► GABON: Royal Air Maroc, Libreville to resurrect Air Gabon International venture?

Royal Air Maroc (AT) and the Government of Gabon are reportedly set to proceed with the establishment of a new Gabonese national carrier, Air Gabon International, seven years after its original proposal. The development comes after Morocco and Gabon earlier this month signed five cooperation agreements dealing mainly with customs services, country planning and people's movement.

► 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.

► TANZANIA: fastjet, bidAir Cargo sign freight-haulage deal.

In a departure from the orthodox LCC business model, fastjet (FN) has signed an agreement with freight specialists, BidAir, in which it will carry belly-hold cargo on its fleet of Airbus A319s.  According to the LCC, it intends to carry "dry" cargo such as post and newspapers.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): Government once more looking for a strategic partner in its planned national carrier.

Its back to the drawing board for Kinshasa so far as finding a strategic partner for its renewed national carrier is concerned. Accordingly, the country's Minister of Transport, Mr Justin Kalumba, Congo has reissued a tender for interested parties & carriers which closes on August 31.

► RWANDA: Air Uganda, RwandAir sign codeshare deal.

Air Uganda (U7) and RwandAir (WB) yesterday signed a code-share agreement which, effective immediately, covers the Entebbe - Kigali route and will provide travellers with an increased choice of flights between the two cities. The signing ceremony took place at Kigali International Airport and was officiated by Mr. Cornwell Muleya, the CEO of Air Uganda  and Mr. John Mirenge , the CEO of RwandAir. 

■ ETHIOPIA: Bombardier appoints Ethiopian Airlines MRO an Authorized Service Facility for commercial aircraft.

Bombardier Aerospace has named Ethiopian Airlines (ET) as an Authorized Service Facility (ASF) for commercial aircraft. Bombardier has signed a Letter of Intent to authorize the airline to perform line and heavy maintenance on Q400 and Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft. The agreement is expected to take effect by late August.

■ 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.

■ TANZANIA: fastjet in talks with four other African carriers regarding possible tie-ups: Winter.

On the back of recent investments in South Africa and Nigeria, fastjet (FN) is reportedly in negotiations with as many as four airlines over possible partnerships, as the struggling LCC attempts to spread its wings across the continent, albeit circuitously. 

■ SOUTH AFRICA: New SAA plan to be made public in late July/August as Ethiopian, Kenya Airways send out feelers.

Monwabisi Kalawe has outlined his first steps taken as the new South African Airways (SA) boss stating that he was aiming for a late July/early August public announcement of his airline's tentative Turnaround Plan #9, currently undergoing South African Cabinet scrutiny.

► NIGERIA: fastjet to enter Nigerian market via tie-up with Red 1 Express.

fastjet plc (fastjet) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nigeria's Red 1 Airways Ltd (Red 1), to create a low-cost airline operating within Nigeria and to destinations across Africa. The MoU brings together fastjet's strong brand, reputation, management experience and economies of scale, and RED 1's extensive local market knowledge within Nigeria.  The airline will be branded fastjet Nigeria strongly mimicking the airline's planned South African venture.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Boeing, CSIR to cooperate on research for use of titanium powder in manufacturing.

Boeing and South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have announced that they will conduct joint research on ways to incorporate titanium powder into industrial manufacturing processes. This mutually beneficial research collaboration supports South Africa’s long-term economic development and could expand the supply of titanium for many industries, including aerospace.

► 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.

■ 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.

■ NIGERIA: US-based Flight Source International, AvonHeli Systems planning to establish MRO facility in Nigeria.

US-based Flight Source International, in cooperation with Nigeria’s Avon Heli System West Africa Limited, is planning to establish a helicopter and aircraft MRO hangar facility in Nigeria, Avon CEO, Mr. Ajayi Aremu, has said.

■ MOROCCO: Government now mulling possible Gulf carrier tie-up for Royal Air Maroc prior to a privatization bid.

The future of Royal Air Maroc (AH) is still cloudy though the Moroccan state backed national carrier airline could be party to a strategic alliance with an undisclosed major carrier in the Gulf ahead of a planned privatisation bid, the country’s tourism minister, Haddah Lahcen, has said.

■ KENYA: Kenya Airways, Kenya Tourism Board sign joint marketing deal.

Kenya Airways (KQ), and the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) have entered into a one-year joint marketing programme to boost tourist arrivals. Under the deal, the Kenyan national carrier will bankroll the KTB to the tune of USD240'000 (KSH20million)  while in return, the KTB will ensure KQ brand visibility at its tourism promotion forums as they seek to increase the number of tourists visiting Kenya.

■ DJIBOUTI: Ethiopian Airlines signs MoU with Djibouti Ambouli International Airport to aide trade facilitation.

Ethiopian Airlines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport regarding the transport of goods using both  sea-air and air-sea means throughout the Horn of Africa. 

► SEYCHELLES: South African Airways, Air Seychelles sign codeshare deal.

Air Seychelles (HM), the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, today announced that it has entered into a codeshare agreement with South African Airways (SAA), the national airline of the Republic of South Africa. The first phase of the agreement will see South African Airways place its “SA” code on Air Seychelles’ non-stop flights between Johannesburg and Seychelles. South African Airways will also place its code on flights between the two largest islands of Seychelles, Mahé and Praslin, subject to approvals.

► SOUTH AFRICA: fastjet to enter South African market under JV with local investment firm; to use FedAir's AOC.

As previously speculated in this post, Tanzanian LCC, fastjet (FN), has indeed struck a deal with South African investment firm, Blockbuster, in which flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town will be operated under Federal Air's (7V) AOC. If all regulatory approval is obtained, flights should début from May 31

► SIERRA LEONE: Leone Airways, the Arik Air-partnered initiative, hoping to start operations come June.

Leone Airways, the new Sierra Leonian national carrier formed out of a partnership with Arik Air(W3), Nigeria's largest carrier, and the government of Sierra Leone is to tentatively commence operations in June this year. Under the partnership deal signed in 2011,  Arik will provide the carrier with its initial fleet and technical skills and comes about from the airline's close relationship with Freetown after in 2009 it was designated "the national carrier of Sierra Leone", thereby allowing it to ply the Freetown - London route.