■ TUNISIA: Royal Luxemburg Soparfi SA set to invest in unnamed Tunisian carrier shortly.

Italo-Luxembourger financial holding company, Royal Luxemburg Soparfi SA, are set to invest in an as-yet undisclosed Tunisian airline. Exact details on the deal are still murky at this stage.

● ANGOLA: TAAG, Pimentel Araújo elected to Chairmanship of AFRAA.

Linhas Aéreas de Angola better known as TAAG Angolan Airlines (DT) were this week elected to the chairmanship of the Executive Committee of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), during their recently ended 44th Annual General Meeting held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian announces 787 route changes to Johannesburg & Dubai for December.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) continues to adjust its Boeing 787 operations with changes for the month of December 2012 as follows:

■ ALGERIA: Construction of new Terminal at Algiers Houari Boumediene Airport set to begin in 2014.

The Algerian government has forged ahead with its previously mentioned plans of transforming Houari Boumediene International Airport in the Algerian capital, Algiers, into an international hub. In an interview with Algerian paper Tout sur l'Algérie, the airport's CEO Tahar Allache allured to a new terminal to be built by 2018 and which will accommodate 10 million passengers per year, in addition to extra-wide-bodies such as the Airbus A380.

► NIGERIA: Aero Contractors to start daily Abuja-Calabar flights from December.

Nigerian airline, Aero Contractors (AJ), will from 1 December 2012, commence daily Boeing 737-500 flights between Abuja and the south eastern city of Calabar, Cross River State.

► LIBYA: Tunisair goes Sfax - Tripoli, Benghazi from April 2013.

Fresh from announcing better pax uptake and stronger financials for November 2012, Tunisair (TU) will, starting 2 April 2013, expand its Boeing 737-600 operations from the Tunisian city of Sfax to Libya.

► SOUTH AFRICA: kulula to start Joburg - East London flights from 2013.

From 1 March 2013, South African LCC, kulula (MN), will launch flights between Johannesburg ORTIA and the coastal Eastern Cape city of East London. The airline says it will operate two return flights a day on the one-hour trip, using its new 189-seater Boeing 737-800. 

►► THAILAND: Ethiopian Airlines boosts Bangkok, Hong Kong flights from late November.

[UPDATE 22 NOVEMBER 2012] Ethiopian Airlines (ET), will from 24 November 2012, increase its Addis Ababa – Bangkok – Hong Kong 767 operated service from 4x weekly, to daily. As a result, Bangkok will see an increase from 7x to 10x weekly flights.

► TANZANIA: fastjet outlines Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda ops as TCAA grants it full operational approval.

With the first of its fleet of Airbus A319s having now having arrived in the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam, nascent low-cost carrier fastjet (FN) has been granted  full approval to operate the aircraft  by the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA). Its team of 35 pilots, 65 cabin crew and 7 maintenance specialists on the ground actively preparing for launch, the carrier has outlined its regional expansion plans as demand for its flights has totalled to more than 8'000 bookings in their first week on sale.

► LIBYA: See Pic of Air Libya's ARJ100 in their new swanky livery!

As mentioned in our previous post, Air Libya (7Q), the private Libyan carrier formerly known as Tibesti Air Libya, is set to receive its first BAe146-300/ARJ100 (MSN: 3234 | 5A-FLB) in the carrier's new corporate identity and livery.

► MOROCCO: Ryanair to resume London Stansted, Luton - Marrakech from 2013.

Infamous Irish LCC, Ryanair (FR), have confirmed the resumption of two London - Marrakech, Morocco routes to its winter schedule, with 8 weekly flights to/from London Stansted (4 per week) and London Luton (4 per week) from February 2013, as late additions to its winter 2012-13 schedule

► HONG KONG: Air Mauritius to go 3x weekly to Hong Kong from July 2013.

Fresh from last week's announcement of direct Shanghai flights from 2013, Air Mauritius (MK) will from 2 July 2013 add a 3rd weekly flight on its Mauritius – Hong Kong route. The 3rd weekly flight is expected to be maintained into the Northern Winter 2013/14 season as well.

■ NIGERIA: NAMA switches to Automated Flight Planning.

The Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) has, effective 15 November 2012, switched from the analogue method of preparing flight plans to an automated flight plan system, that can be accessed here. In addition, the system is compatible with changes announced to the ICAO model flight plan form and ATS Messages (Amendment 1 to 15th Edition of PANS ATM Doc 4444) which came into effect on 15 November 2012.

● STRIKES! African aviation scene hit by wave of strikes as Namibia, Mozambique, Libya and Kenya affected.

The season for go slows and strikes appears to have hit the African aviation scene this week with 4 countries reporting industrial action, either planned, or ongoing.

► SOUTH AFRICA: New LCC airline Skywise to launch in Q1 2013 using 737-300s.

As previously reported by The African Aviation Tribune, the original founders of defunct South African LCC 1Time have indeed revealed that they are planning to launch a brand new low-cost carrier, called Skywise, in South Africa during the first 3 months of 2013.

■ ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian opens first phase of New Cloud Nine lounge in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has opened the first phase of its new business class (Cloud Nine) lounge at its main hub, Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The phase now features modern facilities and amenities and is available exclusively to premium travellers.

■ NIGERIA: (Pics) FAAN again gives aircraft owners 1 month to clean up airport boneyards.

The Nigerian Federal Aviation Authority (FAAN) has issued a 1 month ultimatum to the country's aircraft owners and operators, to remove all  abandoned aircraft that litter Nigeria's 8 major airports or risk legal proceedings as the country moves to cast off the stereotypical image of African aviation - decrepit potholed taxiways and runways, poorly maintained colonial era terminal buildings and above all, the obligatory aircraft boneyard filled with rusting 707 hulks (and the occasional Antonov tossed in for good measure).

► ANGOLA: See Pic of Guicango's Embraer 120 in new company colours!

Angolan private carrier Guicango Agência de Viagem (NCL) has had its first non-Russian aircraft - an Embraer 120 (MSN: 120212 | D2-FFZ) painted in the company's new livery and corporate identity.

■■ MOZAMBIQUE: Search for missing South African pilots to end Friday.

[UPDATED 20 NOVEMBER 2012] The search for two South African pilots who went missing on 27 October as they flew home to South Africa is to be called off Friday. 

Bryan Simms, 60, and his son Robert, 22, from Midrand, Johannesburg, were flying back to Lanseria airport, Johannesburg in a Beechcraft Baron 58 (MSN TH-737 | ZS-JPG). They had departed Lilongwe, Malawi en route to Lanseria when contact was lost around 45 minutes from Beira airport, Mozambique.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Mango to start Joburg & Cape Town to PE flights from December.

South African LCC Mango (JE) are to launch daily return flights between Johannesburg and the coastal city of Port Elizabeth as well as Cape Town and Port Elizabeth effective 5 December. Johannesburg - PE bookings will be available from Tuesday 20 November.