► MOROCCO: Royal Air Maroc to establish Rabat as second local base; eyes five new routes before year end.

As part of plans to establish Rabat as its second local base after its main hub in Casablanca, Royal Air Maroc (AT) says it will launch twenty-two new flights from the Moroccan capital before year end.

► ALGERIA: Tassili Airlines delays international expansion 'til 2014 as subsidies for southern flights now an option.

Algerian domestic and regional carrier, Tassili Airlines (SF), has reaffirmed its plans to launch regional charter flights, albeit only in early 2014 as opposed to the previously planned deadline of late 2013.

■ CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Air CEMAC launch now delayed 'til early 2014 as more talks with Air France are due in October.

In yet another unsurprising development regarding the formation and launch of Central Africa's bloc-based initiative, Air CEMAC, the airline's launch has now been pushed back until January 2014 pending the finalization of protracted talks with strategic partner, Air France (AF).

► NIGERIA: Ex Camair-Co boss Alex Van Elk to help set up new Nigerian LCC.

A new Low Cost Carrier will commence operations in Nigeria in 2014 with former Camair-Co (QC) CEO, Alex Van Elk, one of the project's coordinators. According to Mr Van Elk, the carrier is a joint partnership between Nigerian and European investors.

► LIBYA: (Pics) Ministry of Defense takes redelivery of Gaddafi's repainted A340.

The Libyan Ministry of Defense has taken redelivery of an Airbus A340-300 (MCN 151 | 5A-ONE) following an overhaul and a refit in Toulouse, France. The aircraft was made famous as the private jet of deposed Libyan strongman Muammur Gaddafi prior to his death in 2011.

► TUNISIA: Syphax Airlines deploys its A330 into revenue service on Paris CDG flights.

With its first A330-200 (MCN 345 | TS-IRA) now good to go, Tunisian carrier, Syphax Airlines (FS), has deployed the aircraft on its first revenue flights with effect from Thursday August 22. According to the airline, the first routes serviced have been its high frequency/high demand Summer high season flights to Paris CDG.

■ MAYOTTE: New terminal at Dzaoudzi Pamandzi Int'l Airport due to open in February 2014.

The archipelago of Mayotte, a French overseas department located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, will unveil its new passenger terminal at Dzaoudzi Pamandzi International Airport in February 2014, with works expected to be complete by the end of the year. Originally due to come online this year, delays have been experienced owing to what the Mahoran press have described as "logistical difficulties."

► DJIBOUTI: Air France starts dedicated weekly flights to Djibouti from late October.

Air France (AF) will, from October 27, 2013, commence once weekly dedicated flights from Paris CDG to Djibouti Ambouli onboard an Airbus A340-300. As such, the current 3x weekly service to the Horn of Africa state which operates via Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will cease with effect from that date with flights to Riyadh increasing to 5x weekly.

► NIGER: Air France A330 grounded in Niamey after a stowaway's dead body discovered in city suburb.

An Air France A330-200 (MCN 519 | F-GZCL) operating as flight AF547 from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso to Paris CDG via Niamey, Niger, has been grounded in the Nigerien capital since Thursday after a dead body, believed to have fallen from the aircraft as it approached Diori Hamani International Airport's runway 09R/27L, was discovered in one of the city's arrondissements.

►► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines maintains Brussels, Paris from December; drops Munich plans.

[UPDATE 27 AUGUST] Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will tentatively begin serving Stockholm via Munich, Germany daily effective December 1. Flights will operate using a Boeing 757. Also from December 1, Brussels will be dropped from the Ethiopian national carrier's network leaving Paris CDG to be operated direct.

► ANGOLA: TAAG to serve either London or Paris from June/July 2014 - Carreira.

TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT) will launch flights to either London or Paris CDG during the second half of 2014, the airline's director of operations, Mr. Rui Carreira, has disclosed. The route's launch, however, will hinge upon the delivery of a new Boeing 777-300ER, due in May 2014, he added.

► CAMEROON: Turkish Airlines hurting Camair-Co on Europe-bound traffic - Perchat.

Camair-Co (QC) says Turkish Airlines' (TK) recent entry into the Cameroonian market is having a serious effect on the carrier's international traffic with almost 50% of the Paris-bound market having been lost to the Turks, Camair Commercial Director, Christian Perchat, has disclosed.

► FRANCE: Equatorial Congo Airlines has begun a weekly Pointe Noire - Paris CDG service.

Brazzaville-based carrier Equatorial Congo Airlines, better known as EC Air Congo (LC), on June 29, launched a weekly service connecting the Congolese petroleum hub of Pointe Noire with Paris CDG using a B757-200. EC Air also connects Brazzaville with the French capital.

► FRANCE: Algeria's Tassili Airlines launches first international ops; eyes Dubai, Turkey, Spain by year end.

Algeria's Tassili Airlines (SF), on Friday July 5, launched its first international flights with two routes: Bejaia - Saint Etienne and Jijel - Grenoble in France.

●● FRANCE: The African Aviation Tribune at the Paris Air Show 2013.

Today (Monday June 15), The African Aviation Tribune will be at the Paris Air Show 2013 courtesy of ch-aviation GMBH. 

As such, postings over the next week will slow to a trickle, but be sure to follow us via our Twitter feed @AfrAviaTribune for updates and photos from the show as it happens. Expected this year are British Airways' A380, the new Airbus A350-900 and many more. 

Stay tuned for the pictorial post to follow as well!

[UPDATE 19 JUNE] Well everyone, it seems the gods weren't smiling upon me this time round. A combination of bad Paris weather on my inbound fight that resulted in a diversion, coupled with a flat camera battery at the actual show meant i wasn't able to provide you with the updates (or pics) mentioned above. And i really do feel bummed about that.

So, please accept my apologies on that and hopefully it'll come right next time round.

The news feed should return to normal in the coming two days, so hang tight.

► FRANCE: (Pics) Tunisia's Syphax Airlines' first A330 almost ready for delivery.

Tunisian private carrier, Syphax Airlines (FS), has had its first Airbus A330-200 (MCN 345 | F-WJKG) roll out the paint-shop in Toulouse in preparation for its planned delivery later this month.

► MOROCCO: Royal Air Maroc outlines its planned E190 Summer routes.

Royal Air Maroc (AT) will this Summer lease two Embraer E190 aircraft from Holland's Denim Air ACMI (J7) for use on routes to Germany, Guinea Bissau, France, Denmark and the Canary Islands.

► 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. 

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Air France to deploy A380 on Abidjan flights from late 2014?

Air France (AF) is considering deploying its Airbus A380-800 onto its Paris CDG - Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire route from September 2014 onwards, press reports out of the Ivorian capital claim. Should the move come into being, it would be Air France's second A380 destination in Africa after Johannesburg, South Africa.

► FRANCE: See Pics of Libyan Airlines' first A330 due for delivery next month!

Libyan Airlines (LN) is set to take delivery of its first of two Airbus A330-200 (MCN 1412 | 5A-LAR) due in the coming weeks. The order is part of a larger deal for four of the aircraft of which the other two are due in Libya in May 2014.