• The African Aviation Tribune •

Thursday, July 11, 2013

■ EU BLACK LIST: Libya chooses to remain blacklisted as Air Madagascar is stuck in Annex B.

The European Commission has updated for the 21st time, the European list of airlines subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union, better known as "the EU air safety list". While both Philippine Airlines (PR) and Venezuela's Conviasa were taken off the restrictive list, there were no changes for any of the African countries, or their carriers.

► SOMALIA: (MEDIA) Air Uganda touches down in Mogadishu.

Air Uganda (U7) on 8 July 2013, launched its 3x weekly service between Entebbe and Mogadishu, Somalia using a CRJ200. On hand to see in the arrival were Government officials from both Somalia and Uganda who welcomed the Air Uganda jet with the symbolic “water canon salute”.

Brazzaville-based carrier Equatorial Congo Airlines, better known as EC Air Congo (LC), on June 29, launched a weekly service connecting the Congolese petroleum hub of Pointe Noire with Paris CDG using a B757-200. EC Air also connects Brazzaville with the French capital.

After the successful one-off operation of the jet to Mauritius earlier in the year, Emirates (EK), will from 16DEC13, introduce the Airbus A380 into service between Dubai and Mauritius route, where it’ll operate 1 of the 2 daily flights, replacing the current Boeing 777-300.

A second MD11F freighter, on lease from Boeing Capital Corp., is to be delivered to AV Cargo Airlines (Z3) within the next two weeks and will enter service in early September. AV Cargo, the UK-based scheduled air cargo and charter company plans to use its expanding fleet to further its route network which already extensively covers West Africa.

Malawi Airlines, successor to the now defunct Air Malawi Ltd, has outlined its planned initial route network and its fleet, which has now been revealed to consist of a Boeing 737-800 and a Bombardier Q400. The aircraft are to be sourced from majority shareholder Ethiopian Airlines (ET).

Turkish Airlines (TK) is set to make Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, its next destination in its growing Horn of Africa network following recent talks between the Eritrean government and a Turkish business delegation which delved into issues pertaining to Ethiopia and Eritrea; developments in the Horn of Africa, as well as bilateral relations between Turkey and Eritrea.

Having progressively reduced the frequency of flights over the last year, Egyptair (MS) has now announced that it will suspend flights from Cairo to Tokyo Narita airport with effect from July 11. The decision is likely exacerbated by the continuing political turmoil in Egypt.

Air Cairo(SM) on 1 July launched three new scheduled routes: 3x weekly Alexandria (Borg Al Arab) - Amman (Jordan) flights, twice weekly Alexandria - Misrata (Libya) and a once weekly Assiut - Misrata service. Flights operate on board an Airbus A320.

Turkish Airlines (TK) will, from October 27, be increasing its Istanbul – Kilimanjaro – Mombasa – Istanbul round trip frequency from 5x weekly, to daily, with the route operated by a Boeing 737-900ER. The route was launched in December 2012.

► NIGERIA: Kabo Air eyes domestic, international service resumption.

Fresh from the delivery of its first B747-400, Nigerian Hajj specialist, Kabo Air (N9), has now announced plans to enter the domestic Nigerian market with additional plans to go regional.

Algeria's Tassili Airlines (SF), on Friday July 5, launched its first international flights with two routes: Bejaia - Saint Etienne and Jijel - Grenoble in France.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo began its IATA-backed operational safety audit of all Congolese carriers at Kinshasa N'djili International Airport on Friday, July 5. During a working tour of the airport's and airlines' various facilities, Justin Kalunga, the Congolese Minster of Transport, was accompanied by Richard Nyanguile, the Director General of the Congolese Civil Aviation Authority ( l’Autorité de l’Aviation Civile - AAC) and Abdalla Bilenge, the Director General of the Congolese airports authority (Régie des Voies Aériennes - RVA).

Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, has issued a reminder to local Russian airlines that there are still unused rights available for both passenger and cargo flights between Russia and South Africa.

The Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) is mulling doubling its Air Navigation Charges and Safety Fees as means of paying for various infrastructural upgrades set to be rolled out over the next two years. The move however is still subject to a stakeholders meeting set for July 11.

A plane, an unconfirmed DC9-10 (MSN 45740 | 5Y-SAX) belonging to Kenya's FlySAX (B5), carrying Somalia’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, to Juba, South Sudan was yesterday forced to make an emergency landing at Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport after developing engine trouble shortly after takeoff, Radio Mogadishu has reported.

