■ SOUTH AFRICA: New SAA boss announced as mass resignations preempt mass firings.

In a dramatic chain of events, the entire boardroom scene at South African Airways (SA) changed literally overnight, when eight of its 14 board members, including its chairwoman Cheryl Carolus, pre-emptively resigned their positions on Thursday evening, following a leaked media report earlier in the week that allured to looming dismissals at both SAA and its sister regional carrier, SA Express (XZ).

► NIGERIA: Arik Air uses FAAN debacle to settle old scores.

Despite having reached an accord last Saturday with the Nigerian Government that saw Nigeria's now largest carrier Arik Air (W3), resuming domestic operations following 3 days of suspended flights, in addition to Aviation Minister Stella Oduah-Ogiewonyi dropping a lawsuit against Arik Air (who alleged that she had demanded five per cent equity participation in the airline), Sir Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide's airline made their vendetta with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) personal by blacklisting from their flights, the FAAN's Managing Director, George Uriese along with 26 others. 

► SOUTH SUDAN: Turkey's AtlasJet in Juba scouting for potential deals.

Murat Ersoy, the President of Atlasjet (KK), a Turkish airline based out of Florya, Istanbul, Turkey with both domestic and international scheduled passenger services, is the leader of a 25-member strong Turkish delegation currently visiting the South Sudanese capital of Juba, scouting for potential business opportunities.

► ALGERIA: Air Algérie Boeing 737 lands short of runway at Algiers; no injuries.

An Air Algérie (AH) Boeing 737-800 (MCN: 34164 | 7T-VKA), operating domestic flight AH6231 from Tamanrasset, Algeria to Algiers Houari Boumediene Airport on 18 September 2012, at 03h25 local time, reportedly landed ahead of the runway threshold on the paved surface of the runway end safety area, to the right of the extended runway centreline, thereby taking out a number of runway end and edge lights during the subsequent roll out. 

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Heads to roll at SAA & SA Express as neither are able to present their FY 2011/12 annual reports by September 30.

Reports coming out of South Africa suggest that South African Airways (SA) is set for a top level shake-up in the near future. The looming shake up comes after a woeful presentation by SAA last week, in which it sought further government aid in the form of a USD750million bail out, failed to impress neither the South African Minister for Public Enterprises, Malusi Gigaba, nor Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan both of whom stipulated that management would have to rethink their future action plan and come up with a better one if it was to secure the funds.

► UNITED KINGDOM: Air Arabia Maroc to start London Gatwick from late October 2012.

In a move that could be construed as one-upmanship, Moroccan LCC Air Arabia Maroc (3O) has tentatively announced that it will be starting flights from both Tangiers and Casablanca to London Gatwick airport, effective 28 October 2012 using an Airbus A320. There will be 5 overall weekly flights: 3 ex Casablanca and 2 ex Tangiers.

► UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Emirates announces various equipment changes to Accra & Abidjan, Lagos, Entebbe and Nairobi effective 2013.

Dubai based carrier, Emirates (EK), has announced various changes to some its African destinations, effective from between January and February of next year.  

For other previously announced updates, see these posts.

► ZIMBABWE: Minister admits new Victoria Falls Airport terminal will not be ready for UNWTO event.

Zimbabwean Minister of Transport, Communication and Infrastructure Development, Nicholas Goche, has come clean on events surrounding the refurbishment and expansion of Victoria Falls Airport, set to be one of the main transit points (the other being at Livingstone, Zambia's Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport) for next year's United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly.

► ETHIOPIA: Bole International Airport expansion tenders awarded; new apron to be completed by January 2013.

The Ethiopian Airports Enterprise (EAE) has announced that the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport's apron expansion programme is on track for completion by January 2013. Contracted to China Road and Building Construction Company and with supervision work being done by a local Ethiopian firm - the Transport Construction Design Consultancy Share Company - the EAE expects the new apron to ease the persistent aircraft parking problem the airport faces, particularly during large international conferences.

