► GHANA: Antrak Air reassures public after ATR72 suffers inflight engine-fire.

Ghana's Antrak Air (O4) has assured the travelling public that both its services and aircraft are safe following an incident on August 16 involving one of its two ATR72-500s, (MCN 809 | EC-KUL) being forced to shutdown its left-hand engine while on climb out of Tamale (Ghana), enroute to Accra.

► ZAMBIA: Mukuba Airlines, Zambia's first LCC, set to start ops in coming months with ATR42s, 72s.

Mukuba Airlines, dubbed Zambia's first Budget airline/LCC, is set to start operations in the next few months, in time for the XXth United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly to be jointly held in Livingstone & Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in August this year.

► CONGO (KINSHASA): Air Kasaï due to take delivery of first ATR 72.

Kinshasa-based Air Kasaï is planning to take delivery of its first, and the Democratic Republic of Congo's first, ATR72 (MSN 408 | 9Q-?) according to Skyliner.de. The delivery will mark the relaunch of the airline into the local and regional market.

► GHANA: Antrak Air to launch Kumasi - Tamale from 28 January.

Ghanaian domestic operator Antrak Air (4O) is to launch daily Kumasi - Tamale flights using an ATR72-500 effective tomorrow Monday 28 January 2013.

► 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.

► BOTSWANA: Air Botswana offloads an ATR72 as part of fleet renewal and regional expansion programme.

Botswana's national carrier, Air Botswana (BP), has put up one of its ATR72-500 aircraft for sale. Delivered new in 2009, (MSN: 788 | A2-ABS) is powered by 2 x PWC PW127F power-plants.

■ TANZANIA: Precision Air extends Sabena Technics contract; readies itself for arrival of four additional ATR42s.

Just a week after sealing a 5 year deal with FastJet to provide general service and maintenance to its Airbus A319 fleet set to be based out of Dar es Salaam, Belgium's Sabena Technics, today, extended an existing contract with yet another Tanzanian carrier, Precision Air (PW), to now provide component support for its new fleet of ATR 42-600s and ATR72-600s.

► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: (Pics) CEIBA Intercontinental unveils a new livery on their ATR72!

Enigmatic Equatoguinean carrier CEIBA Intercontinental (C2), fresh from the inauguration last week of their first international route between Malabo and Madrid, have unveiled a new livery, with one of their ATR 72's (MSN 790 | 3C-LLI) being the first to receive it following a paintjob in Las Palmas, Spain.

► SPAIN: Royal Air Maroc launches Tangier - Madrid flights from October.

In a press statement today, Royal Air Maroc (AT) announced it will start 3x weekly flights between the Spanish capital, Madrid, and the northern Moroccan city of Tangier effective 11 October. The flights will be operated with ATR72-600 aircraft.

► GHANA: Antrak Air adds second ATR72 to its fleet.

Ghanaian domestic operator Antrak Air (O4) last week took delivery of its second ATR72-200 (MCN: 171 | EC-KAD) from Spain's Swiftair, a month after the airline returned to active service with another Swiftair ATR72, as the Ghanaian airline scene begins to heat up. 

► GHANA: Starbow expands regionally; Antrak returns to the skies whilst CTK CiTylinK suspends operations.

Ghana's civil aviation market has started to heat up considerably ahead of the launch of two new airlines - Africa World Airlines in September (tentatively) and that of Fly540's successor FastJet in November.

► NIGERIA: See pics of Overland Airways' new ATR72!

Ikeja-based Overland Airways (OJ), a Nigerian domestic carrier, is set to receive its first ATR 72 (F-WNUA) for use on its network, currently comprising Lagos, Abuja, Asaba, Ilorin, Minna, Calabar, Bauchi and Ibadan.