■ MAURITANIA: Mauritania Airlines International signs B737 MRO contract with Sabena technics.

Mauritania Airlines International (L6), the national carrier of Mauritania, has outsourced its maintenance support and spare-part requirements for its fleet of two B737-500s and a single B737-700 to Belgian MRO specialists, Sabena technics, until 2018.

● NIGER: ECOWAS, Maghreb states hold seminar on aviation security, counter-terrorism.

In line with key-objectives outlined in the  Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS) Vision 2020 which include the establishment of a safe, efficient and affordable air transport system for the region, a regional seminar on aviation security with emphasis on anti-terrorism was held in the Nigerien capital, Niamey, from August 27-29. 

■ EU BLACK LIST: Who's hot, who's not in Guinea, the DRC, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique and Sudan.

The following is an extract from the latest Official Journal of the European Union detailing the group's most recent decisions and activities, with particular reference paid to the latest updates made to its ominous Banned Operators List. Among the countries that argued their cases to be struck off the list in Brussels (and in one instance, chose to remain on the list) were the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique and Sudan. The extract lists the various changes, including carriers that have now been either certified or struck off the countries' respective verified operator's lists, that each regulatory authority has implemented with respect to EU & ICAO minimums.

■ MAURITANIA: Yemen, Mauritania sign various air transport agreements.

Yemen and Mauritania have signed an agreement-in-principle to regulate air transport, a precursor to a bilateral air services agreement,  and a memorandum of understanding that allows the immediate launch of operations between the two countries by their respective national carriers, Yemenia (IY) and Mauritania Airlines International (L6).

► TOGO: Benin-based trader comes to rescue of broke Mauritania Airlines flight left stranded in Lomé, Togo.

Passengers on board a Mauritania Airlines International (L6) flight, L6101, from Nouakchott to Abidjan via Bamako, Mali, on Monday June 4, were left to fend for themselves after their flight was diverted to Lomé, Togo following poor visibility and bad weather in the Ivorian capital.

► CANARY ISLANDS: Mauritania Airlines International eyes Las Palmas as first EU destination from early May.

Mauritania Airlines International (L6) has set Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands as its first European destination following the removal of Mauritania and all its airlines from the EU's No Fly List. Thrice weekly flights are scheduled to begin on May 8.

►► 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).

► MAURITANIA: Military Tucano EMB-312F crashes near Aoujeft; 1 dead.

An Embraer Tucano EMB-312F military aircraft belonging to the Mauritanian National General Staff (Air Wing) crashed yesterday (Monday 18 March) morning at 10h50L whilst out on a test flight. The aircraft came down 7km south-east of Aoujeft, a desert town in the Adrar Region of western Mauritania, roughly 500 kilometers (300 miles) north-east of the capital, Nouakchott.

■ MAURITANIA: Former Mauritania Airways' boss jailed; international arrest warrant issued for 3 other execs on charges of embezzlement.

A Mauritanian court in Nouakchott on Friday issued international arrest warrants for three officials of the now defunct airline, Mauritania Airways (YD), following the arrest and incarceration of Mohamed Ould Debagh, the carrier's former chairman of the board, on charges of "his participation in the bankruptcy of the company."

►► SPAIN: Iberia to drop Cairo; to boost capacity to Casablanca, Algiers, Dakar, Nouakchott, and Malabo.

[UPDATE 30 JANUARY] Spanish carrier, Iberia (IB), has announced details of its new commercial and routes policies under the Transformation Plan it announced recently with various routes in Africa to be affected, for better and for worse.

► MAURITANIA: ANAC grounds Mauritania Airlines International 737-500 over maintenance concerns.

The Mauritanian Civil Aviation Authority - l’Agence Nationale de l’aviation civile (ANAC) -  has grounded a Mauritanian Airlines International (L6) Boeing 737-500 (MSN 28469 | 5T-CLA) at its home base, Nouakchott International Airport, following revelations the aircraft had exceeded its maximum permissible flying cycles.

► MOROCCO: 5 year old dies on board Mauritania Airlines International flight to Casablanca; flight diverts to Agadir.

A Mauritania Airlines International (L6) Boeing 737-700 performing flight L6102 from Nouadhibou, Mauritania to Casablanca, Morocco, was yesterday forced to divert to Agadir's Al Massira Airport, Morocco, after a 5 year old passenger died following complications from a heart attack.

