● IATA: African airlines' August pax traffic up 5.4% on 2012 as freight continues downward trend.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for August showing a strengthening of the healthy demand trend of the last few months. Total revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) rose 6.8% compared to August 2012. Capacity increases over the year-ago period lagged demand at 5.6%. This pushed the load factor to match the record high of 83.4% set in July 2011. In terms of its Passenger traffic results, African airlines’ traffic climbed 5.4% compared to August 2012. Meanwhile August international air freight demand was up 3.6% on the previous year. That is considerably better than year-to-date performance of a 0.7% expansion. However, African carriers' cargo experienced another decline in freight volumes, down 9.7%.

● NIGERIA: IATA boss calls for greater Public/Private cooperation to enable aviation to better propel African economic growth.

During a speech in Lagos, Nigeria on September 17 to mark Aviation Day Africa, Tony Tyler, the CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), called on public and private stakeholders to work together to address critical priorities to enable aviation to do more to drive economic growth in Africa.

● IATA: African airlines' July Pax traffic grows 7.5% on 2012 as Cargo takes a knock.

In its July pax & cargo figures, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has noted that overall global demand for air travel recorded another solid month of growth in July. Overall revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) were up 5.0% compared to July 2012. All regions were up year-on-year, with emerging markets recording the strongest increases with African airline's pax figures growing 7.5% on July 2012. Overall global air cargo traffic results for July showing a continuation of the modest improvement trend experienced in June though African airlines faired for the worse with a 4.9% contraction in July year-on-year.

■ KENYA: Tradewinds Aviation Services' Nairobi JKIA, Mombasa stations attain ISAGO certificates.

Kenyan ground-handling firm, Tradewinds Aviation Services (TAS), has announced that its stations at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Mombasa Moi International Airport have successfully passed their respective IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO).

● IATA: Strong domestic pax traffic in Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia & the DRC buoys African growth as cargo ekes up in June.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its June passenger demand figures showing year-on-year global growth of 6.0%. Africa saw a growth of 11.2% with African airlines benefiting from strong domestic economic growth in key markets such as Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. While global air freight demand figures showed a 1.2% year-on-year expansion, Africa's figures showed growth in June of 2.4% on June 2012.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): IATA-backed safety audit of all Congolese carriers begins in Kinshasa.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo began its IATA-backed operational safety audit of all Congolese carriers at Kinshasa N'djili International Airport on Friday, July 5. During a working tour of the airport's and airlines' various facilities, Justin Kalunga, the Congolese Minster of Transport, was accompanied by Richard Nyanguile, the Director General of the Congolese Civil Aviation Authority ( l’Autorité de l’Aviation Civile - AAC) and Abdalla Bilenge, the Director General of the Congolese airports authority (Régie des Voies Aériennes - RVA).

● IATA: Africa's May Passenger Traffic continues strong growth as Cargo continues to flatline.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for May 2013 with the global air travel industry continuing its April growth momentum with emerging markets, among them Africa and the Middle East, showing the strongest potential. Compared to the same period last year, overall demand rose 5.6%, while capacity climbed 5.2% pushing the load factor up 0.3 percentage points to 78.1%. Figures for global air cargo markets show that growth has continued to flatline in May, Africa included, broadly following the trend of the last 18 months. 

■ ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe readmitted to IATA after passing its IOSA.

Air Zimbabwe (UM) has reportedly been readmitted to the International Air Travel Association's International Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry following the audit's completion in February.

● IATA: Who said what during IATA's recently ended 69th AGM.

As the 69th International Air Transport Association's Annual General Meeting came to a close on Tuesday in Cape Town, South Africa, many a speech and promise was made by various industry heavyweights (both African and international), politicians and analysts. Herein lies a brief summary of the more interesting, relevant bits.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Ethiopian wants more 787s as SAA eyes 25+ A350s or 787s for delivery from 2017 on.

During the ongoing International Air Transport Association's (IATA) 69th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Cape Town, South Africa,  two of Africa's heavyweights, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) and South African Airways (SA), have hinted at their proposed future fleet acquisition plans with Ethiopian looking for more 787s and SAA considering either the 787 or its rival Airbus' A350 offering.

