► CHINA: TAAG increases Luanda - Beijing frequencies to 2x weekly; a 3rd due in 2014.

Angolan flag carrier TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT) has at long last added a second weekly frequency to its Luanda - Beijing, China route. The added Friday flight became effective September 21 and will be followed by an additional third frequency next year.

■ CHINA: Nigeria finalizes $500mln deal with CCECC for construction of four new international air terminals.

With a high-powered state visit to China led by Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, about to come to a close, Chinese and Nigerian government officials have finalized several loan and Memoranda of Understanding agreements valued at over USD1.1billion with various Chinese institutions and contractors.  Among them is the Chinese construction conglomerate, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), who have now been tasked with the construction of four new international airport terminals to be completed within 20 months.

►► CHINA: Egyptair cancels plans to boost Beijing flights to 4x weekly from July.

[UPDATE 27 MAY] As per 13MAY13 GDS Inventory display, Egyptair is currently planning to add a 4th weekly Cairo – Beijing flight, starting 01JUL13. The new flight will operate from Cairo on Mondays, Wednesdays from Beijing. Reservation for the new flight, however, is not currently available.

►► CHINA: Ethiopian Airlines reduces Beijing to 6x weekly from April 'til June.

[UPDATE 17 MAY] AirlineRoute writes that Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will from 01APR13 to 17JUN13 temporarily reduces its Addis Ababa – Beijing service, with the overall operation dropping to 6 weekly flights instead of the current daily. Boeing 777-200LR aircraft operates this route.

► MAURITIUS: Air Mauritius to start Beijing, resume Durban flights from July, to reduce Johannesburg from

Confirming our previous post, Air Mauritius (MK) is to start once weekly Mauritius - Beijing flights effective 06 July, while Mauritius - Durban flights, speculated about here, are to resume with a twice weekly service beginning July 5. In addition, Air Mauritius is to discontinue its night time flights from Johannesburg from May 2, though supplementary night flights will be introduced during peak periods to accommodate demand.

►► CUBA: TAAG increases Luanda - Havana, Beijing frequencies from late March.

[UPDATE 8 APRIL] Angolan flag carrier TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), is to increase its frequencies from its Luanda, Angola hub to Havana, Cuba and Beijing, China effective 31 March.

► MAURITIUS: MegaMaldives Airlines planning Beijing - Mauritius flights from July.

Mega Global Air Services, also known as MegaMaldives Airlines (5M), is planning to start a once weekly Beijing - Mauritius service from 9 July writes Swiss aviation newswire, CH-Aviation.

► ALGERIA: Air Algérie to retain Beijing flights following improvement in load factors; to add Conakry, Ndjamena, Lagos in Winter 2013/14.

Algerian national carrier, Air Algérie (AH), is planning new routes to Ndjamena (Chad), Lagos, and Conakry (Guinea) during Winter'13/14 according to the airline's President and Director-General, Mohamed Saleh Bolatif.

■ MAURITIUS: Maldives and Mauritius ink BASA; daily intra island flights slated to begin "before July."

Mauritius has signed a Bilateral Air Services Agreement with fellow Indian Ocean islanders, the Maldives, at a ceremony held on 26 February in the Mauritian capital, Port Louis. Under the accord, designated carriers from both Mauritius and the Maldives will be able to jointly operate direct flights between Beijing and Mauritius, and Maldives and Mauritius.

► CHINA: Air Mauritius to possibly start Beijing direct from May; wants Russia flights as well.

After the successful launch of its new twice weekly direct Mauritius - Shanghai, China flights on 24 January 201, Air Mauritius (MK) has allured to the possible launch of flights to the Chinese capital, Beijing in May with flights to Russia also on the Mauritian national carrier's "To Do" list.

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines' 787 timetable for Beijing, Frankfurt, Toronto, Washington DC announced.

AirlineRoute reports that as per the 11 January 2013 GDS timetable and inventory display, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will continue to tweak its planned Boeing 787 long haul service between now and late-March 2013.

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian announces 787 operational changes for Q1 2013.

Online aviation resource AirlineRoute states that Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is to apply further changes to its planned Boeing 787 operation over the coming three months.

► CHINA: Ethiopian Airlines modifies its planned Boeing 787 China Service in Dec 2012/Jan 2013.

According to the 10 December 2012 GDS timetable and inventory display, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is postponing its planned Boeing 787 ops to China from 16 December 2012 to 31 January 2013. 

 

► CHINA: Ethiopian Airlines reduces China ops over Chinese New Year 2013.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will, during the month of February 2013, reduce its operations to Beijing and Guangzhou during the Chinese New Year period. 

 

► MALAYSIA: Air Mauritius modifies codeshare with Malaysia Airlines; launches interline with Virgin Australia.

Air Mauritius (MK) has since October 28, been operating a modified codeshare agreement with Malaysian Airlines (MH).

►► CHINA: TAAG Angolan increases flights to Beijing from November.

[UPDATE 12 NOVEMBER 2012] Effective 1 November 2012, Angolan national carrier, TAAG Angola Airlines (DT), will double its Boeing 777-200ER operated flights between Luanda, Angola and Beijing, China from once weekly, to twice weekly.

► BURUNDI: China Southern to operate military charters to Monrovia, Bujumbura, Juba, Nairobi in November.

Guangzhou based carrier, China Southern (CZ), will operate three military charter flights to Monrovia (Liberia), Bujumbura (Burundi), Juba (South Sudan) and Nairobi (Kenya) this November on behalf of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, under the auspices of the United Nations.

► CHINA: Egyptair increases Beijing frequencies from December.

Egyptian national carrier, EgyptAir (MS) will, from 3 December 2012, add an additional 4th weekly frequency on its route between Cairo and Beijing, China.

► MAURITIUS: Emirates to go 14x weekly as Air Mauritius, Air Austral & Air Madagascar band together to survive.

Bucking the ongoing trend amongst European carriers of reducing their frequencies to the Indian Ocean island, Dubai based mega-carrier, Emirates (EK), has announced an increase in its weekly frequencies from 11x weekly to 12x weekly from 28 October 2012, with the route going 14x weekly from 28 November 2012.

Emirates: Dubai, UAE - Port Louis, Mauritius

- EK3705/3706 operate Day 23456 from 28 October 2012 until 27 November 2012

• EK701 DXB 0310 – 0940 MRU 773 | 2457
• EK3703 DXB 0310 – 0940 MRU 773 | 136
• EK3705 DXB 1000 – 1645 MRU 773 | 1234567

• EK3706 MRU 1820 – 0110+1 DXB 773 | 1234567
• EK702 MRU 2320 – 0555+1 DXB 773 | 2457
• EK3704 MRU 2320 – 0555+1 DXB 773 | 136

Source [Airline Route]

► ALGERIA: Air Algérie to start Nigeria & South Africa flights but axes Beijing.

Algerian national carrier Air Algérie (AH) has joined the growing list of carriers, both African and international, that are turning their focus towards the long neglected African market in the hopes that it will provide the stimulus needed for sustainable long term growth.