► TUNISIA: Syphax Airlines looks to expand to China, Canada in Summer 2013 with arrival of first of two Airbus A330s.

According to news reports out of Tunisia, Syphax Airlines (FS), Tunisia's largest private carrier, will in April 2013 take delivery of an Airbus A330 with a second due in early 2014 as the airline sets its sights on expanding internationally.

■ MALAWI: Over 240 Air Malawi employees face lay offs as privatization drive begins to hurt.

Air Malawi (QM) Ltd is to send "up to 243 employees" on leave pending retrenchment and retirement as part of the government's restructuring of the company, currently being overseen by the Privatization Commission.

● CONGO (KINSHASA): ACAJ slams poor security at Lubumbashi Airport following attempted attack on 21 December.

The Congolese Association for Access to Justice (l'Association Congolaise pour l'Accès à la Justice (ACAJ)) has slammed the regional government of Katanga Province over its repeated failure to provide adequate security at Lubumbashi Luano International Airport following numerous attacks in the last two years.

■ GHANA: Decision on EgyptAir's deal for 49.9% stake in CTK CiTylinK deferred to 2013.

Egyptian national carrier, Egyptair (MS), is expected to announce in early 2013 a decision on whether it will purchase a 49.9% minority stake-holding in grounded Ghanaian carrier CTK CiTyLinK (CTQ), following the submission of a Due Diligence report by accounting firm, Ernest & Young, last week.

► NIGERIA: Med-View Airlines wet leases B737-800 from EuroAtlantic Airways.

Nigerian domestic operator,  Med-View Airline (VL), has wet-leased its first B737-800 (MSN 1122 | CS-TQU) from Portuguese charter specialists EuroAtlantic Airways to supplement its current fleet of two Boeing 737-400s. 

● ETHIOPIA: 100 pilots, cabin crew and ATCOs graduate from the EAA and ECAA ground schools.

Ethiopia's growing aviation education sector this last week added 100 new trained and qualified professionals to the growing local and regional market with the Ethiopian Aviation Academy (EAA) graduating 20 Pilots and 72 Cabin Crew and the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) graduating 8 air traffic controllers.

► TANZANIA: (Pics) Precision Air takes delivery of its second new ATR 42-600.

Tanzania's Precision Air on Sunday 23 December 2012, took delivery of its second ATR42-600 (MSN 1003 | 5H-PWI) following a delivery flight routed Toulouse -  Brindisi - Luxor - Dar es Salaam. The welcoming ceremony was held at Dar es Salaam's Julius Nyerere International Airport.

► ZIMBABWE: Egyptair to resume Harare from June 2013.

Egyptair (MS) has joined the list of foreign carriers returning to the Zimbabwean capital with plans to tentatively start a 4x weekly Boeing 737-800 operated Harare via Dar Es Salaam service from 1 June 2013. The Egyptian national carrier last served Harare in 2003 as an intermediate stop between Cairo and Johannesburg using an Airbus A340-200.

■ BOTSWANA: Air Botswana selects ADSoftware's AIRPACK for its ERP platform.

Botswana national carrier, Air Botswana (BP), recently implemented French aviation software specialist ADSoftware's "AIRPACK Fleet Management System & Logistics Solutions" as part of its continuing efforts to adopt global best practices.

► UNITED KINGDOM: Egyptair launches Manchester from June 2013.

EgyptAir (MS) will from 1 June 2013, launch a new service to the United Kingdom, with 5x weekly Cairo – Manchester flights on board Boeing 737-800 aircraft. 

■ UNITED STATES: South African Airways, US Airways sign codeshare agreement

Arizona-based US Airways (US) and fellow Star Alliance member South African Airways (SA) have announced a new bilateral codeshare agreement after receiving approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Department of Transport – South Africa.  South African Airways recently signed two other code share deals with two other North American carriers: Air Canada (AC) and JetBlue Airways (B6).

■ NIGERIA: Runway lighting installed at Lagos' MMA runway 18L/36R.

Five years on from the opening of the rehabilitated runway 18L/36R used for domestic flights out of Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport, mobile airfield lighting has finally been installed there henceforth allowing night time landings which were previously only permitted on runway 18R/36L.

