► BRAZIL: Arik Air now eyes a November launch for São Paulo flights; in talks with Embraer over possible deal for 15 jets.

Nigeria's Arik Air (W3) says it hopes to launch its vaunted Lagos - São Paulo, Brazil flights in November of this year, though this is still dependent on the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil - ANAC) issuing it convenient landing slots at Guarulhos International Airport.

■ DUBAI: Emirates appoints Orhan Abbas as Senior VP for its Southern & Central Africa, Latin American Commercial operations.

Emirates (EK) has appointed Orhan Abbas its Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Latin America, Central and Southern Africa. In his new role he will oversee a number of markets, including South Africa, Angola, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, the Indian Ocean islands Mauritius and Seychelles, and Latin American markets Brazil and Argentina.

► BRAZIL: TAM Lineas Aéreas, South African Airways sign codeshare deal.

As previously speculated about, South African Airways (SA) and Brazil's TAM Linhas Aéreas (JJ) have implemented a code share agreement in which SAA will place its designator code “SA” on flights operated by TAM from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Brasília, Salvador, Florianopolis, Iguaçu Falls, Recife, Belo Horizonte. Likewise, TAM will place its designator code “JJ” on flights operated by SAA between Sao Paulo and Johannesburg, and to other cities within South Africa, namely, Cape Town, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth. 

► GHANA: Pison Airways looking to launch international ops in December as more carriers head to Accra.

Ghanaian startup, Pison Airways, is reportedly aiming to launch operations in December of this year and like fellow entrant Eagle Atlantic Airways (EAB), it too is hoping to fill the void left by the demise of Ghana Airways (GH) and Ghana International (G0), albeit on regional and international routes.

► MALAWI: Malawi Airlines to launch with a B737-800, Q400; outlines planned network.

Malawi Airlines, successor to the now defunct Air Malawi Ltd, has outlined its planned initial route network and its fleet, which has now been revealed to consist of a Boeing 737-800 and a Bombardier Q400. The aircraft are to be sourced from majority shareholder Ethiopian Airlines (ET).

► BRAZIL: Royal Air Maroc to return to Brazil from mid December.

Morocco's national carrier, Royal Air Maroc (AT) is set to join the growing number of African carriers jostling for a share of the growing South America - Africa market when it resumes flights to Brazil from December this year. Swiss aviation newswire, ch-aviation, reports that flights from Casablanca to Sao Paolo will operate 3x weekly using a 767-300ER effective 20 December.

► CAMEROON: Camair-Co to replace 767 with a leased 777 Christian Perchat says.

Cameroon's Camair Co (QC) is reportedly in talks with an undisclosed aircraft leasing company regarding the possible addition of a Boeing 777 to its fleet. The jet will be used to replace its current lone 767-300ER used for long haul flights to France.

► NIGERIA: Brazil's GOL Transportes Aéreos actively considering direct flights to Nigeria.

On the back of a recent announcement by Nigeria's Arik Air (W3) that it was keen to launch direct Lagos - São Paulo flights by August of this year, so Brazil's GOL Transportes Aéreos (G3) has announced that it is now "studying the possibility" of opening a new route between Brazil and Nigeria. 

► MOZAMBIQUE: LAM plans Cape Town and Durban, Blantyre and Lilongwe in 2014; to cover all SADC capitals by 2017 with Brazil ops also on the radar.

Marlene Manave, the CEO of LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM) has announced ambitious route expansion plans that will see the Mozambican carrier serving all Southern African Development Community (SADC) capitals by 2017 with Brazilian flights to follow.

■ ETHIOPIA: Brazil, Ethiopia sign a revised BASA.

Brazil and Ethiopia have signed a revised Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) following a visit by Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, to Ethiopia where she attended the recently ended African Union 50th Anniversary celebrations. Four cooperation agreements covering agriculture, air transport, science & technology and education were signed on Friday May 24 after President Rousseff and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam held talks on bilateral cooperation in the areas of mining and investment financing.

■ ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian set to become Africa's first pan-global carrier - report.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) could well become Africa's first Pan-Global carrier having already realised its initial goal of being the continent's first truly Pan-African airline. In an interview with industry standard, Airline Weekly, CEO Tewolde Gebremariam set forth his airline's future expansion plans which include the possibility of hubs in the West Coast of the US and a direct Mozambique - Brazil route amongst others.

► ALGERIA: Air Algérie details its planned Joburg, Sao Paulo and Amsterdam flights.

Algerian national carrier, Air Algérie (AH), has hinted at possible dates for its planned new routes to Johannesburg, Amsterdam and Sao Paulo. The new destinations are part of the airline's reorientation plans which will see it transform Algiers into an international hub. 

►► BRAZIL: Ethiopian Airlines to start 787 flights to Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo via Lome from July 2013.

[UPDATE 19 MAY] Having postponed their intended December launch of flights to Brazil via Lome, Togo owing to "inconvenient slot times given the airline" by the Brazilian aviation authorities, Ethiopian Airlines is said to be readying itself for a possible 1 June 2013 service to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil via Lome, Togo.

■ MOZAMBIQUE: Brazil set to ratify new bill to enable resumption of flights to Mozambique.

Brazil and Mozambique could soon resume direct flights should Brazilian president, Dilma Youseff, consent to a bill already passed by the Brazilian Committee on Foreign Relations and the National Defense of Congress regarding the establishment of commercial flights between the South American country and Mozambique. 

► BRAZIL: Arik Air hoping to start Lagos - São Paulo flights "before August."

Nigeria's largest carrier, Arik Air (W3), has formally launched negotiations with the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil - ANAC) regarding traffic rights and landing slots for São Paulo, it has emerged.

■ BRAZIL: Embraer looks to double its presence in Africa over next 20 years though this depends on the Yamassoukoro Decision being implemented.

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, Embraer, is looking to double the number of its aircraft flying in Africa over the next 20 years, though this will largely depend on the  full implementation of  the Yamoussoukro Decision of 1999, whose objectives include the full-liberalization of the intra-African air transport market, free exercise of  first, second, third, fourth and fifth freedom rights for passenger and freight air services  by eligible airlines and ensuring fair competition on a  non-discriminatory basis while complying with international safety standards. Despite having been given a deadline of 2002 for implementation, the Decision still remains fanciful at best.

► BRAZIL: Philippine Airlines considers Johannesburg, Cape Town and Addis Ababa as stopovers on planned São Paulo flights.

Philippine Airlines(PR), who are planning to launch flights from Manila to the Brazilian metropolis of São Paulo in early May (the signing of a Bilateral Air Services Agreement pending) could be considering the African hubs of either Johannesburg (possibly Cape Town) or Addis Ababa as a transitory point.

►► ETHIOPIA: ASKY Airlines now codesharing with Ethiopian on the latter's West Africa, Brazil flights.

[UPDATE 26 FEBRUARY] Ethiopian Airlines (ET) and its West African subsidiary ASKY Airlines (KP) have expanded their code-sharing agreement to now cover the majority of Ethiopian's routes between Ethiopia and West Africa with Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Benin, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Togo and Burkina Faso now operating with an ASKY IATA code (KP).

► ANGOLA: TAAG adjusts Brazil, Portugal operations from February to March.

TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), Angola's national carrier, will from 27FEB13 to 30MAR13 adjust its operations, which will see its Brazil service operated with Boeing 777-200ER aircraft while Lisbon switches to an all-Boeing 777-300ER operation. 

► BRAZIL: Angolan Air Force takes delivery of three Embraer A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft.

Brazil's Embraer Defense and Security today delivered the first three of six light attack and advanced training A-29 Super Tucano turboprops to the Força Aérea Nacional Angolana (National Air Force of Angola), at a ceremony held in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo, Brazil.