► PORTUGAL: HiFly refutes all claims pertaining to its A310 and the Tunisian authorities.

Portuguese ACMI firm, HiFly (5K), has refuted all claims pertaining to a tentative leasing deal with Tunisian national carrier, Tunisair (TU), for an A310-300 (MCN 565 | CS-TEX), in which a report carried by Tunisian television station, Watania2, and referenced here by The African Aviation Tribune, claimed the aircraft had been denied an airworthiness certificate on the grounds of non-compliance.

► ANGOLA: TAP Portugal to boost Luanda frequencies between June and September.

In line with its increased flights to former colony Mozambique this summer, Portugal's TAP Portugal (TP) will also increase its weekly frequencies between Lisbon and Luanda, Angola, from daily, to ten times weekly for the period  June 8 to September 29. During the period an additional 3 weekly day time flights (ex-Lisbon) will operate.

■■SÃO TOMÉ & PRÍNCIPE: Wise guy who made joke about bomb on an STP Airways flight to Lisbon to appear in court.

[UPDATE 12 MAY] A Portuguese national who made a wise-crack about having a bomb in his luggage that was ready to explode is due to appear in court in São Tomé today. The man, Manuel Ferreira, was travelling with his wife on STP Airways (8F) flight 8F508 from São Tomé International Airport to Lisbon earlier this week when he made the remarks.

► PORTUGAL: TAP to début Boa Vista and Tangier in Winter 2013/14.

TAP Portugal (TP) will, during Winter 2013/14, add 2 new destinations to its network, offering 2x weekly Lisbon – Boa Vista (Cape Verde) and a 5x weekly Lisbon – Tangier (Morocco) route.

► CAPE VERDE ISLANDS: TACV Cabo Verde Airlines unveils further Summer 2013 routes.

Leading on from our previous post, as per the 21MAR13 GDS timetable display, TACV Cabo Verde Airlines’ (VR) planned Summer 2013 operation changes are as follows.

► MOZAMBIQUE: TAP Air Portugal outlines Maputo frequency increases for April - October.

Portuguese carrier TAP Air Portugal (TP) has announced it will increase its Lisbon - Maputo flights effective 1 April. In addition, TAP will deploy its Airbus A330 onto the route according to demand.

► ANGOLA: TAAG adjusts Brazil, Portugal operations from February to March.

TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), Angola's national carrier, will from 27FEB13 to 30MAR13 adjust its operations, which will see its Brazil service operated with Boeing 777-200ER aircraft while Lisbon switches to an all-Boeing 777-300ER operation. 

► MOROCCO: TAP Air Portugal boosts capacity to Marrakech, Casablanca from March.

For the upcoming IATA Northern Summer Season (from 31 March), Portugal's TAP (TP) will increase capacity on select Morocco flights with the delpoyment of the Airbus A319 aircraft on its flights to Marrakech and Casablanca.

► PORTUGAL: TACV in talks to start Ilha do Sal - Beja.

TACV Transportes Aéreos de Cabo Verde (VR), the scheduled and charter, passenger and cargo airline based in Praia, Cape Verde is in negotiations to launch flights between Sal Island and Beja, a city in the Beja Municipality in the Alentejo Region, southern Portugal.

► MOZAMBIQUE: LAM Mozambique getting a B737-500, but cash crunch delays launch of international routes.

Mozambican national carrier LAM Mozambique (TM) is, at the end of this month, to receive a Boeing 737-500 (likely MSN: 25418 | ZS-PKV), in addition to its third and final Embraer E190 due in late October/early November, as the carrier moves to consolidate itself domestically and regionally writes the Mozambican national daily, O País.

■ ANGOLA: See Pics of Luanda Airport's New Domestic Terminal.

After the recent opening of the newly renovated Catumbela International Airport in the coastal city of Catumbela in Benguela Province, Angola’s airport and air traffic authority Empresa Nacional de Aeroportos e Navegação Aérea (ENANA), on Wednesday 29 August, marked yet another milestone in its infrastructural renovation programme with the opening by Angolan Minister of Transport, Augusto da SilvaTomás, of the new Domestic Terminal at Luanda's 4 de Fevereiro Airport, following extensive refurbishment and expansion by Portuguese contractors, Somague Engenharia.

► ANGOLA: TAP Portugal and TAAG considering flights to Catumbela?

