► MOROCCO: Royal Air Maroc to establish Rabat as second local base; eyes five new routes before year end.

As part of plans to establish Rabat as its second local base after its main hub in Casablanca, Royal Air Maroc (AT) says it will launch twenty-two new flights from the Moroccan capital before year end.

► FRANCE: TACV Cabo Verde Airlines to start Marseille via Paris CDG from July.

Transportes Aéreos de Cabo Verde, TACV, the Cape Verdian flag carrier, is to start a once weekly Ilha do Sal - Paris CDG - Marseille - São Vicente (São Pedro Airport) flight using a Boeing 737-800 effective 2 July 2013.

► SENEGAL: Air Méditerranée to start Dakar in April; Oran, Algeria in June.

Air Méditerranée (ML) has continued with its push into Africa with the announcement of two new African routes to be served from April and June respectively. Effective 3 April, French carrier will start a 1x weekly Marseille - Dakar, Senegal service while from 21 June until 6 September, a seasonal 1x weekly Montpellier - Oran, Algeria service will be launched.

► MOROCCO: Air Méditerranée to start Marseille - Oujda from mid June.

French carrier Air Méditerranée (ML) is to launch Oujda, Morocco, its fourth destination there, with twice weekly flights to Marseilles, France starting 16 June. The service will operate with a Boeing 737-500.

► MOROCCO: Ryanair officially announces Fez, Marrakech as new bases; Essaouira, Rabat as new airports.

Confirming our previous speculative post, Ryanair (FR) has officially announced it would open two new bases in Morocco in 2013, at Fez (No 56) and Marrakech (No 57) with a total of three based-aircraft, as Ryanair invests over USD210 million in Morocco. 

► BURKINA FASO: Ariella Airlines launches with aid of Spain's IMD Airways.

Burkina Faso now has a second operator in addition to Air Burkina (2J); Ariella Airlines has now started operations with its first route being Ouagadougou - Bamako (Mali) - Pointe Noire (Congo Brazzaville) and Pointe Noire (Congo Brazzaville) - Cotonou (Benin) - Bamako (Mali) - Ouagadougo.

► MADAGASCAR: Air Madagascar reduces Paris flights from October.

With effect from Winter 2012 (i.e 28 October 2012), Air Madagascar is to reduce its current Airbus A340 operated 4x weekly flights from Antananarivo, Madagascar to Paris CDG, France to 3x weekly. Its other French route, Antananarivo, Madagascar to Marseille, France, is to remain a once (1x) weekly service.

Air Madagascar A340 in Paris (Didairbus)

Air Madagascar: Antananarivo, Madagascar – Paris CDG, France

-Effective 28 October 2012

• MD050 TNR2050 – 0620+1CDG 343 1
• MD050 TNR2350 – 0920+1CDG 343 46
• MD051 CDG1620 – 0520+1TNR 343 257

 Source [Airline Route]

► TUNISIA: Syphax Airlines announces Summer schedule changes; outlines new routes.

Newly founded Tunisian carrier Syphax Airlines (FS) has announced changes to its Summer timetable effective 5 July 2012.

Founded in 2011 and based in the coastal city of Sfax by businessman Mohamed Frikha, Syphax Airlines is a scheduled airline serving destinations in the Mediterranean with plans to increase its presence in both the Magreb region of Africa and Europe in the near future, amongst which will see Nice and Lyon in France being connected with Sfax, Tunisia a whilst Casablanca - Tunisia service is also in the pipeline.

Syphax Airlines Route Map

● Syphax Airlines Summer 2012 Timetable ●

Djerba, Tunisia – Paris CDG, France 
2x weekly service operating since 18JUN12

• FS110 DJE1510 – 1900CDG 319 14
• FS111 CDG1225 – 1410DJE 319 14

Sfax, Tunisia – Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen, Turkey
Operational days moving from Day 47 to Day 26 (SFA departure)

• FS212 SFA1635 – 2055SAW 319 26
• FS213 SAW2155 – 2220SFA 319 26

Sfax, Tunisia – Marseille, France
Service operates twice weekly instead of planned 3x weekly

• FS210 SFA0715 – 1000MRS 319 25
• FS211 MRS1045 – 1125SFA 319 25

Sfax, Tunisia – Paris CDG, France
Service operates 5x weekly instead of planned daily

• FS100 SFA0745 – 1125CDG 319 x267
• FS100 SFA1030 – 1410CDG 319 7
• FS101 CDG2000 – 2135SFA 319 14
• FS101 CDG2030 – 2205SFA 319 35
• FS101 CDG2215 – 2350SFA 319 7

Sfax, Tunisia – Tripoli, Libya
3x weekly service entered operation since early-June 2012

• FS250 SFA2250 – 0025+1TIP 319 135
• FS251 TIP0110 – 0050SFA 319 246

Tunis, Tunisia – Paris CDG, France
Service operates 3x weekly instead of planned daily

• FS104 TUN1555 – 1930CDG 319 35
• FS104 TUN1740 – 2115CDG 319 7
• FS105 CDG1225 – 1355TUN 319 35
• FS105 CDG1510 – 1640TUN 319 7

Routes to be launched in the near future:

• Sfax, Tunisia – Lyon, France: 3x weekly (previously due to start from 7 May 2012)
• Sfax, Tunisia – Nice, France: 2x weekly (previously due to start from 10 May 2012)
• Sfax – Tunis – Casablanca, Morocco: 2x weekly (previously due to start from 22 May 2012)
• Tunis – Lyon 3x weekly (previously due to start 7 May 2012)

Read More Here [Airline Route]

Presently, Syphax Airlines' fleet consists of two Airbus A319s.