● IATA: Africa's April passenger traffic grows 4.7% on 2012 buoyed by strong economic growth.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced global passenger traffic results for April showing a 3.2% increase in demand over April 2012. On the back of strong economic growth, the emerging markets, Africa in particular, are continuing to lead air travel growth, with all regions reporting year-over-year gains.

■ ANGOLA: TAAG renews its IOSA certificate until May 2015.

Following an audit conducted between January 27-31 of this year, TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), the Angolan national carrier, has had its IATA Operational Safety Audity certificate renewed until May 22, 2015, TAAG Quality director, Joaquim Fortes, has announced. 

● ETHIOPIA: IATA boss slams EU Black List as lacking transparency; calls on greater African governmental support for aviation.

During a seminar given in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa today to mark Aviation Day Africa, Tony Tyler, the Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) slammed the EU No-Fly list as "lacking transparency" claiming they did nothing to improve safety as a whole. Tyler instead called on African governments to build stronger partnerships with industry to prioritize and promote aviation policies that will improve safety, develop a more competitive industry cost structure and advance liberalization.

● GHANA: Kwame Mamphey elected Chairman of AFCAC at 23rd Plenary session.

The Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Air-Commodore Kwame Mamphey has been elected to the Chairmanship of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) during the organ's recently ended 23rd Plenary session held in Accra.

● ETHIOPIA: IATA boss Tony Tyler to mark Aviation Day Africa in Addis Ababa next month.

Tony Tyler, the Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) will visit the Ethiopian capital,  Addis Ababa, next month (16 April) on the occasion of Aviation Day Africa where he and his delegation will meet with executives from Ethiopian Airlines (ET) and officials from the Ethiopian Ministry of Transport and the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority.

● IATA: Global, African aviation outlook improving with African carriers expected to post $100mln profit in 2013: Tyler

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has improved its global outlook - African carriers included - for the 2013 financial performance of the global airline industry primarily based on stronger revenues from increased passenger demand and growing cargo markets. Overall, IATA now expects airlines to produce a combined net post-tax profit margin of 1.6% (up from the previously forecast 1.3%) with a net post-tax profit of USD10.6 billion (up from the previously projected USD8.4 billion).

■ SENEGAL: ASECNA awarded €2.8mln contract to begin set up of Global Navigation Satellite System in Africa.

The Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (L'Agence pour la Sécurité de la Navigation aérienne en Afrique et à Madagascar - ASECNA) the pan-African air navigation service provider, has been awarded a EUR2.8million contract for the implementation of Global Navigation Satellite Systems across Africa. The contracts comes under a EUR9million programme entitled "Support to the airline industry and applications of satellite services in Africa" under the joint auspices of the ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) Group of States Secretariat and the European Commission (EC).

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): New national carrier to début in June as Government moves to recertify all Congolese carriers under IATA supervision.

Justin Kalunga, the Democratic Republic of Congo's Minster of Transport, says a new national airline has already been white-papered and approved by his government with a new strategic partner set to be chosen in due course. The new airline, due to take delivery of its first aircraft in June, will replace the current quasi-defunct national carrier, LAC Lignes Aériennes Congolaises (4V). The move is one of the initiatives the Congolese are undertaking to ameliorate the country's poor aviation safety record and international image.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: DHL sees strong African cargo market potential in 2013 catalyzed by increased Asian, intra-Africa trade.

Despite Africa having overall freight load factors of just 24.7% which, according to IATA is the lowest of any region by a significant margin, global courier DHL remains optimistic about Africa's cargo growth potential for 2013 with deepening trade ties with Asia, and above all, with fellow African countries, the catalyst.

■ ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe's IOSA due to be completed by the end of February.

Struggling Zimbabwean national carrier Air Zimbabwe (UM) is confident about its ongoing IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) with its completion due at the end of February, in time for UM's anticipated roll out of new regional and possibly, international flights.