Egyptian charter airline Midwest Airlines (MY) is to venture into the domestic Egyptian scheduled flight market with the launch of flights between Cairo and Alexandria effective early January 2013.
Rwandan national carrier Rwandair (WB) has officially received its first of two Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) 900NGs (MSN# 15286 | 9XR-WH) following a hand-over ceremony in Montreal, Canada and a delivery flight routed Montréal - Goose Bay - Reykjavík - Ancona - Aswan - Kigali.
Lloyd Muchaka and South African based Zimbabwean investor, Patrick Chapwanya, the co-founders of the now defunct Zimbabwean LCC, FlyKumba (FKZ), have been granted a licence by the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe for their helicopter company, Chikopokopo Helicopters, set to operate out of Victoria Falls.
Belgian MRO specialists Sabena Technics, have been awarded a 5 year contract by nascent Dar es Salaam based LCC, FastJet, to provide its fleet with engineering services and comprehensive material support for components,
standard and cabin parts, and consumables.
According to reports in the Zambian press, the Government there is said to be considering various business models, necessary in setting up a rejuvenated national airline, almost 20 years after the liquidation of national carrier, Zambia Airways (QZ).
As previously reported by The African Aviation Tribune, Congolese carrier Korongo Airlines (ZC), have announced plans for twice weekly flights between Lubumbashi and Mbuji-Mayi (Eastern Kasai) and Kinshasa and Mbuji-Mayi respectively, effective 31 October 2012.
Botswana's BlueSky Airways, on 14 October, flew its first commercial charter flight while today it finally launched its website - http://www.blueskyairways.co.bw - albeit 4 months after its original launch date of 9 July.
Fly Go-Air, the off and on again, niche carrier aimed at the premium market in South Africa, has announced it will launch operations in late November from its hub at Johannesburg's Lanseria Airport to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport with plans to start Polokwane and Pietermaritzburg in January. In the near future, the airline is also considering flights to Bloemfontein and George and from KMIA to Cape Town.
Guangzhou based carrier, China Southern (CZ), will operate three military charter flights to Monrovia (Liberia), Bujumbura (Burundi), Juba (South Sudan) and Nairobi (Kenya) this November on behalf of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, under the auspices of the United Nations.
With Air Madagascar's (MD) Airbus A340-300s too big for Nosy-Be's (Fascene) Airport, the Malagasy Government is attempting to lure French carrier Corsair International (SS) back to Madagascar's largest and busiest tourist resort, as they are the only carrier with the equipment (Airbus A330s) capable of operating a direct Paris - Nosy Be flight from the airport, at this time.
Zimbabwean LCC startup, FreshAir, the 51/49 joint venture between Nu.Com (Pvt) Ltd of Zimbabwe and 1Time Holdings Ltd of South Africa, are set to launch operations on 2 November 2012 with Victoria Falls - Johannesburg (ORTIA), South Africa as their initial route.
Spanish LCC, Vueling (VY), has announced services from Barcelona to Banjul, Gambia and Casablanca, Fez, Nador and Tangier in Morocco effective Summer 2013.
Following on from our tweet last night, it does indeed appear that Morocco is looking to sell up to 44% of its shareholding in national carrier Royal Air Maroc (AT) to an as yet unknown Gulf airline.
Malusi Gigaba, the South African Minister of Public Enterprises, speaking on the occasion of South African Airways (SA) Post-AGM Briefing at Airways Park on Monday 15 October 2012, bemoaned SAA's below par performance during the 2011/2012 Financial Year, noting that whilst the global aviation industry, as a whole, has suffered in the current adverse global economic environment, SAA still fared poorer compared to its peers across the globe.
After an incident on Monday last week in which South African Airways (SA) canceled its evening flight from Johannesburg to Harare, Zimbabwe citing
poor lighting on runway 05/23 at Harare International Airport, the South African national carrier has now confirmed that it has changed its night flights to Harare to an earlier departure time.
Egyptian national carrier, EgyptAir (MS) will, from 3 December 2012, add an additional 4th weekly frequency on its route between Cairo and Beijing, China.