• The African Aviation Tribune •

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

► NIGER: Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet crashes during reconnaisance mission near Niamey; 2 dead.

A Nigerian Air Force Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet on operations in Dargol, 60 km west of Niamey, capital of Niger, crashed at 13h05L yesterday killing both pilots. Chaibou Massalatchi, the head of Niamey’s airport, said the plane had taken off on the morning of Monday, May 6, for a reconnaissance mission into the north-west of Niger when it came down.

fastjet (FN) and Federal Air (7V) have announced plans to wet-lease a B737-300 (unconfirmed MSN 27345 | ZS-VDB) from Star Air Cargo South Africa (BRH). Inaugural flights will commence with a daily Johannesburg - Cape Town flight.

AFI KLM E&M and Afriqiyah Airways (8U) have signed an agreement covering support for the CF6-80E1 engines equipping the Libyan carrier's two Airbus

A330-200s. This exclusive, longterm contract is for “Time & Materials” engine repairs. Afriqiyah Airways will shortly be taking delivery of three new A330-200s, the first by the end of this year, and the other two in 2014, and these will be automatically included in the scope of the contract.

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.

Malian startup, Douniah Airlines (DTS), is now set to add an ATR72 to its fleet in preparation of its planned launch, delayed from earlier this year likely due to the crisis in Mali.

Rwanda is expecting to float two state-owned companies, the Commercial Bank of Rwanda (BCR) and national carrier, RwandAir (WB), on the country's fledgling stock market soon, the head of Rwanda's Capital Market Authority (CMA), Robert Mathu has said.

The chairman of the board at Air Mauritius (MK), Thomas Dass, has dismissed tentative plans to set up a regional Indian Ocean-based regional carrier, on the grounds that the Mauritian airline is still in too fragile a financial state to be part of any such initiative.

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.

Air Arabia Egypt (E5) will, from 01JUN13, increase its operations to Saudi Arabia, with an additional 1 and 2 weekly flights being added to Dammam and Riyadh respectively.

► UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Etihad, SAA sign codeshare deal.

Etihad Airways (EY) and South African Airways (SA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) allowing the two airlines to introduce a comprehensive range of codeshare and interline air services.

Initially Etihad Airways will place its ‘EY’ code on flights from Johannesburg to 10 South African Airways destinations across South Africa and the African continent as well as South America. In return South African Airways will place its ‘SA’ code on 12 of Etihad Airways’ global routes flying from the UAE national carrier’s Abu Dhabi home-base.

Emirates (EK) has considered Harare, Zimbabwe as a site for a potential southern-African hub, the airline's senior vice president for commercial operations Africa, Jean-Luc Grillet, has said. The Dubai-based megacarrier, however, has yet to confirm any concrete plans to proceed with the setting up of a regional hub.

Having recently postponed its planned USD160million (ZAR1.5 billion) bond sale originally slated for March, South African Airways (SA) has decided to borrow the ZAR1.5billion from two local banks, claimed to be Rand Merchant Bank and Investec as a means of keeping operations going while cabinet considers the carrier's strategic turnaround plan #9.

► FLEET UPDATE BULLETIN: AV Cargo Airlines, Jet4Now, Allegiance Gabon, Gambian Government, Air Uganda

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: AV Cargo Airlines, Jet 4 Now (Allegiance Airways Gabon (ATG)), The Republic of the Gambia, and Air Uganda(U7).

South Africa's, Federal Air (7V), the airline slated to become fastjet South Africa's new partner, has issued a statement reiterating that it's deal with the United Kingdom-based Tanzanian LCC is fully compliant with South Africa's Air Services Licensing Act, 1993. The move comes after members of South Africa's aviation community expressed doubts as to who was really running the operation and calling the shots.

Tunisian operator, Syphax Airlines (FS) says it expects to generate revenues of USD9.9million (TUD16million) in 2014 to grow to USD26.6million (TND43million) expected in 2017 on the back of a projected growth rate of 85.6%. While revenue projections remain ambitious, the airline does not expect to make a profit for 2012 or for 2013. However, despite this, the airline is planning an IPO in order to raise further capital for use in building new facilities as well as a acquiring new aircraft needed in its international expansion drive.

Startup, SkyBird Air (KYC), has been awarded its AOC with flights operations expected to begin in due course, the airline's Managing Director, Mr. Sam Ayodele, has said.

