■ MALAWI: Ethiopian's CFO Kassim Geressu appointed boss of Malawi Airlines.

Mr. Kassim Geressu, the Chief Financial Officer of Ethiopian Airlines (ET), has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the carrier's nascent Malawian venture, Malawi Airlines. Mr Geresu's appointment was confirmed by Tewolde Gebremariam in a press conference held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, yesterday afternoon.

► MALAWI: Ulendo Airlink starts scheduled Lilongwe - Blantyre flights.

Malawi's Ulendo Airlink (7Q) has commenced a 5x weekly air service between the country's two commercial hubs, Blantyre and Lilongwe effective September 15. Services were previously operated in 2011 before a moratorium was placed on the route by the Malawian government to protect the now defunct Air Malawi (QM).

► TANZANIA: Proflight Zambia to start Dar es Salaam from late October; plans to boost Lilongwe from November.

Proflight Zambia (P0) has announced plans to launch a 3x weekly Lusaka to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania service with effect from October 23. According to the airline, as it stands, only a Day 1 & 5 operation have been set with confirmation from regulators on the timing.of a Wednesday slot still pending. Operations are on-board a Jetstream 41 turboprop. In addition, the carrier is also hoping to boost its Lilongwe flights to 4x weekly effective November 16, subject to regulatory approval. 

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe eyes Zambia, Malawi, Durban flights; still gung-ho on London Gatwick in November.

Air Zimbabwe (UM) is planning to roll out more regional and international destinations with effect from October/November onwards as the airline attempts to reclaim its lost southern African market share. In addition, it has now noted that a resumption of services to China is also on the cards.

► MALAWI: Zimbabwe, Malawi sign revised Bilateral Air Services Agreement.

Malawi and Zimbabwe have announced the signing of a revised Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) that will see greater flexibility and freedom for each country's designatedcarriers. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State Summit recently held in Lilongwe, Malawi.

► MALAWI: Air Cargo Malawi Ltd reiterates it is still fully operational despite Air Malawi's winding up.

Air Cargo Malawi Limited (ACL) has reiterated that it is still business as usual for the freight specialists despite its former parent, Air Malawi Ltd (QM), having been dissolved and its assets disposed of earlier this year. The firm specializes in the import and export of goods and freight to and from Malawi.

► MALAWI: Lengthy certification process could result in long wait for Malawi Airlines to get airborne.

While on a visit to the Malawian capital, Lilongwe, last week, Ethiopian Airlines' CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, stated that despite the announcement earlier this month of the formation of Malawi Airlines in which his carrier owns a 49% stake, it will still be "some time" before the carrier begins operations.

► MALAWI: Ethiopian Airlines unveil Lilongwe as Southern African hub.

In a predictable follow on to its recent announcement of the launch of a renewed Malawian national carrier, dubbed Malawi Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has officially unveiled Lilongwe as the location for its Southern African hub.

► MALAWI: Malawi Airlines to launch with a B737-800, Q400; outlines planned network.

Malawi Airlines, successor to the now defunct Air Malawi Ltd, has outlined its planned initial route network and its fleet, which has now been revealed to consist of a Boeing 737-800 and a Bombardier Q400. The aircraft are to be sourced from majority shareholder Ethiopian Airlines (ET).

► MALAWI: It's hello "Malawi Airlines" as government completes deal with Ethiopian Airlines.

The Malawi government has announced that negotiations with Ethiopian Airlines (ET) have now been successfully completed, with the successor to defunct Air Malawi Ltd to be known as "Malawi Airlines Ltd".

► MALAWI: Air Malawi Ltd's lone ATR42, two 737s put up for sale by liquidator.

Mr Lekani Katandula, a partner at audit and business advisory firm Deloitte, the officially appointed liquidators for the now defunct Air Malawi Ltd (QM), has announced that the airline's fleet of three aircraft, an ATR42, a B737-300 and a B737-500, are now up for sale to all interested parties.

► MALAWI: See Video of Proflight Zambia's inaugural Lusaka - Lilongwe flight.

Proflight Zambia (P0) débutted its regional operations with direct Lusaka to Lilongwe, Malawi flights on Tuesday June 4. According to the airline, the return flight is timed so that it can provide smooth connections to Emirates (EK) daily service from Harare to Dubai via Lusaka. Flights will initially operate with Proflight’s 29-seater Jetstream 41 aircraft.

► MALAWI: Rejuvenated Air Malawi due back in the skies before June 30.

Following the finalization of modalities, a revitalized Air Malawi (QM) operating in conjunction with Ethiopian Airlines is due to begin operations by the end of this month (June), Malawian Minister of Transport and Public Works, Sidik Mia, has disclosed.

► MALAWI: Kenya Airways to start 3x weekly flights to Blantyre from August.

Following its granting of rights to serve the city, Kenya Airways (KQ) has outlined its tentative timetable to Blantyre, Malawi which it plans to connect Nairobi with via a 3x weekly Embraer E190 operated flight, set to début from August 2.

► MOZAMBIQUE: LAM plans Cape Town and Durban, Blantyre and Lilongwe in 2014; to cover all SADC capitals by 2017 with Brazil ops also on the radar.

Marlene Manave, the CEO of LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM) has announced ambitious route expansion plans that will see the Mozambican carrier serving all Southern African Development Community (SADC) capitals by 2017 with Brazilian flights to follow.

► MALAWI: Presidential Jet sold to Bohnox Enterprises of the British Virgin Islands for $15mln.

Malawi's presidential jet, a 15-year-old Dassault Falcon 900-EX (MSN 38 | 7Q-ONE), has been sold to Bohnox Enterprises of the British Virgin Islands for USD15million .

►► ZAMBIA: Proflight Zambia to start Lubumbashi, Lilongwe ops from mid May.

[UPDATE 15 MAY] Proflight Zambia (P0) is set to embark on its first regional operations with the launch of 3x weekly Ndola - Lubumbashi (DRC) and 3x weekly Lusaka - Lilongwe (Malawi) flights, effective 16MAY13.

■ MALAWI: United Arab Emirates, Malawi to finalize BASA in coming months.

Malawi and the United Arab Emirates are set to sign a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) in the coming weeks following a visit to the Southern African country by an Emirati delegation led by Mr. Khalid Ghanim Al Ghaith, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs responsible for Economic Affairs from the10th to 11th May, 2013.

► MALAWI: Kenya Airways granted rights to Blantyre; 5th Freedom rights to Lusaka reinstated.

Kenya Airways (KQ) says it has been granted approval by the Malawian Government to begin flights into Blantyre's Chileka Airport effective June 3, 2013. In addition, its 5th Freedom Rights on the Lilongwe (Malawi) - Lusaka (Zambia) vv. sector of its Nairobi - Lilongwe - Lusaka - Nairobi vv. flights have also been reinstated. Neither of the developments at this time of writing, however, currently reflect on the GDS.

■ MALAWI: Government planning to build new international airport to replace Blantyre's Chileka.

The Malawian Government has announced plans to construct a new international airport in Blantyre, the country's economic hub, to replace the current Chileka International Airport. The project, amongst others, will form part of the country's ongoing economic recovery plan (ERP).