► EGYPT: Prospects for Air Memphis' continued Iran charters fade as Cairo suspends tourism ties with Tehran.

As previously speculated, the change in power in Cairo has led the country to suspend tourism links with Iran for what Minister of Tourism, Hisham Zazou, stated were "reasons of national security". Mr Zazou's statement comes just 5 months after the then Islamist-backed government of Mohammed Morsi reached out to Tehran in a bid to restore relations, severed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

■ ZIMBABWE: Edmund Makona appointed Air Zimbabwe interim CEO as forensic audit now fingers upper management.

Air Zimbabwe (UM) has appointed its head of Quality, Safety & Security, Mr. Edmund Makona, as its acting Chief Executive Officer following the recent suspension of incumbent Mr Innocent Mavhunga and acting Managing Director, Ms Grace Pfumbidzayi. The two were suspended to allow for further investigations after a recent forensic audit of the airline's operations uncovered alleged financial discrepancies in its insurance premium payments for the period 2009 - present.

► EGYPT: Tourism downturn hits local carriers as MidWest suspends its AOC.

It isn't just national carrier, Egyptair (MS), that is bearing the brunt of the downturn in Egypt's tourism downturn, with the country's local carriers now having also begun to reduce operations in light of weaker demand.

■ SOMALIA: Ethiopian suspends Hargeisa, Berbera flights over impasse with Somaliland government.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has suspended its services to the Somalian towns of Berbera and Hargeisa owing to sub-standard infrastructure. Flights between Addis Ababa and the capital of Somaliland, Hargeisa, were only recently resumed after significant upgrade works to the airport's infrastructure. However, it has since emerged that the quality of work done to runway 06/24 has allegedly proven substandard resulting in Ethiopian suspending its flights.

► ALGERIA: Air Malta reduces, now suspends, Algiers flights until mid August, just 3 weeks after their launch.

According to the GDS, Air Malta (KM) has suspended its Malta Valletta - Algiers flights, barely one month after their June 17 launch with a twice weekly A319 service.

► 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.

► TANZANIA: fastjet suspends Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar, Mwanza just 4 weeks after their launch.

Tanzanian LCC, fastjet (FN) has announced it is temporarily suspending two of its routes between Kilimanjaro and Mwanza, and between Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, effective immediately, due to what it calls "low demand during the rainy season."

■ LIBYA: Libyan Airlines management claims ongoing strike not affecting operations.

Libyan Airlines (LN) has denied that its operations have been curtailed by an ongoing employee strike which has now entered its second week. Online news reports had earlier suggested that the airline had ceased taking reservations though this has since been confirmed as false.

► GUINEA BISSAU: TACV suspends Praia - Bissau flights citing poor load factors.

TACV Cabo Verde Airlines (VR) says it has suspended flights to Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, owing to the route's poor returns. The move is effective 3 April.

► EGYPT: Air Memphis forced to suspend Tehran flights after just 1 week following sectarian protests.

Just one week after having launched Egypt and Iran's first direct air link in over 30 years,  Air Memphis (MHS), the Egyptian charter operator, has been forced to suspend the flights after protests broke out at the Iranian ambassador's residence in Cairo just prior to Saturday's inaugural flight.

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Kenya Airways suspends Bangui flights 'til early May likely due to political situation.

Kenya Airways (KQ) has suspended its flights to the Central African Republic, effective immediately. CH-Aviation reports that the Kenyan national carrier had previously operated a 3x weekly flight to Bangui with an onward sector to Douala, Cameroon. Flights have been tipped to resume in early July, though this date is still speculative.

► GAMBIA: Damaged A319 forces Gambia Bird to temporarily reduce its operations.

Gambia Bird (3G), the 90/10 venture between German carrier, Germania (ST) and the Gambian government, has announced that it will temporarily reduce its flight schedule in the coming weeks owing to damage sustained by one of its Airbus A319s.

■ NIGERIA: NCAA grounds AeroContractors over ongoing industrial action.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has grounded AeroContractors (AJ) until a resolution to an ongoing strike by its staff has been found. A brief announcement appeared on the carrier's site yesterday evening claiming Aero would be back in the air today, but was quickly rescinded within an hour of publication.

► MADAGASCAR: Corsair suspends Paris - Antananarivo flights until June citing poor loads.

French carrier Corsair International (SS) is to temporarily suspend its Paris Orly - Antananarivo, Madagascar flights effective 17 January to mid June this year citing poor yields.

►►► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Air France suspends Bangui after riots outside French embassy.

[UPDATE 11 JANUARY] As the situation in the Central African Republic continues to deteriorate, so French carrier, Air France (AF), had to cancel its weekly flight to Bangui on 26 December, with the next flight on 2 January 2013, under review.

► MALI: Struggling Air Mali suspends operations effective 24 December.

Celestair Group's Malian subsidiary, Air Mali (I5), as result of the ongoing political and economic crisis in Mali, has suspended operations for nine months effective 24 December 2012.

► GERMANY: Ethiopian to reduce Frankfurt service to 6x weekly from late October 'til late November.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will temporarily reduce its Boeing 767-300 operated Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Frankfurt, Germany service from daily to 6x weekly, effective between 28 October 2012 'til 25 November 2012.

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe being "encouraged" to comply with global safety standards by IATA: Goche

Zimbabwean national carrier Air Zimbabwe (UM) has been suspended from IATA for failing to comply with the Association's stringent Operational Safety Audits (IOSA) despite having been given a 90 day grace period. According to Zimbabwean Minister for Transport, Communications and Infrastructural Development, Nicholas Goche, the letter the airline received from IATA was "not that bad" and that UM had "been encouraged" to comply with global safety standards.