► KENYA: Updates on ALS Aircraft Leasing, Mombasa Air Safari, Skyward International and Phoenix Aviation ops.

Kenyan operators ALS - Aircraft Leasing Services (K4) and Skyward International Aviation have taken delivery of an Embraer ERJ-145 and a Fokker 50 respectively while Mombasa Air Safari (RRV) and Phoenix Aviation are to retire their Let 410s and McDonnell Douglas MD83 respectively.

► GAMBIA: Aeolus Air set to take delivery of A320; to start weekly Dakar ops from April.

Banjul based ACMI outfit, Aeolus Air (AAZ) is to offer a weekly scheduled Let 410 service between Banjul and the Senegalese capital, Dakar effective 7 April.

► COMOROS: (Pics) New Comorian government airline starts flights.

Following on from our previous post, the Comorian government has launched flights using its newly acquired Let 410-UVP20 (D6-NWD), to be used to ply inter island services. The aircraft is understood to be part of greater fleet expansion plans that the Comorian government has, following the crash of an Inter Îles Air (ZXA) Embraer 120ER in November.

► COMOROS: Government acquires Let410 with aims of rebuilding national airline.

The Comorian Government on Saturday 29 December 2012, took delivery of a 19 seat LET 410 UVP-E20 (D6-NWD) with the aim of launching a dedicated inter-island air service. The move comes after the crash of an Inter Îles Air (ZXA) Embraer 120ER off the coast of Hahaya, Grande Comore in late November left the islands' local aviation industry reeling.

► GUINEA: Eagle Air to get a second Let 410.

Eagle Air (EGR), the Guinean charter flight specialist, is set to receive its second Let 410 (MSN  871816 | 3X-GHP) according to German site Skyliner.de

► KENYA: Mombasa Air Safari Let410 crashes on take off killing 4 and critically injuring 3.

Another sad day today in African aviation as a Kenyan registered LET 410 (unconfirmed 5Y-UVP) belonging to Mombasa Air Safari (RRV) crashed on take off from Ngerende Airstrip in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya bound for Mombasa, killing the two pilots and two German tourists on-board with another three were critically injured. The other four passengers received injuries of varying degrees, though are in a stable condition.