■ CONGO (KINSHASA): Korongo boss dismisses reports of Air France/Kinshasa tie up; claims game still on.

Christophe Allard, the managing director of Congolese operator, Korongo Airlines (ZC), has dismissed recent media reports that Kinshasa has reached a definitive agreement with Air France (AF) in which the latter will become a partner in a new Congolese national carrier due in the skies in either late 2013/early 2014.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): Government once more looking for a strategic partner in its planned national carrier.

Its back to the drawing board for Kinshasa so far as finding a strategic partner for its renewed national carrier is concerned. Accordingly, the country's Minister of Transport, Mr Justin Kalumba, Congo has reissued a tender for interested parties & carriers which closes on August 31.

► BELGIUM: brussels airlines modifies Banjul, Dakar, Freetown and Monrovia from late October.

Belgian carrier brussels airlines (SN), will from October 27, 2013 adjust its operations to the following West African destinations including: Banjul, Dakar, Freetown and Monrovia.

► UGANDA: Brussels Airlines A330 suffers compressor stalls on climb out of Entebbe; returns to airport safely.

The Aviation Herald writes that on May 12, a Brussels Airlines Airbus A330-200, (MSN 229 | OO-SFY), operating as flight SN465 from Entebbe to Brussels suffered compressor stalls after take off from Entebbe and was forced to return to the Ugandan airport shortly after.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): Brussels Airlines boss reaffirms company's commitment to Korongo.

During a recent visit to the Congolese capital of Kinshasa, Bernard Gustin, the CEO of Belgian airline, SN Brussels Airlines (SN), reaffirmed his company's commitment to its Congolese venture, Korongo (ZC), in which it owns a 34.65% stake.

■ BELGIUM: Government awards Brussels Airlines 2 extra Kinshasa slots; Jetairfly to lodge complaint with EC.

Belgian LCC, Jetairfly (TB) has lodged a complaint with the European Commission following a decision by the Belgian Secretary of State for Mobility, Melchior Wathelet, to award two additional frequencies between Brussels and the Congolese capital of Kinshasa to Brussels Airlines as outlined under a newly revised Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) signed between Congo and Belgium in February this year.

► SIERRA LEONE: Senegal Airlines starts Dakar - Freetown, adds extra Conakry flights on-board Brussels Airlines A330s.

Senegal Airlines (DN) has launched Dakar - Freetown (Sierra Leone) flights in conjunction with Brussels Airlines (SN). Since 25 February, the Senegalese national carrier has been placing its code "DN" on Brussels Airlines' Dakar - Freetown sector of its Brussels - Dakar - Freetown flights. Similarly, Senegal Airlines has also placed its "DN" code on Brussels Airlines' Dakar - Conakry sector, effectively adding 3 extra weekly frequencies to its previous 7x weekly flights.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): Belgium, Congo ink new BASA with Jetairfly now wanting in on the action.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and its former colonial power, Belgium, on Saturday 2 February signed a revised Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) replacing that which was signed in 1965, five years after the DRC's independence. New provisions include increased frequencies to the DRC for Belgian carriers while Belgium, in return, will aide the DRC in its quest to improve its international safety image.

► BELGIUM: brussels airlines announces changes to its West & Central Africa network for Summer 2013.

Belgian carrier brussels airlines (SN) has announced various frequency fluctuations on its West and Central African route networks, effective late-February 2013.

► BELGIUM: brussels airlines announces changes to its West & Central Africa network from February 2013.

Belgian carrier brussels airlines (SN) has announced various changes to its West and Central African route networks, effective late-February 2013.

► LIBERIA: Brussels Airlines increases Monrovia, drops Bamako from early 2013.

Belgian carrier Brussels Airlines (SN) is to terminate its Bamako, Mali flights effective 8 January 2013. Bamako is currently served once weekly in tandem with Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.

► KENYA: Brussels Airlines cancels planned Mombasa route launch; increases Kigali frequency.

Originally planned to go ahead from 1 October via Nairobi, Belgian carrier, Brussels Airlines (SN), has announced it will not be launching once weekly flights to the Kenyan port town of Mombasa "due to administrative reasons".

►► BELGIUM: Brussels Airlines announces Africa schedule changes from October onwards.

Belgian carrier Brussels Airlines (SN) has announced sweeping changes to its African network effective 1 October 2012.

Brussels Airlines' Africa Route Network.

● Brussels Airlines Africa Timetable ●

►Destination Summary: 

Airbus A330-200 replaces -300 on service to Abidjan (1 weekly only), Bamako, Lome, Ouagadougou from 1 October 2012.

• Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire: Reduces from daily to 6x weekly with some operational routing change 
• Banjul, Gambia: Reduces from 4x to 3x weekly from 01 February 2013 
• Conakry, Guinea: Service remains 2x weekly 
• Cotonou, Benin: Service remains 2x weekly 
• Dakar, Senegal: Service remains 4x weekly 
• Douala, Cameroon: Service remains 5x weekly 
• Freetown, Sierra Leone: Reduces from 2x to 1x weekly from 01 February 2013 with A330-200 (A330-300 also operates from 01 October 2012 to 31 January 2013) 
• Kinshasa, DRC: Service reduces from daily to 5x weekly 
• Lome, Togo: Service operates via Ouagadougou in each direction, replacing BRU ABJ LFW BRU 
• Monrovia, Liberia: Service remains 3x weekly 
• Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Service operates nonstop in each direction, extending to Lome. This replaces BRU-BKO-OUA-BRU.
• Yaounde, Cameroon: Service reduces from 5x to 4x weekly, via Douala.
• Bujumbura, Burundi: Service reduces from 3x to 2x weekly
• Entebbe, Uganda: Service reduces from 4x weekly in NS12 to 3x weekly in NW12
• Kigali, Rwanda: Service reduces from 5 weekly in NS12 to 3 weekly in NW12 (routing via Nairobi cancelled)
• Mombasa, Kenya: NEW 1x weekly service [CANCELLED]
• Nairobi, Kenya: Service reduces from 4x to 3x weekly; 1 weekly service operates via Mombasa, 2 via Bujumbura (Routing via Kigali is cancelled)

 

►Schedules of New Routing (effective 28 October 2012):

Brussels – Bamako – Abidjan

-A330-300 replaces -200 from 17 December 2012 to 03 January 2013

-Local Traffic rights currently available for Bamako – Abidjan sector

• SN281 BRU1125 – 1635BKO1725 – 1905ABJ 332 1
• SN282 ABJ2015 – 2155BKO2255 – 0540+1BRU 332 1

Brussels – Banjul – Conakry – Brussels

-A330-300 replaces -200 from 14 November 2012 to 30 January 2013

• SN215 BRU1325 – 1835BJL1950 – 2055CKY2215 – 0540+1BRU 332 3

Brussels – Ouagadougou – Lome

-A330-300 replaces -200 from 10 November 2012 to 02 February 2013

-No Local Traffic Rights on Ouagadougou – Lome sector

• SN261 BRU1200 – 1650OUA1740 – 1910LFW 330 26
• SN262 LFW2020 – 2150OUA2250 – 0530+1BRU 330 26

Brussels – Abidjan – Cotonou – Brussels

• SN229 BRU1405 – 1945ABJ2055 – 2315COO0025+1 – 0655+1BRU 333 2 

Brussels – Mombasa – Nairobi – Brussels [CANCELLED]
NEW 1x weekly service to Mombasa

• SN477 BRU1030 – 2110MBA2210 – 2310NBO0025+1 – 0710+1BRU 332 5

Brussels – Bujumbura – Nairobi – Brussels
2x weekly service

• SN453 BRU1030 – 1955BJM2055 – 2325NBO0025+1 – 0710+1BRU 332 37

Brussels – Kigali – Entebbe – Brussels
-3x weekly flights
-Service to Kigali reduces from 5x to 3x weekly, Entebbe from 4x to 3x weekly.

• SN465 BRU1030 – 1940KGL2055 – 2245EBB2350 – 0620+1BRU 332 246

 

►Operational routing summary:

• Brussels – Abidjan – Monrovia – Brussels SN247 1x weekly service unchanged 
• Brussels – Conakry – Banjul – Brussels SN217 1x of 2x weekly service operates as SN215 in opposite direction 
• Brussels – Cotonou – Abidjan – Brussels SN231 1 of 2 xweekly service operates as SN229 in opposite direction 
• Brussels – Freetown – Banjul – Brussels SN219 Service reduces from 2x to 1x weekly from  01 February 2013 
• Brussels – Monrovia – Abidjan – Brussels SN245 2x weekly service unchanged 
• Brussels – Douala – Kinshasa SN351/352 Day 5 southbound service, Day 6 northbound does not operate from 08 December 2012 to 10 January 2013 (However BRU-DLA sector will operate as SN371/372) 
• Brussels – Luanda – Kinshasa – Brussels SN359 on Day 7 operates with A330-200 instead of -300 from 16 December 2012 to 06 January 2013.

Read More Here [Airline Route]