► GABON: Lufthansa to drop Frankfurt - Pointe Noire via Libreville from late December.

German carrier, Lufthansa (LH), will from December 23, 2013 cancel  its existing 5x weekly Frankfurt to Pointe Noire (Republic of Congo) via Libreville (Gabon). The flights operate on board a PrivatAir (PT) Boeing 737-800 aircraft. 

► GABON: Royal Air Maroc, Libreville to resurrect Air Gabon International venture?

Royal Air Maroc (AT) and the Government of Gabon are reportedly set to proceed with the establishment of a new Gabonese national carrier, Air Gabon International, seven years after its original proposal. The development comes after Morocco and Gabon earlier this month signed five cooperation agreements dealing mainly with customs services, country planning and people's movement.

► CAMEROON: Gabon's Afric Aviation goes regional with 4x weekly Douala flights.

Gabonese carrier Afric Aviation (L8) has launched its first international route with four times weekly flights between Gabon's capital, Libreville, and the Cameroonian commercial hub of Douala. Operations are on board one of the airline's two ATR72-200s.

► NIGERIA: Med-View Airline granted regional, international traffic rights; eyes Dubai by year end.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has reportedly granted Kano-based Med-View Airline (VL) regional and international traffic rights with flights to Dubai to launch before year end, the airline's managing director, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, has announced.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Gryphon Airlines to début Johannesburg to Gabon, Congo & Benin flights in November.

South Africa's Gryphon Airlines (6P) will start scheduled flights from South Africa through to Benin via Congo and Gabon with effect from November 1. The airline will operate a former 1Time (T6) McDonnell Douglas MD83 (MSN 49829 | ZS-TRJ) on the route.

► TOGO: AfricaWest Cargo Airlines acquires a 737-300F, two ATR72Fs for planned regional expansion.

AfricaWest Cargo Airlines (FK) has announced the addition of a Boeing 737-300F with two ATR72Fs set to join its fleet in June and October respectively. The cargo operator intends to use the aircraft as part of its plans to expand throughout Africa during 2013 and 2014.

► NIGERIA: AeroContractors planning big regional push before Q4 of this year.

Nigeria's second largest airline, Aero Contractors, is considering a big push into the subregion following the recent announcement of its inaugural flights to Douala, Cameroon's largest city, set for today 27 May.

► MALI: Douniah Airlines now eyeing an ATR72 with new launch date set for late May.

Malian startup, Douniah Airlines (DTS), is now set to add an ATR72 to its fleet in preparation of its planned launch, delayed from earlier this year likely due to the crisis in Mali.

►► SÃO TOMÉ & PRÍNCIPE: South African Beechcraft 1900C disappears into Gulf of Guinea in rough weather; no survivors.

A South African registered Beechcraft 1900C-1 (unconfirmed MCN UC-74 | ZS-PHL) has reportedly disappeared without trace in the Gulf of Guinea, 14km off the coast of the West African nation of São Tomé & Príncipe.

► RWANDA: Rwandair outlines new Accra via Lagos and Douala via Brazzaville, Libreville ops.

Rwandan national carrier, RwandAir (WB) has outlined its planned Kigali - Accra and Kigali - Brazzaville - Libreville - Douala services due to launch in June. According to Amadeus, Accra flights will operate 3x weekly via Lagos, Nigeria with Rwandair obtaining 5th Freedom rights between Lagos and Accra. Douala flights will operate 4x weekly.

■ GABON: New Airport Infrastructure Levy to pay for new Libreville Airport.

The Gabonese Government has announced that, from 1 September 2013, it will introduce an Airport Development Levy to be included in the price of all passenger tickets, to pay for the construction of Libreville's new airport located in Andeme, 60km outside Libreville.

► GABON: Nationale Regionale Transport dominates domestic market in 2012 says AdL.

Gabon's Nationale Regionale Transport (NRG) has come out Gabon's most dominant domestic carrier for the year 2012, according to statistics released by L’aéroport de Libreville (Libreville Airport - AdL). Nationale saw a 7% increase in passengers carried on 2011.

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Ethiopian announces various changes to its West African network from June.

AirlineRoute reports that Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will from June 2013 adjust its operations to West Africa with numerous equipment and frequency changes to come into effect.

►► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Punto Azul to resume regional ops in March with Angola, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana planned for later.

[UPDATE 12 FEBRUARY] Equato-guinean private operator Punto Azul (ZR) has announced the resumption of services with new routes in the pipeline. Making the announcement in Malabo, Punto Azul CEO, Rene Janata, explained the necessity of the measure in relation to the consolidation of future operations and compliance with airline's projected growth targets. The carrier has also signed a new agreement with a new operator, South Africa's National Airways Corporation.

► GABON: Trans Air Congo applies for 5th Freedom flights out of Libreville.

Congo (Brazzaville)-based regional carrier Trans Air Congo (Q8) has applied for rights to operate 5th freedom flights out of the Gabonese capital, Libreville, according to the country's national aviation authority L'Agence Nationale de l’Aviation Civile du Gabon (ANAC).

■ 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.

► GABON: Finally, Turkish Airlines to start Libreville via Douala from late January.

Following on from our previous post last year, Turkish Airlines (TK) will at last launch flights to Libreville Gabon via Douala, Cameroon from 31 January 2013. The 3x weekly service will be operated with a Boeing 737-900ER.

► GABON: Afric Aviation to take delivery of an ATR72.

Gabonese private carrier Afric Aviation (L8) is to take delivery of its first ATR72-200 to complement its current ATR42-300 reports Swiss aviation newswire, CH-Aviation.

► GABON: Air France boosts Libreville frequencies from March 2013.

Following on from bilateral talks between the French and Gabonese governments concluded last year, Air France (AF) will, starting 11 March 2013, progressively increase flights to Libreville, Gabon with the addition of a 6th weekly service between Paris CDG and Libreville, followed by the addition of 7th weekly service from 31 March 2013. 

■ GABON: France, Gabon sign new BASA; Air France to start Paris - Port Gentil?

Following that which it signed with Luxembourg in late November, Gabon has signed a modified air transport agreement with France under which airlines from the two countries will be able to operate additional flights to the Central African state.