► GHANA: SSNIT to inject USD3million into Africa World Airlines.

Ghana's fifth and newest carrier Africa World Airlines (AW), the joint venture between China's HNA Group, the China-Africa Development Fund, SSNIT (Ghana's Social Security and National Insurance Trust) and SAS Finance Group, which launched its domestic operations between Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale on Friday 21 September, received a further shot in the arm on Saturday when the SSNIT revealed it would inject "between three and four million dollars into the new airline."

►► ETHIOPIA: Wishy-washy Ethiopian Airlines attempts to make up its mind with new 787 destination route list.

After at least 3 revisions and constant changes to its intended Boeing 787 Dreamliner launch routes, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) appears to have finally made up its mind and will take the very diplomatic route of flying their 787 to a variety destinations as a means of showcasing their latest aircraft.

Ethiopian's 787 in Seattle (moonm)

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Air Cote d'Ivoire outlines future route network; to start ops in "late October".

After taking delivery of its first Airbus A319-100 (MCN: 2213 | TU-TSA) leased from Air France last week in Abidjan, Air Cote d'Ivoire (VRE), the joint venture between the Government of Ivory Coast, Air France and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, has announced that intends to commence operations towards the "end of October".

► RÉUNION: Air Austral boss Malé gives carrier 3 months max to come up with A380 decision.

Réunion-based French carrier, Air Austral (UU), is reportedly still in negotiations with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus SAS over a possible deal involving two A380s, albeit, not for the 840-All-Economy-Seaters that were envisaged by previous boss and company founder, Gérard Ethève, prior to his departure from the carrier in April this year.

● SOUTH AFRICA: (Pics) Africa Aerospace & Defence 2012.

 

South Africa, and Africa's, largest exhibition of air, sea and land capability, Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2012, swung into action today at Air Force Base (AFB) Waterkloof near Pretoria, South Africa.

► NIGERIA: Arik Air & Nigerian Government kiss and make up; ops to resume tomorrow.

After a two hour meeting between the board of directors of Nigeria's Arik Air (W3) and Ministers from the Nigerian Federal Government in a bid to resolve Thursday's impasse and suspension of flights, Arik Air have stated, via their website, that they will be resuming flights tomorrow Sunday 23 September 2012, after presumably, reaching an agreement.

►► UNITED STATES: Dreamliner delivery delays force Ethiopian to postpone Washington 787 route launch by 11 days.

With their second Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (MCN: 34746 | ET-AOR) now due on 26 September 2012, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) have announced a delay in their inaugural Addis Ababa - Washington DC, USA scheduled service, from 20 September 2012, to 1 October 2012.

► SENEGAL: Angry husband calls in bomb threat to delay Royal Air Maroc flight to Casablanca; gets backtraced.

The Senegalese press is reporting a bomb scare on-board a Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737-800 as it was about to depart from Dakar's Léopold Sédar Senghor (Yoff) International Airport early this morning, bound for the Moroccan city of Casablanca.

► GHANA: EgyptAir confirms deal with CTK CiTylinK; to use Accra as hub.

Confirming our previous report, Egyptair (MS) and foundering Ghanaian carrier CTK CiTylinK Airlines (CTQ) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Headquarters of the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation in Cairo, Egypt which will see "both airlines promoting air transportation expansion in West Africa."

► BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA: Libya's Buraq Air tipped for minority shareholding in B&H Airlines.

Tripoli based Buraq Air (UZ), a private Libyan airline that operates scheduled domestic and international services to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, has been tipped as the most likely candidate to acquire a 49% in Bosnian airline BH Airlines (JA).

► NIGERIA: Arik Air suspends local ops indefinitely citing FAAN harassment.

Just when things couldn't seem to get any worse following the demise of Air Nigeria (VK) in early September, Nigeria's largest private carrier Arik Air (W3) today suspended domestic operations indefinitely citing what it called "the persistent hostility of the Ministry of Aviation and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) management" who "were trying to destroy the airline for their own financial benefit."