Kenya Airways (KQ) and 26.73% shareholder, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL), have been granted a seven-year extension to their Unfair Trade practices exemption by the Competition Authority of Kenya, having applied in February. The moratorium, introduced when KLM acquired a stake in the Kenyan national carrier back in 1996, prevents competitors from accusing them of unfair trade practices.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: ATNS appoints Thabani Mthiyane as CEO.

South Africa's Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) Board has announced the appointment – with immediate effect – of Mr. Thabani Mthiyane to the position of Chief Executive Officer, following a rigorous and thorough recruitment process and subsequent approval by the Cabinet.

Air Zimbabwe (UM) is to tentatively resume its Victoria Falls - Johannesburg flights with effect from July 12. The 3x weekly flights will operate with an Embraer E145. As of this posting however, the flight is not yet open to reservations and further changes to the schedule still remain possible.

As previously reported, Nigeria's Arik Air (W3) has outlined its initial Airbus A330-200 routes with the carrier's daily Lagos - London Heathrow flight set to switch from the current A340-500, to the A330 from July 12. Additionally, Lagos - Johannesburg will from July 16 see a return of the A340-500, replacing the current equipment, a B737-800.

Air Uganda's (U7) CEO, Mr Cornwell Muleya, has outlined his ambitions for the airline which include plans to expand "beyond the East African market" once all opportunities in the region have been exhausted.

Sierra Leonian president, Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, finalized a USD300million deal with the China Railway International Company for the construction of a new international airport to serve Freetown during his recent week-long trip to China. The airport forms part of a group of investments totalling USD8billion China is set to make in the impoverished West African state.

Romanian MRO outfit, Aerostar S.A., has won a contract from Starbow Airlines (S9) of Ghana to carry out ‘C’ checks on its fleet of four BAe 146 regional jetliners. The first aircraft, a BAe 146-300 (MSN E3123 | 9G-SBB), arrived at Aerostar’s Bacau facility on May 31 and departed on schedule on 2 July.

The Nigerian Government will move ahead with plans to develop aerotropolises (an urban plan in which the layout, infrastructure, and economy is centred around an airport) in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt. Currently the four cities' airports handle the bulk of Nigeria's passenger & cargo traffic.

Russian state arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, is reportedly in talks with Ethiopia over the sale of eighteen Sukhoi Su-30K Multirole fighter aircraft. The jets, originally sold to India, were intended to go to Vietnam.

A Kenya Airways Boeing 777-200ER (MSN 33683 | 5Y-KQS), operating as flight KQ117 en route from Amsterdam to Nairobi on Saturday July 6, was forced to make an emergency landing in Athens after a cargo-bay fire warning indication alarm sounded in mid flight.

■ EGYPT: Egyptair selects ARINC's AviNet for check-in system.

US-based Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated (ARINC) has announced that EgyptAir (MS) has signed a contract for its AviNet Airport service to support check-in operations using the Amadeus ALTEA Departure Control System (DCS).

The Board of Veling Ltd, a Mauritius-based aircraft leasing company, has appointed Hitesh Patel as Chief Executive Officer of the company with effect from the 15 July 2013.

Tunisia's Syphax Airlines (FS), has confirmed its order with Airbus to buy three A320neo and three A320ceo, having signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the deal at the recently ended 2013 Paris Air Show.

As part of its new 3-year restructuring industrial plan aimed at stemming continued losses, Italian carrier Alitalia (AZ) says it is considering introducing new flights to Morocco and Libya during the course of 2013/2014 with flights to South Africa and Kenya to possibly resume from 2014 on.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has taken delivery of its sixth Boeing 777-200LR (MSN 43814 | ET-AQL) at a ceremony held at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport on July 2. The added aircraft comes at a time when Ethiopian is expecting to post very strong numbers for this year, in spite of the 787 Grounding debacle.

Following on from its previous announcement, fastjet (FN) says it has been issued a Foreign Operator Permit from the South African Department of Transport thereby paving the way for the launch of flights between Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg.

► NIGERIA: Kabo Air takes delivery of its first B747-400 in Kano.

Nigerian Hajj specialist, Kabo Air (N9), recently took delivery of its first B747-400 (MSN 26878 | 5N-MDK) at a ceremony held at its base at Kano Mallam Aminu International Airport.

