■ BOTSWANA: CAAB dramatically improves its ICVM rating; taking active measures to resolve outstanding SSCs.

Following the visit by an inspection by a International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) assessment team to Botswana in April,  to conduct an ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM), the country has now been as having achieved 59.6% of Effective Implementation as compared to 27.8% in 2006. The purpose of the ICVM was to check the progress made by Botswana following the safety audit carried out in May 2006 which showed at the time that Botswana was at 27.8% of Effective Implementation.

► BOTSWANA: Kalahari Airways eyes flights to New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong via its Gaborone hub.

Denis Coghlan, the chief executive officer of the ambitious Botswana-based startup, Kalahari Airways, has outlined his longterm vision for the company in which he sees the establishment of Gaborone as a regional hub for flights to Hong Kong and the United States in addition to London.

► BOTSWANA: Kalahari Airways turns to crowdfunding for 747s to operate London Gatwick flights.

Kalahari Airways is a Botswana-based startup that intends to offer flights from Cape Town, South Africa to London Gatwick via Gaborone Botswana using three B747-400s.

■ BOTSWANA: Air Botswana begins process of finding a new GM after Mphi Tlhomelang passes.

Following the recent passing of its late Acting General Manager, Ms Mphi Tlhomelang, Air Botswana (BP) has once more begun the process of finding a replacement. Ms Tlhomelang had only been in the position for two months after the resignation of previous GM, Sakhile Nyoni-Reiling, earlier this year.

► 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. 

► NAMIBIA: Air Namibia ERJ135s to undergo maintenance in August; adjusts timetable accordingly.

Air Namibia has announced that owing to mandatory maintenance checks on its fleet of four Embraer ERJ135s, effective August 12-31 the following schedule changes have been made:

■ BOTSWANA: Parliamentary inquest picks holes in Air Botswana's operations, finances.

A Batswana parliamentary inquest into the operations of state-owned national carrier, Air Botswana (BP) has uncovered purported oversights in the airline's fuel procurement, fleet selection and employee accountability procedures.

► BOTSWANA: Kenya Airways boosts Gaborone flights; eyes Francistown, Maun next.

Buoyed by the success of its Gaborone flights, Kenya Airways (KQ) is considering introducing flights to Francistown and Maun, the airline's country manager Juliet Zintambila has announced. Both airports have recently seen upgrades allowing them to handle heavier aircraft and greater passenger volumes.

 

■ BOTSWANA: Qatar, Botswana ink a Bilateral Air Services Agreement.

The respective civil aviation authorities of Qatar and Botswana have concluded a Bilateral Air Services Agreement following a signing ceremony held in Doha recently. The ratification of the BASA comes after the deal was originally initialled by both states back in 2007.

 

■ BOTSWANA: Gaborone SSKIA suffers $53'000 worth of damage to roof in unspecified incident.

Following an unspecified incident which resulted in damage to the roof and its lightning conductor, the Botswana Government, the operators of Gaborone's Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA), have been forced to fork out USD53'000 (BWP430'000) to pay for emergency repair work.

► ANGOLA: More foreign carriers making a beeline to Luanda's door as calls for higher route frequencies grow louder.

RAM - Royal Air Maroc (AT) and Ethiopian Airlines (ET) have joined a growing chorus of carriers servicing the Angolan capital, Luanda, in asking the Instituto Nacional da Aviação Civil (the National Institute of Civil Aviation - INAVIC) to increase their frequencies on the lucrative route. 

►► SOUTH AFRICA: Air Botswana to drop Cape Town - Maun from end of March.

[UPDATE 7 APRIL] Air Botswana (BP) is to drop its 4x weekly Cape Town - Maun route effective 31 March, just 10 months after its début. The route originally launched with daily flights back in June 2012 and predominantly catered for the leisure market.

■ BOTSWANA: Namibia, Botswana sign agreement on coordinated Search & Rescue operations.

Botswana and Namibia have signed agreement letters on civil aviation Search And Rescue (SAR) that will coordinate services in the country to meet domestic needs and international standards. The agreement will also ensure support during accidents as well as an overall plan for the coordination of civil search and rescue operations in the event of an air disaster.

►► BOTSWANA: Air Botswana officially announce new destinations; new timetables loaded.

[UPDATE 03 APRIL 2013]  Following on from our previous post on the topic, Air Botswana (BP) have announced their new updated timetable with new destinations including Johannesburg (Lanseria), Cape Town,  Nairobi (Kenya), Lilongwe, Blantyre (Malawi) and Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) as new destinations from the Batswana carrier's hub, Gaborone. Lusaka, Zambia will also see a third extra Wednesday frequency served in tandem to Lilongwe, Malawi which will receive a twice weekly service (one direct and the other via Lusaka.)

► BOTSWANA: Air Namibia to axe Gaborone from late May.

Air Namibia (SW), will from 31MAY, axe its 4x weekly Windhoek - Gaborone, Botswana flights. The rationalization comes after the carrier announced it would drop its Johannesburg - Windhoek - Accra, Ghana service from 10APR13.

► 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.

■ BOTSWANA: Air Botswana inaugurates new Pula Lounge at Gaborone SSKIA Airport.

Air Botswana (BP) has officially opened its new lounge at Gaborone's Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA). Dubbed the Pula Lounge, after Botswana's national currency, the Pula, the facility will be available to members of Air Botswana's frequent flyer scheme, Teemane Club.

■ BOTSWANA: Puma Energy Co. opens new $3mln fuel storage depot at Maun International Airport.

Puma Energy Co. today commissioned a USD3million (BWP27million) aviation fuelling facility at Maun International Airport, northern Botswana. The airport serves as the country's primary gateway to the Okavango Delta and the Moremi Game Reserve.

■ ETHIOPIA: ECAA seeks to amend BASAs with numerous African countries in hopes of spurring on Ethiopian Airlines' intra African growth.

Spurred on by its consistent annual growth of 25%, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is seeking to consolidate its position as one of Africa's dominant carriers through the signing and amending of its Bilateral Air Service Agreements the country has with various African countries.

■ BOTSWANA: Ethiopia, Botswana officially ink new BASA; Ethiopian Airlines to start ops in the near future?

Ethiopia has continued its push into southern Africa with the recent official signing of a new Bilateral Air Services Agreement with Botswana, paving the way for possible flights between Addis Ababa and Gaborone by Ethiopian Airlines. Negotiations were concluded in May 2012 following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in May 2010.