, Forces Aériennes du Bénin and AeroJet Angola.

The following is a fleet update bulletin for aircraft that are in use, have been in use or will be in use for these listed airlines: Nasair Eritrea (UE), Viajes Guinea (GS), Air Madagascar (MD), Forces Aériennes du Bénin and AeroJet Angola.

An Emirates (EK) Boeing 777-300ER (MSN: 37707 | A6-ECP) operating as flight EK714 from Harare to Dubai via Lusaka, sustained substantial damage on Wednesday 20 March at Lusaka's Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (Zambia) when a fuel tanker truck collided with it.

Murky private business meetings and a USD1.08billion (ZAR10billion) fleet procurement tender awarded to Airbus Industrie SAS are at the heart of South African Airways (SA)'s boardroom troubles claims an article by the amaBhungane investigative column of The Mail & Guardian newspaper.

● IATA: Global, African aviation outlook improving with African carriers expected to post $100mln profit in 2013: Tyler

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has improved its global outlook - African carriers included - for the 2013 financial performance of the global airline industry primarily based on stronger revenues from increased passenger demand and growing cargo markets. Overall, IATA now expects airlines to produce a combined net post-tax profit margin of 1.6% (up from the previously forecast 1.3%) with a net post-tax profit of USD10.6 billion (up from the previously projected USD8.4 billion).

Moroccan national carrier, Royal Air Maroc (AT), during Summer 2013 season, will resume its Casablanca – Turin service, where it plans to operate 3 weekly flights effective 11 JUN13. RAM last operated this route in mid-January 2012.

Swedish air traffic services academy, Entry Point North, has, during the months of February and March, been providing training to Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) from Egypt's National Air Navigation Services Company (NANSC). The NANSC is responsible for preparing and operating Air Traffic Services, Navigational Aids and Safe guarding Air Navigation Services within the Egyptian Airspace.

Rwanda's national carrier Rwandair (WB) is set to receive its first Boeing 737-700 leased from the International Leasing Finance Corporation, in the coming weeks.

Leading on from our previous post, as per the 21MAR13 GDS timetable display, TACV Cabo Verde Airlines’ (VR) planned Summer 2013 operation changes are as follows.

[UPDATE 21 MARCH] German carrier Lufthansa (LH) is to reduce operations on its route between Frankfurt and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia via Khartoum, Sudan effective between 31 March and 1 June.

Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. has announced that it has received a Supplementary Type Certificate validation from the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority which will allow for the installation of Star's STAR-In-flight Safety Monitoring System aboard a Midwest Airlines (WV) Boeing 737-800, in accordance with the purchase agreement between Star and Midwest Airlines.

Bombardier Aerospace, the Canadian aircraft and train manufacturer based in Montréal, has announced its participation in the first ever North African edition of the World Investment Conference, which runs from March 20 to 22, 2013 in Marrakech, Morocco. During the Global Leaders' Panel for Automotive and Aeronautics Industries, Ms. Souad Elmallem, Bombardier's Chief Country Representative for North Africa, will discuss the attractiveness of the North African market for foreign direct investment with other international industry leaders.

■ NIGERIA: NCAA grounds AeroContractors over ongoing industrial action.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has grounded AeroContractors (AJ) until a resolution to an ongoing strike by its staff has been found. A brief announcement appeared on the carrier's site yesterday evening claiming Aero would be back in the air today, but was quickly rescinded within an hour of publication.

Don Smith, the owner of Five-Forty Aviation, who is currently embroiled in a lawsuit with fastjet PLC over ownership rights to to the Fly540 brand, says fastjet's move to initiate legal proceedings constitutes a breach of contract.

US Carrier, Delta Air Lines is continuing to work closely with the Liberian Minister of Transport to develop and fine tune GPS Approach procedures to help improve the safety and reliability of aircraft operations at Monrovia's Roberts International Airport. As part of its ongoing commitment to Liberia and to the safety of its people, Delta has developed these GPS Approach procedures specifically for Liberia using U.S. Federal Aviation Administration standards.

After the successful 1 March launch of twice weekly Alexandria - Tripoli and once weekly Assuit - Tripoli flights, Egyptian LCC, Air Cairo (SM) has now announced the launch of direct flights from Alexandria and Assuit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, effective 25 March 2013.

The former Mayor of Bujumbura and current CEO of Air Burundi (8Y), Mr. Evrard Giswaswa, was on Monday 11 March arrested on charges of aiding and abetting fraudulent management and for interfering in investigations of a fire that broke out at Bujumbura's central market in late January. Since then, he has been imprisoned at Mpimba Prison in the Burundian capital awaiting trial.

The United Arab Emirates wants TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT) to boost its flights between Dubai and Luanda claiming that the increase would help stimulate trade.

Moroccan national carrier Royal Air Maroc (AT) will from 10 April, boost its frequencies between Casablanca and Dakar, Senegal through the addition of 3 extra flights, bringing to 17 the number of weekly flights between the two cities.

Ghana's Starbow Airlines (S9) and Germany's DVB Bank SE (“DVB”) have announced the signing of an agreement in which DVB will assist and advise Starbow on its fleet renewal and aircraft selection process.

Transportes Aéreos de Cabo Verde, TACV, the Cape Verdian flag carrier, is to start a once weekly Ilha do Sal - Paris CDG - Marseille - São Vicente (São Pedro Airport) flight using a Boeing 737-800 effective 2 July 2013.

