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Sunday, October 7, 2012

► CAMEROON: Camair-Co signs $430million deal for two 787s.

Camair-Co
The Cameroonian Government has announced plans worth USD429million to buy two Boeing 787-8s for use by national carrier Camair-Co (QC), with delivery scheduled for 2015. The new deal comes as load factors on the airline's  Douala - Yaoundé - Paris route's load factors have increased to 65.5% last month, against 47.3% for the route's inaugural in April.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: 1Time wants reductions in fuel levy, taxes as private airlines react angrily to SAA bailout.

1Time
1Time (T6), the South African LCC, has clarified the air over reports in the press that it had written to the South African government seeking a bail out (akin to what national carrier South African Airways (SA) secured last week), stating that their proposal centred around the South African government subsidising the airline industry as a whole with selected levies and taxes, and not to only offer unfair bail outs to South African Airways and its affiliate SAExpress (XZ).

► LIBERIA: Brussels Airlines increases Monrovia, drops Bamako from early 2013.

Brussels AirlinesBelgian carrier Brussels Airlines (SN) is to terminate its Bamako, Mali flights effective 8 January 2013. Bamako is currently served once weekly in tandem with Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.

Friday, October 5, 2012

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian's first 787 undergoes GEnx engine change as General Electric issues global turbine inspection directive.

Ethiopian Airlines
Despite having now received their second Boeing 787-8 (MSN 34746 | ET-AOR), Ethiopian Airlines (ET) have only recently finished dealing with their maiden Boeing 787-8's (MSN 34745 | ET-AOQ) first technical glitch: the replacement of one of its General Electric (GEnx-1B64) engines which had experienced problems with its hydraulics and oil leakage.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

■ MOROCCO: Air France Industrie to outsource 100 jobs to Casablanca.

Air France logoIn a move bound to have serious repercussions in France and with Air France trade unions in particular, the maintenance wing of Air France, Air France Industrie, has announced it will outsource 100 out of the 450 technician jobs at its Croix-du-Sud Facility at Toulouse-Blagnac, to Morocco.

► ETHIOPIA: (Pics) Ethiopian Airlines takes delivery of first customized Bombardier Q-400.

Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines (ET), on 28 September, took delivery of its first of five reconfigured Bombardier Q-400. Routed Toronto-St Johns-Azores-Lisbon-Rome, ET-AQB (MSN 4419) arrived in Addis Ababa yesterday to much pomp and fervour.

► NIGERIA: Dana Air starts test flights ahead of return of service.

Dana AirNigerian carrier Dana Air (9J), following the reinstatement of its Operator's Licence in September by the Nigerian Government in early September, has embarked on a series of test flights in preparation for its resumption of scheduled passenger flight operations in the near future.

► MOROCCO: JetBlue, Royal Air Maroc sign interline deal.

Royal Air Maroc RAMAfter ending their 12-year-long code-share deal with Delta Airlines (DL) as their American code-share partner in June, Moroccan national carrier, Royal Air Maroc (AT),  has moved on and today announced the signing of an interline deal with American LCC JetBlue Airways (B6). 

JetBlueThe move will see a wider variety of flights being offered to each other's passengers, that were previously unavailable.

► SUDAN: See Pics of Nova Air's Boeing 737-500 in new colours!

Khartoum based carrier Nova Air (O9) are set to receive their maiden Boeing 737-500 (MCN 29122 | M-ABES), leased from Dutch leasers Sojitz Aircraft Leasing B.V. The airline is currently in Bournemouth, UK having been painted in the company's colours, and is now awaiting its ferry flight to Khartoum where it will be used for charter flights.


■ TANZANIA: Precision Air posts USD400'000 profit despite tough market conditions.

Precision Air Tanzanian private carrier Precision Air (PW) yesterday presented its  Ernst & Young audited report for the Financial Year 2011/2012 to shareholders, marking the airline's first annual general meeting since the company floated its shares in an initial public offering (IPO) on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) in November of last year.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

■ MALI: Renovated runway 06/24 at Bamako-Sénou International Airport handed over to AdM.

Mali GovernmentAt a ceremony held last week and overseen by the Malian Minister of Facilities' Planning, Mamadou Coulibaly, and attended by the Ministers of Defense, Security, Communications, the Minister of Handicrafts and Tourism as well as the Minister responsible for Malians Abroad and African Integration, and various government bureaucrats, the capital Bamako's Sénou International Airport's newly renovated, reinforced and extended runway 06/24, was handed over to  Aéroports du Mali (AdM) for immediate operational use.

►► LIBYA: Emirates cancels intended Tripoli service resumption.

Emirates
[UPDATED 3 OCTOBER 2012] Emirates (EK) are to restart their service from Dubai to Tripoli, Libya that was suspended in February of last year due to the Libyan Uprising. The flights will recommence on 29 October 2012 with a 4x weekly Airbus A330-200 service that will switch to an Airbus A340-300 from 2 January 2013.

► TANZANIA: Air Tanzania set to reach new deal with AeroVista; to resume flights next week, but at what cost?

Air TanzaniaTanzanian national carrier Air Tanzania (TC) is looking to resume flights by 10 October, should it reach an agreement with Dubai based ACMI specialists AeroVista, from whom they leased a Boeing 737-500 (MSN 27354 | 4L-AJB).

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

► TANZANIA: Delta Airlines opens ticket office in Dar es Salaam.

Delta AirlinesAmerican carrier Delta Airlines (DL) has opened a ticketing office in the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam, as the airline moves to strengthen and consolidate its presence in East Africa, a prime tourist destinations for many Americans.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: SAA gets its USD600million bailout from Government.

South Africa coat of armsThe South African Government today announced that it would guarantee USD$600 million in loans for troubled state airline South African Airways (SA) over the next two years. The news comes as dust from  last week's mass boardroom resignation settles, with 8 new board-members having been appointed, in addition to a new chairman.

► DUBAI: Emirates looks to partner African LCC airlines in bid to establish feeder networks.

EmiratesEmirati carrier Emirates (EK) has allured to plans it has for future partnerships with Africa-focused low-cost carriers as the mega-carrier moves to boost its presence on the continent.

► SPAIN: Royal Air Maroc launches Tangier - Madrid flights from October.

Royal Air Maroc RAMIn a press statement today, Royal Air Maroc (AT) announced it will start 3x weekly flights between the Spanish capital, Madrid, and the northern Moroccan city of Tangier effective 11 October. The flights will be operated with ATR72-600 aircraft.

Monday, October 1, 2012

►► RWANDA: RwandAir announces network changes in preparation for its first Bombardier CRJ-900NG.

RwandAirRwandan national carrier Rwandair (WB) has announced various changes to its Nigeria and its previously announced East African route timetables, as it prepares for the arrival of its first Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) 900NG (MSN# 15286 | 9XR-WH) due, according to informed sources, on 22 October 2012.

■ ALGERIA: More government protectionism as Minister says Low Cost Carrier would be "unprofitable".

Algerian GovernmentDespite protests outside offices of Algeria's national carrier Air Algérie (AH)  in both London and Paris two weeks ago, calling for the liberalisation of Algerian skies, the Algerian Government has remained adamant that the creation of any Low Cost Carrier (LCC) in the country would not be profitable; a move that the Algerian media says, smacks of government protectionism for both Air Algèrie and AigleAzur (ZI).

● IATA: Outlook improves slightly for African aviation, but government interference continues to stifle growth.

IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in a revision of its Global Aviation Outlook for 2012, has said that now it expects African airlines to break even in 2012, following on from a USD100million loss in 2011.