■ EGYPT: Qatar Airways awards Egyptair M&E Cairo line maintenance contract.

EgyptAir Maintenance & Engineering has been awarded a contract to provide line maintenance services for Qatar Airways (QR) at Cairo International Airport. The first flight arrived on Tuesday October 1 where senior staff were present to welcome the crew and flight attendants.

► 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.

► COMOROS: New Qatari-American start-up, Ola, also eyeing the Indianocéanie market.

The Indian Ocean region is set to see a battle of the start-ups with news that a new Qatari-American backed carrier, Ola, is planning to pre-empt the launch Air Austral's (UU) own start-up, Ewa. Ewa is set to take to the skies in November of this year using an ATR72-500.

► KENYA: Qatar Airways ramps up Nairobi to 18x weekly from September.

Qatar Airways (QR) has announced an increase in flights from Doha, Qatar to Nairobi, Kenya with effect from September 1. In its press release, the carrier said service will increase from 14x to 18x weekly using an Airbus A320 and comes as demand for flights to the Kenyan capital has steadily increased over the past three years.

► LIBYA: Qatar Airways A320 diverts to Alexandria after militia forces Tripoli tower to deny landing permission.

Qatar Airways (QR) has once again been victimized in Libya, this time in Tripoli when on Sunday, August 4, an armed militia are said to have forced Tripoli ATC tower staff to deny an inbound Qatar Airways A320 permission to land, instead forcing it to divert to Alexandria, Egypt. The flight, QR528, then refuelled and returned to Qatar.

► LIBYA: Qatar Airways suspends Benghazi flights following threats.

Qatar Airways (QR) has temporarily suspended its 4x weekly Doha - Benghazi, Libya flights following an incident yesterday at Benghazi’s Benina Airport  involving a group of mostly Bangladeshi passengers who were forced back onto their flight to Doha by a group of Libyan protesters from the Ezzedine Al-Waqwaq brigade.

► QATAR: Qatar Airways announces direct Tripoli, Casablanca flights from June 1.

Qatar Airways (QR) has announced an increase in capacity between Qatar and North Africa with its flights to Tripoli and Casablanca going non-stop, effective 01JUN. Effective 01JUN, scheduled services to Tripoli will be decoupled from the Egyptian city of Alexandria while at the same time, flights to Casablanca will be decoupled from Tunis.

► SEYCHELLES: Qatar Airways to axe Seychelles flights from September.

Qatar Airways (QR) are set to abandon their daily A319-operated flights to Mahé, Seychelles with effect from 01SEP.

■ QATAR: QCAA signs Open Skies deals with Chad, Tunisia; BASAs with Burundi and Egypt.

The State of Qatar, through the Qatari Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA), has announced the signing of various bilateral air service-related agreements and memoranda with various African countries over the past month. Agreements and Memoranda include: a finalized bilateral air services agreement (BASA) with Burundi that had previously been only initialled back in March 2010; a memorandum of understanding with Tunisia regarding its planned Open Skies treaty, a finalized Open Skies deal with Chad and an MoU pertaining to a BASA with Egypt.

► EGYPT: Qatar Airways boosts its Cairo frequencies to 16 weekly.

Qatar Airways (QR) has been operating an increased weekly service between Doha and the Egyptian capital, Cairo, since late-April 2013, where it now offers 16 weekly flights instead of 14. Extra flights operate on Thursdays and Saturdays from Doha.

■ BOTSWANA: Qatar, Botswana ink a Bilateral Air Services Agreement.

The respective civil aviation authorities of Qatar and Botswana have concluded a Bilateral Air Services Agreement following a signing ceremony held in Doha recently. The ratification of the BASA comes after the deal was originally initialled by both states back in 2007.

 

► ETHIOPIA: Qatar Airways announces Addis Ababa as it's next African destination.

Addis Ababa is set to become Qatar Airways (QR) as its 20th African gateway and 15th country in Africa following an announcement during the ongoing Arabian Travel Market exhibition in Dubai. Flights are expected to begin from September 18 on.

► QATAR: Egyptair to go double daily to Doha from June.