► MALAWI: Ethiopian Airlines to start Blantyre flights from March 2013.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) continues its push into southern Africa with the launch in Summer 2013 of a service to Malawi's commercial hub, Blantyre. The new 3x weekly, Boeing 737-800 operated route, Addis Ababa - Lilongwe - Blantyre - Addis Ababa, begins 31 March 2013.

► RWANDA: RwandAir, Kenya Airways to enter into strategic partnership.

Kenya Airways (KQ) and Rwandan national carrier, RwandAir (WB), are on the cusp of the of forming a strategic partnership with aims of fostering stronger relations in the areas of cargo, maintenance and flight training between the two airlines. 

■ LIBYA: Afriqiyah unveils new logo and corporate identity.

Libyan carrier, Afriqiyah Airlines (8U), last week unveiled a new logo and corporate identity at a ceremony held at the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli.

► ZAMBIA: Ethiopian Airlines to start Ndola ops from March 2013 as Kenya Airways adds direct Saturday flight.

Zambia's third largest city, Ndola, is to see an increase in its regional connectivity with Ethiopian Airlines (ET) set to launch 3x weekly Boeing 737-700 flights to the Copperbelt from 31 March 2013, whilst competitor, Kenya Airways (KQ), is to introduce a once weekly Embrarer E190 Nairobi – Ndola terminator service, also effective 31 March 2013.

► GERMANY: Air Namibia set to take delivery of two A319s.

Namibia's national carrier, Air Namibia (SW), is set to take delivery of two Airbus A319s (MSN 5366 | V5-ANM) and (MSN 5400 | V5-ANN) following a handing over ceremony in Hamburg, Germany last week.

► MALI: Struggling Air Mali suspends operations effective 24 December.

Celestair Group's Malian subsidiary, Air Mali (I5), as result of the ongoing political and economic crisis in Mali, has suspended operations for nine months effective 24 December 2012.

■ MALAWI: Privatization Commission unveils shortlisted bidders for Air Malawi; Ethiopian in, BA Comair out.

Malawi's Privatization Commission, the governmental department charged with overseeing the sell off and eventual privatization of national carrier Air Malawi (QM), has announced a shortlist of 5 potential investors for Air Malawi (2012) Limited, whittled down from the original 11.

Thank You. Yes, You! From The African Aviation Tribune.

From today (20 December) until late January 2013, we will be away in Zimbabwe for Christmas and for business and as such, news will likely slow to a trickle. But fear not, we will try our utmost to keep you all updated on any developments if and when they occur!

That said, I want to thank all of you who have supported the site, either through simply reading it, retweeting our articles or by contributing links and info.

My particular thanks go to Tom and the boys over at CH-Aviation and Rich and his crew at AirlineRoute all of whom provide us with large quantities of top quality info. I'd also like to thank Bigogwe Masaka, a regular contributor with articles and also input with comments and the like. To Seb at TravelComments and Wereldreizen who help propagate us via Twitter - Big thanks to you too.

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Anyway, I would just like to take a moment to inform you about TAAT and my plan for its future, which, i hope, will involve you all.
 

I started this site in April because i was tired of reading articles about African aviation that were weeks, if not months old, and often left me wondering about the real state of the industry as a whole. After all, Europe, the US, Asia, Australia and South America all have their own publications, what about Africa? I'm sure there are many of you out there who were left in the same quandary.

With that in mind, I'd like to try encourage you all to contribute to the site, because after all, it is aimed at everyone and anyone either involved or interested in African aviation. While most of the articles do come from primary news sources, they sometimes get it wrong and that's where you come in. The site, and its articles, are as good as their sources, and the more (accurate) sources we have, the better.

Site wise, we are still small with on average 5'100 unique visitors/month though bare in mind we haven't done any SEO or advertising. Please note that TAAT is, as much as it pains me to say this, NOT a commercial enterprise (hah! i wish! - TAAT's Google ad revenue barely pays for its web url subscription!)

If you are involved in the industry, run an airline (big or small), MRO, ACMI or have worthwhile info/a tip on anything relating to aviation on the continent, please shoot me a line via ivan(at)theafricanaviationtribune.com. The site is about getting Africa informed, for Africa's benefit!

So, Merry Christmas/Joyeux Noël/Buon Natale/Feliz Navidad/С Рождеством/Feliz Natal/Frohe Weihnachten/عيد ميلاد مجيد and here's to a prosperous 2013 to us all!

Regards,

Ivan (aka Ted T. Beefcake (Esq))