► COTE D'IVOIRE: Air Cote d'Ivoire to roll out new destinations once a third A319, two Q400s arrive in November.

Air Côte d’Ivoire (HF) says it will roll out the new part of its regional expansion programme, set to include new services from Abidjan to Lagos, Kinshasa, N'Djamena, Niamey, Monrovia, Freetown and Bangui, from mid November. The new routes were due to have launched in late August.

► GHANA: Eagle Atlantic Airlines outlines initial West African launch timetable, network.

Ghana's Eagle Atlantic Airlines (E2) has outlined its initial West African regional service schedule now set to tentatively launch on October 21, 2013. Flights between Accra, Abidjan, Freetown, Dakar and Monrovia (Roberts) will operate on-board the airline's leased McDonnell Douglas MD82.

► GUINEA BISSAU: ASKY Airlines eyes a mid September launch date for Bissau flights.

As the saying goes, better 2 months late than never, ASKY Airlines (KP) has at long last unveiled a possible launch date for flights to the capital of Guinea-Bissau, Bissau. Operations should commence from September 15 with a 2x weekly flight extending the current Lome - Accra - Monrovia (James Spriggs Payne Airport) route flown by a Q400.

► GHANA: Eagle Atlantic Airlines granted its AOC; eyes regional ops from mid August.

Following on from our previous post, Ghana's Eagle Atlantic Airlines (EAB) has now received its Air Operator's Certificate from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), with plans now afoot to commence regional services, Dr Emmanuel Osei-Acheampong, Eagle Atlantic's Chief Executive Officer, has announced. 

► BELGIUM: brussels airlines modifies Banjul, Dakar, Freetown and Monrovia from late October.

Belgian carrier brussels airlines (SN), will from October 27, 2013 adjust its operations to the following West African destinations including: Banjul, Dakar, Freetown and Monrovia.

► LIBERIA: AV Cargo Airlines adds Monrovia; boosts Bamako flights.

Effective immediately, AV Cargo Airlines (Z3) has announced an increase in the frequency of flights to Bamako, Mali while at the same time, added Monrovia, Liberia as a new destination on its West African network. Flights will be operated out of the carrier's Liege hub using an MD11F.

► LIBERIA: British Airways to boost Monrovia, Freetown with 4th weekly flight from late October.

British Airways (BA) will increase its frequencies to the West African countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone to four weekly on the back of rising demand, the airline has stated. 

■ LIBERIA: Equatorial Guinea to finance the expansion of Monrovia's Roberts International Airport.

Equato-Guinean strongman, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, has agreed to arrange the financing and construction of infrastructure at Liberia's sole international airport, Monrovia's Roberts International Airport, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries.

►► GUINEA: Air France announces changes to Nouakchott, Conakry, Freetown, Monrovia ops from late March.

[UPDATE 25 MARCH] Air France (AF) will from 31MAR13 adjust its operations to the West African destinations of Nouakchott (Mauritania), Conakry (Guinea), Freetown (Sierra Leone) and Monrovia (Liberia).

■ LIBERIA: Delta partners with Liberian Ministry of Transport to develop GPS approach procedures for RIA.

US Carrier, Delta Air Lines is continuing to work closely with the Liberian Minister of Transport to develop and fine tune GPS Approach procedures to help improve the safety and reliability of aircraft operations at Monrovia's Roberts International Airport. As part of its ongoing commitment to Liberia and to the safety of its people, Delta has developed these GPS Approach procedures specifically for Liberia using U.S. Federal Aviation Administration standards. 

■ LIBERIA: Government clarifies awarding of contract for new $11mln hotel at Roberts International Airport.

The Liberian Government says it has indeed awarded an USD11million contract for the construction of a 5-star hotel at Monrovia's Roberts International Airport to local tycoon, Mr. George Abi-Jaoudi, a Lebanese businessman. Liberian Minister of Transport,  Eugene Lenn Nagbe, made the statement following much speculation in the Liberian press over the nature of the award given Mr Abi-Jaoudi's relationship to the Liberian First Family.

► LIBERIA: Guinean CASA CN235 goes down near Monrovia; 11 dead.

A CASA CN-235 transport plane (MSN N020 | 3X-GGG) belonging to the République de Guinée (Republic of Guinea) crashed at 07h30L near Charlesville, Liberia with all 11 occupants on-board killed. Amongst the dead are the head of Guinea's Armed Forces, Gen Souleymane Kelefa Diallo, who was leading Guinea's delegation to mark Liberia's annual Armed Forces Day.

■ LIBERIA: LAA rehabilitating Roberts International as Government plans new $163million airport to transform Monrovia into regional hub.

The Liberian Civil Aviation Authority, under the auspices of the Liberian Airports Authority (LAA), has embarked on the renovation of  Monrovia's Roberts International Airport (RIA) as the country moves to renovate its decrepit infrastructure, left to decay during the Civil Wars of 1989 - 1996 and 1999 - 2003.

■ GHANA: The outcome of talks between the GCAA and Delta Airlines over allegations of the latter's shoddy service.

The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has met with officials of the Delta Airlines (DL) at the GCAA Head Office in a bid to resolve complaints from passengers stemming from flight delays, cancellations and poor customer service.

■ LIBERIA: Liberian, Ghanaian Civil Aviation Authorities order safety audits of Delta Airlines citing frequent delays.

Liberia's Civil Aviation Authority, along with the Liberian Ministry of Transport, have ordered a safety audit of American airline, Delta Airlines (DL) following a series of flight cancellations and intermittent technical problems. The LCAA has also recommended that Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and government officials not use the American carrier for travel.

► BELGIUM: brussels airlines announces changes to its West & Central Africa network for Summer 2013.

Belgian carrier brussels airlines (SN) has announced various frequency fluctuations on its West and Central African route networks, effective late-February 2013.

► GAMBIA: Gambia Bird announces big network expansion effective 10 January 2013.

In confirmation of our previous post, Gambian carrier Gambia Bird (3G) has officially announced new routes to Bamako (Mali), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Douala (Cameroon) with the new destinations set to launch from 10 January. The expansion comes after Gambia Bird (3G) took delivery of their second Airbus A319 (MSN 4691 | D-ASTB) in early December.

► GHANA: Starbow Airlines gets fourth BAe146 as network expansion beckons.

Ghanaian carrier, Starbow Airlines (S9), on Sunday 16 December 2012, added another BAe146-200 aircraft (MSN: E2059 | 9G-SBD) to its fleet bringing the carrier's total to 4. The added aircraft now makes Starbow the largest Ghana-based airline by fleet size.

► 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

► BELGIUM: brussels airlines announces changes to its West & Central Africa network from February 2013.

Belgian carrier brussels airlines (SN) has announced various changes to its West and Central African route networks, effective late-February 2013.