► TOGO: Ethiopian Airlines to maintain 5x weekly ops to Lomé in June; daily in July.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET), as a result of the delay of its Addis Ababa – Lome – Rio de Janeiro – Sao Paulo – Lome – Addis Ababa service launch by 4 weeks, will, during the month of June 2013, continue to operate 5 weekly service on Addis Ababa – Lome sector. Boeing 737-700 aircraft operates this route.

Precision Air (PW), has moved to refute claims published in Tanzanian paper, The Daily News, claiming the Zanzibar Revenue Board had restricted the carrier's flights to the island of Zanzibar as well as closing the company's offices over unpaid taxes.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: SACAA threatens action against operator of chartered Jet Airways A330 that landed at military airbase.

The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) is considering taking action against "the operator" of a Jet Airways (9W) Airbus A330, recently chartered by South African businessman, Atul Gupta on the occasion of a family wedding, for violation of the country's Civil Aviation Regulations. The furore reportedly comes after the civilian Airbus was spotted at Pretoria's Watekloof Air Force Base, a military installation, but which has subsequently been transferred to OR Tambo International on the orders of the Ministry of Defence.

Mauritian national carrier, Air Mauritius (MK), has selected Direct Maintenance to provide line maintenance to its Airbus A319s on stopover in Nairobi, the Dutch-based outfit has announced.

Following negotiations between the two countries, Angola and Zimbabwe have signed a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) which is a revision of that signed in 2005. Under the agreement, TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), the Angolan national carrier and the only airline currently operating flights between Luanda and Harare, will have provision for 4 weekly frequencies and vice versa.

Uncorroborated reports out of Somalia claim that after nearly 25 years of dormancy, the Somali government has resurrected defunct national carrier, Somali Airlines (HH).

► UNITED KINGDOM: Ethiopian to resume 787 services to Heathrow from May 8.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will, from 08MAY13 to 15JUN13, be offering a resumed Boeing 787 service on its Addis Ababa – London Heathrow route, where it’ll operate 6 weekly flights. For a run down of Ethiopian's other planned 787 resumptions, see this post.

Seychelleois national carrier, Air Seychelles (HM), have awarded a contract to Rusada for the use of its Envision suite for fleet and maintenance management. With the expansion of the airline and its route structure after the investment from and code sharing with Etihad (EY) and it's partner airlines, the need for a modern and comprehensive fleet management solution was identified by Air Seychelles' management team.

[UPDATE 2 MAY 2013] AirlineRoute writes that as per the 27MAR13 GDS timetable and inventory display, the latest changes to Kenya Airways’ (KQ) planned Summer 2013 operation, effective 31MAR13, is as follows. Further changes remain possible.

DAC Aviation International (DAC), a provider of aircraft charter and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services with expertise in serving aid and relief agencies in remote and conflict-affected areas, today announced the delivery of a new Cessna Grand Caravan EX (s/n: 208B5013). This aircraft is the first of six Grand Caravan EXs to be delivered to DAC by Cessna over the next six months and will be ferried to Nairobi Wilson later this month.

Following an unspecified incident which resulted in damage to the roof and its lightning conductor, the Botswana Government, the operators of Gaborone's Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA), have been forced to fork out USD53'000 (BWP430'000) to pay for emergency repair work.

During a recent address to the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies’ 2013 Training Workshop on Aviation and Space Law held at the University of Lagos, the Acting Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Joyce Nkemakolam, has said airlines and private aircraft owners have ploughed USD4.5billion into the acquisition of aircraft in the last six years.

Following the recently ended Global Airport Cities 2013 conference in South Africa, the city of Ekurhuleni has announced plans to finalize its previously announced 30-year aerotropolis master plan for Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport during the course of May.

As per the 01MAY13 GDS timetable/inventory display, latest changes to British Airways' (BA) proposed Winter 2013/14 Africa Long-Haul operations are as follows

Eritrean startup, Massawa Airways, has taken delivery of its first of two Beechcraft 1900Ds (UE27 | N46AR) for use on its domestic network.

► LIBYA: Libyan Airlines inaugurates Tobruk International Airport with flights to Alexandria.

Libya's oldest airport, Tobruk, has been successfully upgraded to an International Airport with the launch of twice weekly flights now offered to Alexandria Borg el Arab courtesy of Libyan Airlines (LN).

