► COTE D'IVOIRE: Air Cote d'Ivoire to roll out new destinations once a third A319, two Q400s arrive in November.

Air Côte d’Ivoire (HF) says it will roll out the new part of its regional expansion programme, set to include new services from Abidjan to Lagos, Kinshasa, N'Djamena, Niamey, Monrovia, Freetown and Bangui, from mid November. The new routes were due to have launched in late August.

■ CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Bangui M'poko Int'l Airport resumes partial operations following disturbances.

Bangui's Mpoko International Airport has been partially reopened with some flights cleared to land after the tarmac was inundated with Central African citizens fleeing marauding Seleka rebels who had gone on the rampage in the neighbouring Boeing quarter.

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: (Pics) Karinou Airlines' first B737-300 rolls out the paint shop!

The Central African Republic's Karinou Airlines (U5) first B737-300 (MSN ? | TL-TSM) has rolled out the paint shop at the CAC Aircraft Services hangar in Florida. Previously due in early Q2 of this year, the aircraft is currently parked in Miami awaiting its ferry flight to Bangui M'poko International. Its exact details are not available at this time (i.e whether it is a lease or an outright acquisition).

► CHAD: Royal Air Maroc eyeing 3x weekly Bangui via N'djamena flights from mid December.

Not to be outdone by regional rivals, Tunisair (TU) who themselves have already begun rolling out new West and Central African routes, Royal Air Maroc (AT), are planning to launch a 3x weekly service to the Chadian capital, Ndjamena. The route will operate onwards to the Central African Republic's capital, Bangui, before returning direct to Casablanca using a B737-800 effective December 20. The route therefore means Bangui will see a service increase from the current 2x weekly flights, operated via Douala, Cameroon. RAM have been granted 5th Freedom rights between Ndjamena and Bangui.

► CHAD: Air France adds tech stop in Ndjamena on Bangui outbound flights until late May.

French carrier Air France (AF) is extending operational changes to Bangui until late-May 2013, where it’ll operate via N’djamena, Chad on the outbound flight, as a technical stop. 

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: World's last operational BAe Andover gets a new lease on life in the CAR (of all places).

Canada's West Wind Aviation (WEW) is set to take delivery of the world's last known operational BAe HS.780 Andover (SET 13 | TL-AEW) with the aircraft already reregistered in the Central African Republic.

► 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. 

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Kenya Airways suspends Bangui flights 'til early May likely due to political situation.

Kenya Airways (KQ) has suspended its flights to the Central African Republic, effective immediately. CH-Aviation reports that the Kenyan national carrier had previously operated a 3x weekly flight to Bangui with an onward sector to Douala, Cameroon. Flights have been tipped to resume in early July, though this date is still speculative.

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Karinou Airlines to add a Boeing 737-300 in April.

Centrafricair o/a Karinou Airlines (KRN), a private carrier based out of the Central African Republic, is to boost its fleet with the arrival of a Boeing 737-300 due in April which will join its current lone Boeing 737-200ADV (MSN 23109 | TL-AEG) formerly with Lebanon's Med Airways.

►►► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Air France suspends Bangui after riots outside French embassy.

[UPDATE 11 JANUARY] As the situation in the Central African Republic continues to deteriorate, so French carrier, Air France (AF), had to cancel its weekly flight to Bangui on 26 December, with the next flight on 2 January 2013, under review.

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Karinou Airlines to go regional in early 2013.

Amidst a turbulent political climate, Karinou Airlines (KRN), formerly Africa Airlines, has outlined plans to launch scheduled regional operations out of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, possibly in early January.

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Ethiopian Airlines axes Bangui.

In another blow to the region of central Africa following Kenya Airways' (KQ) termination of Ndjamena, Chad flights last week, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has dropped Bangui, Central Africa Republic from its schedule. Its Lomé, Togo-based subsidiary, ASKY Airlines (KP), however, will still continue to operate there.

■ SENEGAL: ASECNA signs $35million contract with Thales, INEO Engineering for Radar, ATM Systems.

The Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (L'Agence pour la Sécurité de la Navigation aérienne en Afrique et à Madagascar) or ASECNA has signed a USD35million contract with a French consortium comprising Thales Air Systems SAS and INEO Engineering & Systems for the supply and installation of Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radars (MSSR) with Mode S capability in addition to its Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems.

► TOGO: ASKY Airlines to resume Bangui, Banjul, Pointe Noire from November.

Lomé, Togo based ASKY  Airlines (KP) is to resume flights to Bangui (Central African Republic), Banjul (Gambia) and Pointe Noire (Republic of the Congo) from November onwards.

■ CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Bangui M'Poko International Airport to be upgraded and modernized from 2016 onwards.

Following years of neglect that have seen the degradation of its runways, taxiways and airport terminal, the Central African Republic's capital city Bangui's M'poko International Airport is to be upgraded to international standards after the Central African parliament's recent adoption of a bill establishing the Corporation for Airport Infrastructure Development in Central Africa (SODIAC), which is to oversee the project and various others.

► CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Check out Trans Air Congo's swanky new livery! (Pic)

Pointe Noire-based regional carrier Trans Air Congo (Q8) has applied a smart new livery to its Boeing 737-200 (TN-AHI). 

► CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): New regional carrier Air CEMAC eyes a January 2013 launch date.

Following a recent meeting of Civil Aviation Ministers of the Economic and Monetary Community of African States (CEMAC) consisting of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo (Brazzaville), Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Chad, a decision was reached in which Air France was chosen as the airline's new strategic and financial partner replacing South African Airways (which was terminated in February owing to "deep differences of opinion") who themselves had replaced Royal Air Maroc and Brussels Airlines.
 

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: New startup Africa Airlines acquires Boeing 737-200.

Karinou Airlines (KRN), formerly Africa Airlines, a new start from The Central African Republic (CAR), has commenced operations using a Boeing 737-200 acquired from an undisclosed Lebanese operator. the carrier currently serves Carnot, Berberati, Bambari, Bria with plans to start international operations soon.

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: We need to improve our air traffic with Ethiopia - CAR Aviation Minister Theodore Jousso.

The Central African Republic (CAR), not quite a country that makes headlines day in/day out, has reached out to Ethiopia and requested assistance in improving its bilateral air services with Ethiopia.

Whilst on a visit to the Ethiopian capital Addis-Ababa, CAR Civil Aviation and Air Transport Minister Theodore Jousso stated that his country was "desirous to further strengthen its relations with Ethiopia in the area of air transport."

In response,  Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi assured the Minister that every possible thing would be done to further enhance the air transport links between the two countries.

At present Bangui M'Poko International Airport, the principle airport of the CAR, is served by Air France, Camair-co, Ethiopian Airlines, Interair, Kenya Airways, Royal Air Maroc, TAAG Angola Airlines and, Toumaï Air Tchad.

Once a shareholder in the now defunct Pan-African airline Air Afrique, the CAR does not currently possess a national air carrier. There are, however, 2 small domestic operators: MinAir and Via-air based out of Bangui.