► SOUTH AFRICA: SAA jet suffers another false hijack alert, this time in Port Elizabeth.

A South African Airways (SA) jet operating as flight SA417 from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth was yesterday met at Port Elizabeth International Airport by armed police and other emergency response teams after squawking that their aircraft had been hijacked. The incident turned out to be a false alarm.

► UNITED STATES: JetBlue, South African Airways ink codeshare deal.

US-based domestic and regional carrier, JetBlue Airways (B6), and South African Airways (SA) have announced a bilateral codeshare agreement aimed at connecting the carriers’ networks via New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Washington’s Dulles International Airport (IAD). While the agreement is still pending U.S. Department of Transport regulatory approval and subject to receipt of foreign government operating authority, it will allow customers to purchase a single ticket combining SAA and JetBlue-operated flights and is an expansion of an interline agreement first inked in 2010.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Blu Crane Air looking to start PE - George, Mthatha, King William's Town if market permits.

Marcus Van Heerden, the owner of Blu Crane Air, the Port Elizabeth based start up, says his plan for the airline is to fill "a gap in the Eastern Cape air route network," and not to compete with established carriers, though the addition of charter operations to Mozambique and Namibia in future does remain a possibility.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Area gynaecologist ventures into airline market with PE - East London flights.

New South African domestic startup, Blu Crane Air, the brainchild of Port Elizabeth gynaecologist Dr Marcus van Heerden, is to start operations in the coming weeks (tentatively 4 March) between the Eastern Cape towns of Port Elizabeth and East London in South Africa using six-seater twin-engine Cessna 414 aircraft.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Mango to start Joburg & Cape Town to PE flights from December.

South African LCC Mango (JE) are to launch daily return flights between Johannesburg and the coastal city of Port Elizabeth as well as Cape Town and Port Elizabeth effective 5 December. Johannesburg - PE bookings will be available from Tuesday 20 November.