SA Express (XZ) is in the process of finalizing a USD60million (ZAR539million) state guarantee (read Bailout) needed to help it cover the terms of various debt covenants. The funding however, falls far short of its originally requested USD111million (ZAR1billion) extension.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): FlyCAA boss decries heavy taxation in the DRC as discouraging a safety-first mentality amongst airlines.

Jean-Marc Pajot, the Director of Congolese domestic and regional operator, FlyCAA (a tie up between CAA - Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation (FPY), and flyCongo (EO)) says the DRC's heavy taxation of aircraft and related sundries seriously discourages and impedes airlines from pursuing a "safety-first" mentality.

Nascent carrier, Rainbow Airlines, is set to join Zimbabwe's growing list of privately backed carriers seeking to exploit the country's under-served and overpriced domestic and regional markets, a Government Gazette published last Friday reports.

Despite previous utterances claiming it would immediately cease its Tokyo and Osaka flights citing poor loads and little to no government support for the flights, Egyptair (MS), as per the 30APR13 GDS inventory display, will, during the Winter 2013/14 season, continue to operate a twice weekly Cairo – Tokyo Narita flight using a Boeing 777-200ER.

Ethiopian Airlines' (ET) Lomé, Togo-based subsidiary, ASKY Airlines (KP), has boosted its operations to Dakar, Senegal from 3x to 6x weekly during the course of the last month or so via the introduction of new flight which goes via Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Ethiopia's National Airways (7N) is planning to add several Fokker 50s and to acquire Embraer ERJ-170s in the near future as the airline looks to expand beyond its current operations that are limited to helicopter charter flights, ad-hoc charter ops and a single scheduled weekly flight to Hargeisa (Somaliland) set to be extended to Djibouti.

British charter outfit, Thomson Airways (BY), will, from May 2014, launch a 1x weekly service from London Gatwick to Mauritius on-board Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) says very poor loads on its Addis Ababa – Ndola – Lubumbashi (DRC) – Addis Ababa flights launched back in late March are a cause for concern for the airline, with the Ethiopian carrier now hesitant to further expand into Zambia.

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian plans changes to Johannesburg, Toronto from May/June.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is planning to deploy its B777-200LRs on its daily Johannesburg route effective 05MAY, replacing its current B767-300ER service, and as from 19JUN, a third weekly Addis Ababa - Toronto flight will be introduced using a B787-8.

French carrier Air France (AF) is extending operational changes to Bangui until late-May 2013, where it’ll operate via N’djamena, Chad on the outbound flight, as a technical stop.

[UPDATE 29 APRIL 2013] Libyan carrier, Afriqiyah (8U), is expected to resume twice weekly flights to Niamey, Niger later this month following discussions held in Tripoli between the Nigerien ambassador, Hassan Maloune, and the Libyan Minister of Transport, Abdel Kader Mohamed.

Mauritania Airlines International (L6) has set Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands as its first European destination following the removal of Mauritania and all its airlines from the EU's No Fly List. Thrice weekly flights are scheduled to begin on May 8.

The African air travel market growth is set to remain strong with an increase of 5.2% projected for this coming year, Elijah Chingosho, the Secretary General of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has said in Brazzaville. Doom-sayers in the industry, however, remain very pessimistic about the long term future of the continent's airlines given their inability and/or disinterest in merging.

Air Algérie (AH) is planning to add two Ethiopian Airlines Cargo McDonnell Douglas MD-11Fs (possibly (MSN 48758 | ET-AML) and (MSN 48780 | ET-AND)) to its Cargo division as part of its fleet renewal and business turnaround plan.

Belgian LCC, Jetairfly (TB) has lodged a complaint with the European Commission following a decision by the Belgian Secretary of State for Mobility, Melchior Wathelet, to award two additional frequencies between Brussels and the Congolese capital of Kinshasa to Brussels Airlines as outlined under a newly revised Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) signed between Congo and Belgium in February this year.

Equatorial Guinea-based carrier, Cronos Airlines (C8), has officially launched flights to Port Harcourt in Nigeria out of its hub in Malabo. The carrier also plans to add flights to Abuja and Lagos during the course of the year as part of its Nigerian expansion plans.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Monday, May 6, 2013

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Friday, May 3, 2013

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Monday, April 29, 2013