Built by Brazilian contractors Oderbrecht International with finishing touches applied by Portuguese firm, Somague at a total cost of US$250 million and consisting of a new passenger terminal capable of handling 900 passengers/hour, 16 check-in counters, 18 immigration booths, two boarding bridges that can handle four aircraft simultaneously, a 3'500 metre long runway and an apron that can hold four Boeing 777-300 or Boeing 767 aircraft or 22 small/medium sized aircraft at the same time, Angola's new Catumbela Airport, in Benguela Province was on Monday, officially opened by Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos.

►► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: CEIBA Intercontinental waves Adios to its 777.

The Boeing 777-200LR (3C-LLS) of Equatorial Guinean carrier CEIBA Intercontinental (C2) (with what had to be one of the coolest liveries ever on a Boeing 777) today left Malabo, Equatorial Guinea for Lisbon, Portugal to be re-registered under White Airways (WI), a Portuguese leisure and charter flight operator out of Lisbon, becoming CS-TQX on the Portuguese registry.

(ex) CEIBA Intercontinental Boeing 777-200LR (sabian404)

It is unclear, however, what purpose the 777 served whilst under the CEIBA name, as the Equato-guinean flag-carrier is on the European Union's Banned Operator's List. In all honesty, it wouldn't be a massive surprise if it turned out that the aircraft had originally been bought for exclusive Presidential/VIP usage given Equatorial-Guinean President Teodoro Obiang's family's penchant for the high life and luxury which of late, has come under increasing scrutiny from the international media.

With the departure of the 777, CEIBA is now left with a fleet of two ATR 72-500s, one ATR 42 - 500, one ATR 42-320 and three Boeing 737-800 on order whilst its network consists of Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Bata (Equatorial Guinea), Cotonou, Douala, Accra, Abidjan, Lomé, Libreville, Pointe Noire and Brazzaville.

[UPDATE]: SkyLinerAviation informs us that the 777 has now been re-registered as CS-TQX and is to be ferried back to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea as of 21 August 2012. Hopefully the plane will now return to operation for CEIBA and we'll see it in possible international service in the near future. Watch this space for further details!

► MOZAMBIQUE: TAP Air Portugal boosts Maputo flights; considers Nacala.

With Portuguese companies gaining various large contracts and growing numbers of young Portuguese professionals moving to ex-colony Mozambique in hopes of escaping the Euro-zone Crisis, so Portuguese carrier TAP Air Portugal (TP) is set to boost direct flights between Lisbon and Maputo from 3x weekly, to 4x weekly, with the addition of a Monday flight effective 2 July 2012. The route is serviced by an Airbus A340-300.

TAP Air Portugal in Maputo (AChaves)

So strong has performance on the route been, that TAP in January 2011 axed its Lisbon - Maputo - Johannesburg, South Africa  flight in order to better focus on the Mozambique market.

TAP Air Portugal: Lisbon - Maputo
-Effective 2 July 2012

• TP281 LIS0950 - 2120MPM  343 1247
• TP282 MPM2305 – 0915+1LIS 343 1247

Also being considered are flights from Lisbon to the northern Mozambican port of Nacala, in Nampula Province, the site of enormous coal and phosphate deposits (in addition to the various infrastructural improvements they will need), currently being exploited by a fellow Lusophone country Brazil's, Vale S.A. 

"The current average occupancy of flights to Maputo is estimated at 80 percent and Couto said that her company is taking into consideration the possibility of flying to Nacala in the northern province of Nampula in case the number of clients is significant and if the airport rehabilitation allows it to host planes operated by TAP."

Read More Here [CNTV China]

A Rendering of Nacala Airport (ADM)

Presently, Nacala Airport is being upgraded by Brazilian firm Odebrecht International and entails the construction of passenger and cargo terminals, a control tower, maintenance building, firefighting building, runway, taxi ways, a parking lot and all necessary equipment and systems. The project will involve 23 months of construction work, with delivery scheduled for March 2013. The runway will be 3,400 metres (11,200 ft) long, able to handle a Boeing 757 or 767 whilst the airport itself will be able to handle 500,000 to 600,000 passengers a year.

► MOROCCO: Royal Air Maroc to lease two A310s this summer.

Moroccan flag carrier Royal Air Maroc (AT), is to wet-lease 2 Airbus A310s from Portuguese airline Hi Fly for the duration of summer.