► MOZAMBIQUE: Qatar Airways granted rights to Johannesburg - Maputo from late October.

Qatar Airways (QR) has tentatively been granted local traffic rights on the Johannesburg - Maputo, Mozambique sectors of its 3x weekly flights between Doha, Qatar and the Southern African nations with effect from October 27, 2013.

► MAYOTTE: Air Austral, CCIM, Ylang Invest move to formally create Ewa Air.

The Mayotte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI Mayotte) along with Air Austral (UU) and the Yland Investment consortium officially signed an investment contract last week effectively breathing life into the new Dzaoudzi-based regional carrier, Ewa Airlines.

■ MOZAMBIQUE: LAM posts strong rise in revenue, pax numbers for H1.

Mozambique's national carrier, LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM), has announced an 8% rise in its revenues for the first half of its 2013 Financial Year buoyed by the highest July passenger traffic the airline has seen since its inception in 1980, airline managing director, Marlene Manave, has announced.

► SOUTH AFRICA: SA Express granted traffic rights to serve Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique out of Durban.

South African Express (XZ) has been granted traffic rights to serve Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique out of Durban following its application in October 2012. 

► ZAMBIA: Proflight mulls expansion into Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, the DRC and Zimbabwe.

With the recent launch of its first regional flights to Lilongwe, Malawi, Proflight Zambia (P0) is mulling adding three further international destinations to its growing network by mid-2014, effectively making Lusaka a regional hub for air travel.

■ MOZAMBIQUE: AdM issues tender for renovation, upgrade works for Maputo International Airport's runway 05/23.

Aeroportos de Moçambique (AdM) has reportedly issued a tender to all interested parties pertaining to the renovation, upgrading and expansion of Maputo International Airport's main 3'660m (12'007ft) long  runway 05/23, apron, and other facilities including all airfield lighting systems. The project is Phase III of the airport's upgrading programme.

► UGANDA: fastjet outlines further African licencing plans with Uganda, Zambia now mentioned.

Further to a previous report in which fastjet (FN) allured to being in talks with four unnamed African carriers over possible partnerships, company Chief Commercial Officer, Mr Richard Bodin, has said that his airline, in addition to now having a "confirmed licence" in Nigeria, was now close to completing the initial steps for applications to fly in Uganda though gave no further details.

► SOUTH AFRICA: fastjet keen on Mozambique, Zimbabwe markets as more SA carriers eye Dar es Salaam.

With the launch of Johannesburg - Dar es Salaam flights said to be approaching "soon", fastjet says once operations are in place, it would like to get in on the difficult to access, albeit very lucrative, South Africa - Mozambique and South Africa - Zimbabwe markets.

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■ 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.

■ EU BLACK LIST: Libya chooses to remain blacklisted as Air Madagascar is stuck in Annex B.

The European Commission has updated for the 21st time, the European list of airlines subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union, better known as "the EU air safety list". While both Philippine Airlines (PR) and Venezuela's Conviasa were taken off the restrictive list, there were no changes for any of the African countries, or their carriers.

■ MOZAMBIQUE: LAM seeking partners to help launch international carrier.

Marlene Manave, the current CEO of LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM), says the Mozambican government-backed national carrier is looking for an international partner with which to create an international carrier for the airline.

■ MOZAMBIQUE: Carlos Jeque elected Chairman of the Board at LAM.

Reports via Radio Mozambique state that during a General Meeting of Mozambique’s publicly owned national carrier, LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM) held yesterday in Maputo, Mr Carlos Jeque was appointed to the chairmanship of the board of Directors.

■ THAILAND: Mozambique, Thailand hold talks on improving cooperation in civil aviation.

Mozambique's Minister of Transport and Communications, Paulo Zucula, and Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra have met in Bangkok to discuss various issues pertaining to the development of civil aviation in the Southern African nation.

► MOZAMBIQUE: LAM eyes either B737-700s or A319s as part of fleet renewal's second phase.

MEX - Moçambique Expresso, a subsidiary of Mozambique's national carrier, LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM), says it has completed the first phase of its modernization through the recent acquisition of two Embraer ERJ145 in February and April of this year.

► 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.

► MAYOTTE: New Indian Ocean regional carrier, Ewa, eyes Madagascar, Tanzania, Comoros and Mozambique flights from Q4.

La Réunion-based carrier, Air Austral (UU), is set to partner the Mayotte Chamber of Commerce and Industry among other shareholders in setting up a new regional carrier to be based out of Dzaoudzi.

► KENYA: Astral Aviation outlines expanded regional cargo network; to replace DC9s with MD83Fs.

Kenyan cargo operator, Astral Aviation (8V), has announced an enhanced intra-African freighter schedule which is based on a cautious expansion strategy to increase connectivity from its Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International hub to the East African region.

■ ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian set to become Africa's first pan-global carrier - report.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) could well become Africa's first Pan-Global carrier having already realised its initial goal of being the continent's first truly Pan-African airline. In an interview with industry standard, Airline Weekly, CEO Tewolde Gebremariam set forth his airline's future expansion plans which include the possibility of hubs in the West Coast of the US and a direct Mozambique - Brazil route amongst others.

■ MOZAMBIQUE: UAE, Mozambique sign Bilateral Air Services Agreement.

On Thursday 16 May, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) аnd Mozambique signed a bilateral air services agreement; the culmination οf more than seven years οf negotiations аnd consultations. Thе treaty was signed bу UAE’s minister fοr nation Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri and Mozambique’s Transport minister, Paulo Zucula.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Solenta Aviation attains Flight Safety Foundation's GOLD status; announces further Mozambican investments.

South Africa's Solenta Aviation has recently been awarded GOLD status by the Flight Safety Foundation after holding GREEN status for 3 consecutive years, becoming just the third company in the world to achieve such Safety and Quality recognition. In addition, the operator has announced the acquisition of a stake in CFA Mozambique SA which has now been renamed Solenta Aviation Mozambique.