■ KENYA: Regulators grant Kenya Airways/KLM seven-year extension to Unfair Competition exemption.

Kenya Airways (KQ) and 26.73% shareholder, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL), have been granted a seven-year extension to their Unfair Trade practices exemption by the Competition Authority of Kenya, having applied in February. The moratorium, introduced when KLM acquired a stake in the Kenyan national carrier back in 1996, prevents competitors from accusing them of unfair trade practices. 

► ALGERIA: Air Algérie now says it wants two ex-KLM MD11s for its freighter fleet.

Algeria's national carrier, Air Algérie (AH) has announced it will take delivery of two former KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL) McDonnell Douglas MD-11s on five year leases following their conversion into cargo freighters.

►► ZIMBABWE: KLM to restart Harare service from 29 October.

[UPDATE 14 MARCH] After a 10 year hiatus from the Zimbabwean capital Harare, KLM Dutch Airlines (KL) has announced the resumption of its Amsterdam - Harare service, albeit with a stopover in Lusaka.

► RWANDA: KLM to boost Kigali, Entebbe frequencies to daily from April.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines(KL) will, from 5 April, boost its frequency on its Amsterdam to Entebbe, Uganda via Kigali, Rwanda route from 6x weekly, to a daily service with the introduction of a Tuesday (Day 2) service.

■ RWANDA: Netherlands, Rwanda sign Air Services Agreement.

Rwanda and The Netherlands, on Wednesday 6 February, signed a Bilateral Air Services Agreement following a visit to Kigali by Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade & Development Cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen. In typically wooden diplomatic language, no explicit details about the contents of the BASA were revealed. The agreement, signed on behalf of Rwanda by Minister of Infrastructure, Albert Nsengiyumva, now accommodates "both countries’ current requirements and wishes" and formalizes the air connection between the two countries.

►► NETHERLANDS: KLM announces changes to Accra, Cairo, Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Johannesburg and Lagos from Winter 2012.

[UPDATE 7 FEBRUARY] Further to KLM's (KL) previously announced Summer Timetable changes, so they have announced equipment i.e aircraft changes to their Winter 2012 timetable.

► SUDAN: KLM drops Khartoum, Addis Ababa from March 2013.

AirlineRoute is reporting that effective 31 March 2013, KLM is cancelling its Amsterdam – Khartoum – Addis Ababa route, where it currently operates 3x weekly service using an Airbus A330-200. Reservation for this route is closed and flights being removed from the system. Existing schedule as follows.

► NIGERIA: KLM, Air France announce capacity changes on Nigeria routes for 2013.

KLM Dutch Airlines (KL) and Air France (AF) have announced various changes to their Nigerian operations for 2013. Effective 31 March 2013, Air France is to boost capacity on its Abuja/Port Harcourt route while for the duration of June, KLM is to reduce capacity on its Lagos flights.

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe to launch further regional ops shortly as Minister dismisses any KLM partnership as a "dream".

Troubled Zimbabwean national carrier Air Zimbabwe (UM) has announced further route developments and equipment changes as it looks to resume international operations in the new year.

■ ZIMBABWE: Government crafts law to protect Air Zim from creditors; puts 74% stake in UM up for grabs.

The Zimbabwean Government is once again looking for a strategic partner for Air Zimbabwe (UM). In a new proposal, a 74% shareholding in the ailing national carrier is to be put up for grabs after a previous deal with China's Hainan Airlines (HU), in February, broke down over Air Zimbabwe’s reluctance to grant Hainan a 65% stake rather than 45% as proposed.

► ZIMBABWE: (Pics) KLM resumes Harare after 13 year hiatus.

A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Airbus A330-200 operating flight KL523 touched down 30 minutes early at 20.57L at Harare International Airport this evening, signifying the resumption of services to Amsterdam, cancelled 13 years ago.

► TANZANIA: KLM boosts Kilimanjaro to 9x weekly from December.

From 27 December 2012 until 10 March 2013, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL) is to increase its flight frequency between Amsterdam, Holland and Kilimanjaro, Tanzania from daily to 9x weekly. The added flights will operate on a Thursday and Saturday ex-Schipol.

► ZAMBIA: KLM returns to Lusaka (Pictures).

After a 16 year break, Dutch airline KLM (KL) has resumed direct flights from Amsterdam to Lusaka 3x weekly using an Airbus A330-200. Pictures courtesy The Lusaka Times.

KLM arrives in Lusaka (Lusaka Times)

"KLM will fly to Lusaka three times a week using an Airbus A330-200. The aircraft offers space for 243 passengers; 30 in World Business Class, 178 in Economy Class, and 35 in the Economy Comfort Zone.

Starting 15 May, flight KL521 will depart every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 12:30 from Schiphol and will arrive in Lusaka the same day at 22:05. The return flight, KL522, will depart from Lusaka the same day at 23:50. The flight will arrive in Amsterdam the next morning at 9:45."

Read More Here [KLM]

► NETHERLANDS: KLM announces changes to Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Cairo, Khartoum, Addis Ababa, Lusaka.

KLM (KL) has announced changes to their summer timetable effective 4th May 2012.

Amsterdam – Kilimanjaro – Dar es Salaam – Amsterdam 

• 17MAY12 – 31MAY12 Increase from 6 weekly to Daily, A330-200 operating
• 01JUN12 – 30JUN12 Airbus A330-300 replaces A330-200, Daily 
• 01JUL12 – 31JUL12 Boeing 777-200ER operates Daily 
• 01AUG12 – 27OCT12 Boeing 777-300ER replaces -200ER on Day x245

 Amsterdam – Lagos  

• 28MAY12 – 30JUN12 Airbus A330-200 replaces -300, daily operation

Amsterdam – Abuja – Kano – Amsterdam

• 3 weekly service cancelled from 03JUN12

Amsterdam – Cairo

• Service reduced from daily to 3 weekly, 777-200ER operating

 
Amsterdam – Khartoum – Addis Ababa eff 18MAY12

• Operational Day change from Day 2 4 6 to Day 2 5 7 

Amsterdam – Lusaka eff 15MAY12

• Service resumption with A330-200, 3 times a week

Read More Here [AirlineRoute]