► NIGERIA: Etihad Cargo launches 15 new West African destinations via its reactivated Lagos hub.

Etihad Cargo, a division of Etihad Airways (EY), will re-introduce a weekly freighter service from Abu Dhabi to the Nigerian city of Lagos, effective November 15. The service will be complemented by the addition of 16 new interline destinations across West Africa.

► MAURITIUS: Air Seychelles to operate select A330 service to Mauritius in December 2012 & January 2013.

Air Seychelles (HM) will operate a limited airbus A330-200 service between Mahé and Port Louis, Mauritius during the period December 2012 to January 2013 though only on selected dates. The route is currently operated with an Airbus A320.

►► CHINA: TAAG Angolan increases flights to Beijing from November.

[UPDATE 12 NOVEMBER 2012] Effective 1 November 2012, Angolan national carrier, TAAG Angola Airlines (DT), will double its Boeing 777-200ER operated flights between Luanda, Angola and Beijing, China from once weekly, to twice weekly.

■ MOROCCO: Regional Air Lines gets $7.3million cash injection to settle debts.

Following an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) held on 24 October 2012, the board of Moroccan carrier Regional Air Lines(FN), inactive for roughly 3 years, has received a cash injection of USD7.36million (MAD64million) to help settle its total accumulated losses amounting to USD23.74million (MAD206.5million).

► FRANCE: (Pic) fastjet's first branded A319 rolls out the paintshop.

fastjet's first Airbus A319-100 (MSN: 2176 | 5H-FJA) has finally rolled out of the paintshop in Montpellier, France.

■ ALGERIA: IATA boss Tyler urges a hub be built in North Africa as Cape Verde makes plans to establish its own Dubai-esque airport.

The International Air Transport Association's boss, Tony Tyler, present at the recently ended 45th General Meeting of the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) in Algiers, Algeria has called for the establishment of a hub in North Africa comparable in size to that of Dubai or Doha.

■ NIGERIA: Dana Air issues update; says new AOC issuance imminent.

Nigerian carrier Dana Air (9J) has issued an update apropos its return to scheduled ops. Amongst the points mentioned is the conformity to a new Nigerian aviation regulation stipulating that all aircraft operated by domestic airlines in Nigeria are to be fitted with an Automated Flight Information Reporting System, as part of efforts to ensure air safety in the country.

► BOTSWANA: Air Botswana offloads an ATR72 as part of fleet renewal and regional expansion programme.

Botswana's national carrier, Air Botswana (BP), has put up one of its ATR72-500 aircraft for sale. Delivered new in 2009, (MSN: 788 | A2-ABS) is powered by 2 x PWC PW127F power-plants.

►► SUDAN: Marsland Aviation to receive first A320 in coming weeks.

According to Skyliner.de, ACMI operator Aeolus Air will shortly wet-lease an Airbus A320 (MCN 368 | C5-AAO) to Sudanese scheduled operator Marsland Aviation (M7).

► TANZANIA: Precision Air takes delivery of its first new ATR 42-600.

Tanzanian carrier Precision Air (PW), today, took delivery of its first ATR42-600 out of five brand new -600 series ATR aircraft (i.e. 4 ATR 42-600s and 1 ATR 72-600) ordered in December 2011. The official ceremony took place earlier today at the ATR Delivery Center in Toulouse, France, and was attended by Alfonse Kioko, CEO of Precision Air and Filippo Bagnato, ATR's CEO.

■ RÉUNION: Air Austral bounces back with a $7.35million profit for Q3.

In a dramatic change of its fortunes since posting a Q1 loss of EUR27million earlier in the year, Réunion-based French carrier Air Austral (UU) yesterday announced a profit of USD7.35million (EUR5.78million) for Q3 of its 2012 Financial Year, an improvement of USD9.89million (EUR7.78million) on its loss of USD2.54million (EUR2.0million) for the same period last year.

■ ZIMBABWE: Unlucky FreshAir hoping to relaunch in December as 1Time officially heads for liquidation.

Nu-Aero, the 51% majority shareholders in Zimbabwean LCC, Fresh Air (Z7), have stated that flights between Victoria Falls and Johannesburg (ORTIA), South Africa "could" resume as early as next month, in time to capitalize on the Christmas period, if a suitable technical partner can be found.

► NIGER: Turkish Airlines to start 3x weekly Niamey, Ouagadougou flights from December.

Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and a Bilateral Air Services Agreement between the Governments of Niger and Turkey in May, the Nigerien ministries of Foreign Affairs and Transport today  announced that Turkish Airlines is to start flights between Turkey, Niger and Burkina Faso effective mid December.

► DJIBOUTI: Egyptair set to start Cairo - Djibouti flights in near future.

Djibouti Aviation officials on Thursday announced that, following the signing of a bilateral air services agreement between Djibouti and Egypt by the Director of Djiboutian Civil Aviation, Almis Mahamoud Haid, and the Egyptian Director of the Department of Transportation, Khaled Abd El Monem, Egyptian carrier Egyptair (MS) will soon start several direct flights per week between the two countries.

►► SOUTH AFRICA: Ethiopian delays B787 service to Johannesburg 'til December.

[UPDATED 8 NOVEMBER 2012] Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is to further delay its planned deployment of the Boeing 787 on its daily Ababa – Johannesburg, South Africa route until 30 November 2012. The route will remain at a Boeing 737-800.

■ TANZANIA: AeroVista, Air Tanzania talks fall through; this time for good?

A photo of AeroVista's Boeing 737-500 (MSN 27354 | 4L-AJB) in Cairo, Egypt has led to speculation that the Dubai-based ACMI company's negotiations with Tanzanian national carrier, Air Tanzania (TC), have fallen through. 

■ TUNISIA: Tunisair plans massive layoffs after posting $98m loss for 2011.

Following its AGM last night in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, Tunisair's boss (TU) has officially outlined controversial plans to restructure the state-owned airline after it declared a whooping USD98.3million (EUR77.2million) loss for 2011. The move is certain to earn it the wrath of its powerful unions who, in the past, have played a pivotal role in protecting the carrier from both local and foreign competition.

► VIETNAM: Kenya Airways, Vietnam Airlines sign code share deal.

Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced the signing of a code share agreement with Vietnam Airlines (VN) that will see the Kenyan carrier expanding its footprint in the South East Asian market. Recently, KQ signed a similar code share deal with Korean Air (KE) and Saudia(SV).

■ MAURITIUS: Situation improving at Air Mauritius despite Q2 $11million loss.

Mauritian carrier Air Mauritius (MK) has posted a pretax loss of USD11.4million (EUR8.9 million) for H1 (Q2) of its 2012/2013 Financial Year. 

■ NIGERIA: Government fines British Airways and Virgin $235m over price fixing - again.

A Nigerian Senate Committee on Aviation on Tuesday ordered the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to work with the Nigerian Ministry of Justice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in ensuring British Airways (BA) and Virgin Atlantic (VS) pay fines of USD135 million and USD100million respectively after both were found guilty on various counts of price fixing and coercion.