EgyptAir (MS) has announced the addition of direct flights between Cairo and Doha, Qatar starting 01JUN 2013 using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The increase will bring the total number of weekly flights to 14 per week in a double daily operation, up from the current 10x weekly. The new frequencies will leave Cairo in the late evening, returning from Doha in the early morning.

■ ETHIOPIA: Qatar, Ethiopia sign BASA paving the way for possible Doha - Addis Ababa flights.

Ethiopia and Qatar have taken a significant step in repairing relations, broken off in April 2008 over alleged news bias against Addis Ababa by Qatar's Al Jazeera TV, with the signing of "various" agreements, among them an air services agreement (BASA) on 10 April following the conclusion of bilateral talks between the Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn. 

► SOUTH AFRICA: Qatar Airways reduces capacity to Joburg, Cape Town & Maputo from 31 March.

Qatar Airways (QR) will from 31 March adjust its capacity on its Doha – Johannesburg – Cape Town route and its Doha – Johannesburg – Maputo route.

► MOZAMBIQUE: (Pics) Qatar Airways launches 3x weekly Maputo flights.

Qatar Airways (QR) today inaugurated the first of three weekly services to the Mozambique’s capital city of Maputo. Touching down in Maputo enroute from Doha and Johannesburg, QR584 arrived to a water salute and a welcome by traditional dancers followed by an airport ceremony attended by more than 80 local dignitaries and media.

■ MOROCCO: Government looks to offload 44% stake in Royal Air Maroc to Gulf carrier.

Following on from our tweet last night, it does indeed appear that Morocco is looking to sell up to 44% of its shareholding in national carrier Royal Air Maroc (AT) to an as yet unknown Gulf airline.

►► KENYA: Qatar Airways cancels the relaunch of Mombasa slated for late August 2012.

[UPDATED 16 August 2012] After the cancellation of its original launch date of 15 August 2012, Qatari carrier Qatar Airways (QR) will now launch their 3x weekly Doha - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - Mombasa, Kenya route with an Airbus A320 starting 30 August 2012.

Qatar Airways in Nairobi (FGottwald)

There is some speculation that the primary cause of the route launch's sudden cancellation in early August was Qatar Airways' annoyance at "the withholding of 5th freedom rights for the Nairobi to Kilimanjaro sector of Qatar Airways' originally planned Doha - Nairobi - Kilimanjaro service, that was subsequently re routed as Doha - Dar es Salaam - Kilimanjaro".

►►[Update] Once again we got screwed folks. Our source informs us that Qatar Airways has again closed bookings for its Mombasa route effectively canning it for the meantime.

►► KENYA: Qatar Airways indefinitely postpones Mombasa route launch.

[Update 14 August] Inspite of the successful launch of its new Kilimanjaro, Tanzania route last week, Qatar Airways has indefinitely postponed its new Mombasa, Kenya route.

Originally meant to start from 15 August 2012, the flight would been flown with an Airbus A320 and would have gone via Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

No official announcement from Qatar Airways has been received as to when, if ever, the route will be flown though Airline Route reports that the flight on the GDS is no longer available.

►Update: See this post for new schedule.

► TANZANIA: Qatar Airways announces Kilimanjaro route changes.

Qatari carrier Qatar Airways (QR) has announced routing changes to its Doha, Qatar - Kilimanjaro, Tanzania flights. The Airbus A320 operated flights will now go via Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, thereby replacing the previously announced Nairobi, Kenya stop effective 25 July 2012.

QR has not been granted fifth freedom rights on the Dar es Salaam – Kilimanjaro sector.

Qatar Airways A320

Qatar Airways: Doha, Qatar - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
-Effective 25 July 2012

• QR546 DOH0220 – 0805DAR0905 – 1005JRO 320 x246
• QR544 DOH0735 – 1320DAR1420 – 1520JRO 320 x246
• QR547 JRO1105 – 1205DAR1305 – 1845DOH 320 x246
• QR545 JRO1620 – 1720DAR1820 – 2345DOH 320 x246

Read More Here [Airline Route]

In 2011, Qatar Airways signed an interline deal with Tanzanian carrier Precision Air Tanzania (PW) which will give passengers seamless travel options to popular holiday destinations in Tanzania and the sub region such as the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean, renowned for its picture-postcard beaches and beautiful landscapes, as well as the exotic island of Zanzibar.