► ZIMBABWE: Twice weekly Air Zimbabwe Vic Falls - Johannesburg flights resume from today.

Air Zimbabwe (UM) has pushed back the resumption of its much anticipated Victoria Falls - Johannesburg route to today, Friday, July 26. Originally announced as operating 3x weekly from July 12, flights will now only operate on Fridays and Sundays with an Embraer ERJ145 (MSN 145607 | ZS-BBH) leased from South Africa's Solenta Aviation.

► FLEET UPDATE BULLETIN: Afriqiyah, Libyan Airlines, Syphax Airlines, Comair, Afric Aviation, Solenta Aviation, Tassili Airlines, Air Algérie, AfricaWest, Air Memphis & Royal Air Maroc.

The following is a fleet update bulletin for aircraft that are in use, have been in use or will be in use for these listed airlines: Afriqiyah Airlines (8U), Libyan Airlines (LN), Syphax Airlines (FS), Comair Ltd (MN), Tassili Airlines (SF), Air Algérie (AH), Africa West (FK), Afric Aviation (L8), Solenta Aviation, Air Memphis (E9), Royal Air Maroc (AT).

► ZIMBABWE: See Pic of Air Zimbabwe's first Embraer ERJ145 all dolled up!

The first pictures of Air Zimbabwe's (UM) first Embraer ERJ145 (MSN 145607 | ZS-BBH) have been revealed. The aircraft is on wet-lease from South African ACMI specialists, Solenta Aviation.

► 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.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Solenta Aviation takes delivery of its fourth Embraer ERJ145 - now available for charters.

South African aircraft lease and charter specialist, Solenta Aviation, has taken delivery of its fourth Embraer ERJ145LR with the aircraft now available for ACMI or full charter leasing in Africa and the Middle East. With its other three ERJ145s contracted to dedicated Oil clients, Solenta sees the addition of the fourth "as a strategic advantage over our competitors, enabling them to launch the aircraft on charters or long term lease without delay."

► ZIMBABWE: Startup "Sol Air" gets IATA code; plans to lease CRJ 900.

With the slow demise of Air Zimbabwe, a vast gap has been left in the Zimbabwean domestic market. Aside from South Africa's Solenta Aviation, and a few charter companies flying between Harare and the main tourist/safari areas (Bumi Hills, Hwange Park, Kariba and Victoria Falls) there has not been a regular large-scale service between Zimbabwe's two main cities - Harare and Bulawayo - for quite some time.

However, it was announced  recently by Managing Director, Nkosilathi Sibanda, that local start up "Sol Air" has obtained an IATA code (ZS) in addition to an operating licence from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), awarded in February of this year. 

According to it's licence mandate, Sol Air has been designated the Bulawayo-Francistown-Gaborone, Harare-Bulawayo, Bulawayo-Victoria Falls and the Harare-Masvingo-Buffalo Range routes, which Sibanda said, would likely be serviced with a leased Bombardier CRJ 900.

Claiming international financial backing to the tune of  USD$3.5 million, Mr Sibanda was also quoted as saying the airline was "in talks with two companies in Dubai and South Africa to lease us three 70-seater aircrafts and the talks will be concluded with a month" (sic).

The question many people want to know is the answer to though, is will this airline survive where so many others have failed? In a market renowned for much talk and little substance, the Zimbabwean domestic airline scene is littered with the corpses of failed airlines like Zimbabwean Express Airlines, flyKumba, Vic-Falls Airways, Expedition Airways, Zambezi Airways and Mid Airlines, all of whom were unable to break the Air Zimbabwe monopoly.