► RÉUNION: Air Austral outlines its Summer 2013 timetable; added Paris CDG flights due in November.

La Réunion-based French carrier, Air Austral (UU), has outlined its planned Northern Summer 2013 timetable, which runs from 31 March to 26 October 2013, and which aims to optimize its flight schedule in order to help return the airline to break-even during the 2013/2014 Financial Year.

After recent bilateral trade visits by delegations from Yemen and Ethiopia, both Yemenia (IY) and Ethiopian Airlines (ET) have expressed their desire to start regular

flights to the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Currently, Yemenia serves all major cities in the Horn of Africa - Djibouti, Asmara, Addis Ababa, Khartoum and Cairo - excepting Somalia.

At a ceremony held in Kigali this week, Rwanda and Sudan signed a five year bilateral cooperation agreement which included a Bilateral Air Service Agreement aimed at expanding air services between Kigali and Khartoum. Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Louise Mushikiwabo signed on behalf of Rwanda with Sudan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Almed Karti signing on behalf of the Republic of Sudan.

Zambian Minister of Transport and Communication, Christopher Yaluma, says the the Zambian Government has finalised plans to re-establish a national airline with proposals to be tabled before Cabinet and the relevant authorities for approval.

Evergreen Apple Nigeria, the Lagos-based fully integrated Fixed-base operator (FBO) service provider is to hold Nigeria’s first ever dedicated Business Aviation conference - the Nigerian Business Aviation Conference, NBAC - at the prestigious Wheatbaker Hotel in Lagos on Tuesday, 7 May, 2013.

Following a meeting of the Board of Directors in late February, the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority has reviewed and adjusted 2009 legislation governing the liberalisation of ground handling services, including aviation fuelling, in Tanzania. The changes affect airports in Dar Es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and Arusha.

At a press conference held in Luanda last week to update the public on the airline's restructuring and reorientation program, Rui Carriera, the Executive Director of TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), said the Angolan flag carrier intends to make staff training and skill development a priority in the coming years through the opening of a civil aviation academy.

[UPDATE 19 MARCH] After the appointment last month of Ozias Bvute and six other board members charged with reinvigorating the airline, Air Zimbabwe (UM) is now on the hunt for a new Chief Executive Officer to replace the incumbent, Innocent Mavhunga, who was appointed to the role temporarily following the surprise resignation of Peter Chikumba in late 2010.

An Embraer Tucano EMB-312F military aircraft belonging to the Mauritanian National General Staff (Air Wing) crashed yesterday (Monday 18 March) morning at 10h50L whilst out on a test flight. The aircraft came down 7km south-east of Aoujeft, a desert town in the Adrar Region of western Mauritania, roughly 500 kilometers (300 miles) north-east of the capital, Nouakchott.

Turkish Airlines (TK) is to boost its capacity and frequency between Istanbul and Lagos and Istanbul and Dar es Salaam. Changes will come into effect from late May.

■ UNITED STATES: Quest Aircraft Company names SkyQuest International its Kodiak sales agent for Africa.

Idaho-based Quest Aircraft Company, the manufacturer of the Kodiak 10-seater turboprop aeroplane, has named SkyQuest International, LLC as an authorized Kodiak dealer to represent the company’s sales activities in Africa.

After talks held today between its management, the Nigerian Aviation Ministry and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dana Air (9J) has announced it will resume operations tomorrow. Fellow Nigerian domestic operator, Aero Contractors (AJ), has moved to fire nearly one thousand employees, striking since last Wednesday.

Kenyan operators ALS - Aircraft Leasing Services (K4) and Skyward International Aviation have taken delivery of an Embraer ERJ-145 and a Fokker 50 respectively while Mombasa Air Safari (RRV) and Phoenix Aviation are to retire their Let 410s and McDonnell Douglas MD83 respectively.

Tanzanian national carrier Air Tanzania (TC) will resume flights from Dar es Salaam to Moroni (Comoros) effective 25 March. Flights will operate three times weekly using Air Tanzania's leased Boeing 737-200Adv.

Following three years of losses, Air Seychelles (HM), the national airline of the Seychelles, today officially reported a net profit of USD1million for its 2012/2013 Financial Year. The positive result comes just 12 months after Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad Airways (EY) acquired a 40 per cent stake in the airline and was awarded a five year management contract. The result beats Etihad's original expectations in which the Gulf carrier projected Air Seychelles to turn a profit albeit within the first 24 months of operation.

LCC fastjet (FN) has taken, what it terms, "a major step” towards its acquisition of defunct South African LCC 1Time (T6) through the filing of a letter of intent with the airline's liquidators in Johannesburg. The move comes on the back of a visit by fastjet's Chairman and Chief Executive, David Lenigas, to South Africa, last week.

[UPDATE 18 MARCH] Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced plans to convert four of its six Boeing 737-300s into regional cargo freighters in a move that will see the carriers' cargo division, Kenya Airways Cargo, increasing its presence in Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa.

AirlineRoute reports that Air Mauritius (MK) will, starting 31MAR13, adjust its northbound schedule on its Mauritius – Shanghai Pu Dong route, as the carrier shifts its night-time departure, ex-Mauritius, to the afternoon.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Monday, March 18, 2013