SKA International Group, the Dubai-based logistics firm that was awarded the management contract of Mogadishu's Aden Abdulle International Airport, Mogadishu has announced the addition of a 500KVa generator to the terminal as show of its commitment to the project. Recently, the Somali press has speculated about the firm's future at Aden Abdulle given the awarding of a construction and management contract for a new passenger terminal to Turkish company, Favori LLC.

Nigerian domestic carrier, Dana Air (9J), will re-launch flight services to Uyo and Calabar "in the coming weeks", Tony Usidamen, head of corporate communications at the airline, has said. Currently, Dana Air serves Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for May 2013 with the global air travel industry continuing its April growth momentum with emerging markets, among them Africa and the Middle East, showing the strongest potential. Compared to the same period last year, overall demand rose 5.6%, while capacity climbed 5.2% pushing the load factor up 0.3 percentage points to 78.1%. Figures for global air cargo markets show that growth has continued to flatline in May, Africa included, broadly following the trend of the last 18 months.

Magma Aviation, a private United Kingdom-based cargo operator, will from July 14, launch flights from Brussels to Lome, Brazzaville and onto Kinshasa with a weekly B747-400F. Out of Lome, scheduled connections are to be offered into Bamako, Cotonou, Douala, Libreville, Monrovia and Niamey onboard ATR aircraft.

Marlene Manave, the current CEO of LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM), says the Mozambican government-backed national carrier is looking for an international partner with which to create an international carrier for the airline.

During a recent meeting with Tunisian businessmen based in Italy, Tunisian Ambassador to Italy, Mr Naceur Mestiri, announced that Tunisair (TU) would soon begin flights from Tunis to the newly commissioned airport of Comiso, an ex-military base turned civilian airfield located in the Sicilian province of Ragusa, 5 km from Comiso and 15 km from Ragusa.

The Malawi government has announced that negotiations with Ethiopian Airlines (ET) have now been successfully completed, with the successor to defunct Air Malawi Ltd to be known as "Malawi Airlines Ltd".

► LIBYA: Ghadames Air Transport takes delivery of another A320.

Libya's Ghadames Air Transport (0G) has taken delivery of an Airbus A320-200 (MCN 438 | 5A-WAT) to be operated by Gambian ACMI specialists, Aeolus Air (AAZ). The aircraft is currently in Tripoli awaiting deployment into service.

Niger will reportedly push ahead with plans to add a new international passenger and freight terminal to Niamey's Diori Hamani International Airport as part of President Mahamadou Issoufou's plans to modernize the country's lagging infrastructure.

Kenyan Tourism Cabinet secretary, Ms Phyllis Kandie, has implored the Kenyan government to allow more scheduled international carriers to serve the coastal city of Mombasa with regular, year-round flights to help boost waning tourist numbers.

Africa World Airlines (AW) has joined the growing list of Ghanaian carriers eager to break into the lucrative Nigerian market but which has thus far encountered various bureaucratic obstacles.

Djibouti has announced that it is seeking partners to help in building a proposed new USD600million airport situated in a 225 km² area south-west of Djibouti City, set to replace the near 60 year old Ambouli International Airport. The government plans to combine the country's sea-cargo facilities with the air terminal to offer a unique regional air/sea cargo and passenger transit hub that will help transform the Horn of African nation's economy.

Libyan carrier, Afriqiyah (8U), will from 12JUL, increase its Tripoli - London Gatwick frequency from three times weekly, to four times weekly with the addition of a Friday flight. While flights are scheduled to operate with an Airbus A320, the use of a McDonnell Douglas MD83 leased from Spain's Swiftair (W3) is also likely.

► SOMALIA: Air Uganda to start Entebbe - Mogadishu from July 8.

True to its word, Air Uganda (U7) will from 8 July 2013, launch its previously announced 3x weekly service between Entebbe and Mogadishu, Somalia using its recently delivered CRJ200 (MCN 7363 | 5X-UGH).

Following bilateral discussions held between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Seychelles counterpart James Alix Michel on June 30, in Mahé, Sri Lanka and Seychelles signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation, a Bilateral Air Services Agreement and a MoU on Vocational Training and Youth Development.

Effective immediately, AV Cargo Airlines (Z3) has announced an increase in the frequency of flights to Bamako, Mali while at the same time, added Monrovia, Liberia as a new destination on its West African network. Flights will be operated out of the carrier's Liege hub using an MD11F.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Monday, July 8, 2013

Friday, July 5, 2013

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Tuesday, July 2, 2013