► BELGIUM: brussels airlines announces changes to its West & Central Africa network for Summer 2013.

Belgian carrier brussels airlines (SN) has announced various frequency fluctuations on its West and Central African route networks, effective late-February 2013.

► KENYA: Airkenya Express launches flights to Nakuru from Nairobi Wilson Airport.

Kenyan domestic operator, Airkenya Express (P2), has launched flights from Nairobi's Wilson Airport to Nakuru National Park via Naishi Airstrip effective 21 December. The daily flight departs at midday and also offers a connection from Nakuru into the Maasai Mara.

► INDIA: Kenya Airways swaps 767 for 737-700 on some Mumbai flights starting 16 January.

Effective 16 January 2013, Kenya Airways(KQ) is temporarily adjusting capacity on its Nairobi – Mumbai, India service. Three of the 10 weekly flights (KQ204/205) are to switch from the Boeing 767-300ER to the Boeing 737-700. 

►► RÉUNION: Air Austral, Air France announce new flights following passage of Cyclone Dumile.

[UPDATE 6 JANUARY] The passage of tropical Cyclone Dumile over the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Reunion have had their affect on the local aviation industry with Air France (AF) and Air Austral (UU) having to postpone and in some cases, cancel flights. Listed below are the reassigned flights.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: SAA gets another USD64million bailout as poor fuel sourcing deals return to haunt the carrier.

South African Airways' (SA) perennial problems with sourcing competitively priced Jet A1 fuel came back to haunt it once more as reports emerge of the carrier receiving an emergency USD64million (ZAR550million) "bank facility" from its sole shareholder, the South African government. 

■ KENYA: (Pics) A Look at Lamu's Manda Airstrip's old and new facilities set for completion in May 2013.

Construction works at Manda Airstrip, located on Manda Island in the Lamu Archipelago in eastern Kenya, are progressing with completion expected in May of this year. The upgraded 2'000m long runway and new terminal will allow tourists to fly directly to Lamu from their respective countries. At present, tourists arriving on international flights have to clear customs and immigration formalities at either Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, or Mombasa, or Malindi before flying into Lamu as a domestic flight.

► CHAD: Tunisair looking to start Ndjamena via Douala amongst other routes?

Tunisair (TU), the Tunisian national carrier, are said to be in the process of finalizing a possible Tunis - Ndjamena (Chad) via Douala (Cameroon) route according to Chadian newspaper reports.

■ CAMEROON: Matthijs Boertien appointed Camair-Co boss.

In a presidential decree published on Thursday by state television CRTV, Douala-based carrier Camair-Co (QC) has appointed Chief Operating Officer Matthijs Boertien as the airline's new Chief Executive Officer. He takes over from fellow Dutchman Alex Van Elk whose contract was not renewed on its expiration in July 2012.

►► ZIMBABWE: See Pics of Air Zimbabwe's A320 along with other updates.

[UPDATE 5 JANUARY] On a recent trip to Harare International Airport, we were lucky to spot one of Air Zimbabwe's (UM) two Airbus A320s rumoured to be starting service fairly soon, amongst other juicy tid bits.

► NIGERIA: See Pics of Dana Air's inaugural flight from Lagos to Abuja.

Nigerian carrier Dana Air (9J) today resumed flights with its first route being Abuja-Lagos. The aircraft used was (MSN 53016 | 5N-JAI) which departed as flight 9J 353 at 09h45L with regular passengers, VIPs, journalists, stakeholders in the aviation sector and celebrities, including Nollywood stars, on board. (Note, Dana air's flight tracker shows a previous flight 9J350 from Abuja to Lagos at 07h20L).

■ ANGOLA: TAAG in for tough times as air crews go on strike and hefty layoffs loom.

The precarious financial situation at TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), is about to bring the company to a difficult juncture as aircrews embarked on a strike Thursday 3 January 2013 over demands for better salaries, life and health insurance, medical aid for both them and their families locally and abroad as well as training of technicians. Pimentel Araújo, the CEO of  TAAG, has called for direct talks, an offer spurned by the flight crews union.

► GERMANY: Air Namibia reduces its Frankfurt service from late January to March 2013.

Air Namibia (SW) has announced it is to reduce its frequencies to Frankfurt, Germany from daily to 5x weekly over the period 19 January 2013 - 17 March 2013 as a result of reduced demand.  The carrier is to drop its Day 2,6 service from Windhoek to Frankfurt and its Day 3,7 services from Frankfurt to Windhoek.

► CANADA: Egyptair to start Toronto flights from June.

Egyptair (MS) will from 2 June 2013 introduce a 4x weekly Cairo – Toronto service on board Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The Star Alliance member previously planned to launch Toronto service in 2011, but postponed it due to political instability in January 2011.

● KENYA: AFRAA launches Fuel Procurement Tender for 1bn litres of JetA1.

The African Airlines Association's (AFRAA) has finalized its second bulk Jet A1 fuel tender awards for 2013 with volumes bought increasing to over 1 billion litres, up 300 million litres on 2012, with the number of participating airlines also increasing from 8 to 13 members. The increase in membership comes as the effects of drastically high global oil prices have continued to take their toll on airline's bottom lines, not just in Africa, but the world over.

► TANZANIA: Air Tanzania to resume Kigoma from 10 January with Mbeya, Tabora, Mpanda, Arusha, Zanzibar and Mtwara to follow.

Tanzanian carrier Air Tanzania (TC) is to resume flights between the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam and Kigoma, the regional capital of western Tanzania with daily Bombardier DHC-8-300 operated flights to start 10 January 2013. Additionally, flights to Mbeya are also tentatively planned for 20 January with Tabora, Mpanda, Arusha, Zanzibar and Mtwara to follow in due course.

 

► BENIN: Westair Bénin announces vast West African expansion with Dakar, Conakry, Banjul and Lagos to come.

Béninois carrier Westair Bénin (WH) has announced plans to expand operations out of its Cotonou base to Dakar, Conakry, Banjul and Lagos having already announced a greatly expanded network and timetable in mid December.

■ NIGERIA: Government to forge ahead with plans to buy 30 aircraft for use by local operators.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced a Nigerian government initiative to buy 30 aircraft as part of its plans to improve viability and safety in the local industry. Funding is to come via the USD1billion (NGN300billion) Aviation Intervention Fund set up by government and disbursed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in conjunction with Bank of Industry (BOI).

■ TANZANIA: fastjet ruffles first feathers as TCAA encourages more LCCs to start operations.

More low cost carriers are set to join the Tanzanian aviation scene in the coming year amid reports that Low Cost Carrier, fastjet (FN), has begun to ruffle its first feathers following its launch on 29 November.

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian announces 787 operational changes for Q1 2013.

Online aviation resource AirlineRoute states that Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is to apply further changes to its planned Boeing 787 operation over the coming three months.

► KENYA: Jetlink Express hoping to resume ops by 31 March.

News reports out of Kenya state that bankrupt Kenyan regional operator, Jetlink Express (J0), grounded since November owing to a liquidity crunch, could resume operations by the end of March, if talks with potential investors come through.