■ EU BLACK LIST: Mozambique, Madagascar lay more blame on the "operating environment" as opposed to individual airline's safety shortcomings.

Following the announcement by the European Commission on Wednesday on its updated Carrier Black List, Mozambique, Mauritania and Madagascar's press have responded to the news in varying ways, with the Mozambican press and Air Madagascar claiming that the Ban is not so much about their airline's respective safety records, but more about the general status quo of aviation and aviation safety in their countries.

■ BELGIUM: EU removes Mauritania from Ban List; adds all Eritrean registered carriers. Libya voluntarily retains restrictions on Libyan registered carriers.

The European Commission has announced the 20th Revised Update to its Banned Operators Air List which has seen some "promotions" and "demotions" for African airlines as a whole. All operators from Mauritania have been removed from the Ban List. Air Madagascar (MD) is still only allowed to operate into the EU albeit under strict conditions (as per the previous No Fly List). All Rwandan carriers have been removed from the list. Libya has agreed to maintain the voluntary restrictions applicable to all air carriers licensed in Libya whilst an operating ban on all air carriers certified in Eritrea has been imposed.

 

■ SENEGAL: ASECNA signs $35million contract with Thales, INEO Engineering for Radar, ATM Systems.

The Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (L'Agence pour la Sécurité de la Navigation aérienne en Afrique et à Madagascar) or ASECNA has signed a USD35million contract with a French consortium comprising Thales Air Systems SAS and INEO Engineering & Systems for the supply and installation of Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radars (MSSR) with Mode S capability in addition to its Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems.

■ MAURITANIA: Mauritania joins Libya, Madagascar in arguing their case to be struck off the EU Banned Carriers List.

Mauritania has joined a growing list of African countries trudging off to the Belgian capital  and seat of the European Union, Brussels, to argue their cases to be struck off the dreaded EU No Fly List. Last week, a Mauritanian delegation, led by the Minister of Equipment and Transport Yahya Ould Hadmine, held a meeting with officials from the European Union in Brussels to present their full report on air transport security and safety standards in Mauritania.

► MOROCCO: Mauritanian Airlines International Boeing 737-700 suffers second technical glitch in three weeks.

A Boeing 737-700 (MSN 34263 | 5T-CLC), leased from Aviation Capital Group and operated by Mauritanian Airlines International (L6), the national airline of Mauritania, on Tuesday, suffered yet another technical glitch; its second in 3 weeks. 

► MAURITANIA: New agreement to increase Nouakchott - Casablanca flights.

With the signing of a new Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Mauritania and Morocco last week, Mauritania Airlines International (L6) and Moroccan national carrier Royal Air Maroc (AT) will each be able to operate seven weekly flights between Nouakchott and Casablanca.

► MAURITANIA: Turkish Airlines to launch Nouakchott via Dakar from mid September.

Turkish Airlines (TK) made another power move into the West African market by announcing a Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday weekly Istanbul – Nouakchott, Mauritania – Dakar, Senegal – Istanbul service using a Boeing 737-800 with effect from 16 September 2012. 

At present the Dakar sector is operated via Tunis, Tunisia, which will cease on the 16th.

► MAURITANIA: Harbin Y12 crashes on take off; 7 dead.

A Chinese built Harbin Y12 turboprop aircraft chartered by Canadian Mining firm Kinross Gold Corporation yesterday crashed shortly after take off from Nouakchott's International Airport yesterday enroute to Tasiast, 300 kilometres north of the capital of Nouakchott.

Tasiast is the location of one of Kinross' open pit gold mines.

Tasiast, Mauritania

""The plane crashed inside the Nouakchott airport perimeter just after taking off," said Colonel Teyib ould Brahim, a spokesman for Mauritania's armed forces. Witnesses said the plane caught fire before crashing but the cause was not clear."

Read More Here [Reuters]

In a statement on its website, Kinross Gold confirmed that "seven people were killed in the crash, including two pilots, two Mauritanian customs officials, and three contract security personnel though no Kinross personnel were on board." The seven were to go to Tasiast to collect refined gold.

The Mauritanian Air Force is reported to have operated two of the type, another of which crashed in 1996.