► NIGERIA: Air Zimbabwe to start Lagos & Accra in March?

Air Zimbabwe (UM) is to start flights from Harare to Lagos, Nigeria and Accra, Ghana with the first flights due in March 2013 reports out of Zimbabwe state.

► ASCENSION ISLAND: Delta Airlines 777 enroute from Joburg to Atlanta diverts following engine trouble.

A Delta Airlines (DL) Boeing 777-200LR (MSN 29742 | N705DN) en-route from Johannesburg ORTIA, South Africa to Atlanta, USA on Wednesday 9 January 2013, was forced to divert to Georgetown, Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean following the failure of its starboard engine.

► TUNISIA: Syphax to sign deal with Airbus for 10 A320s; with Safran for CFM engines.

Tunisian carrier Syphax Airlines (FS) is to seal a deal with Airbus for 10 Airbus A320s in addition to another deal with Safran S.A. the French multinational aircraft & rocket engine, aerospace component and security company.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): CAA considering an eventual buy out of flyCongo?

According to CH-Aviation, CAA - Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation (FPY), the Kinshasa-based Congolese carrier, is said to be planning the eventual acquisition of partner, flyCongo (EO), the successor to the now defunct Hewa Bora Airways, with whom it has been in a partnership since October 2012.

► GABON: Afric Aviation to take delivery of an ATR72.

Gabonese private carrier Afric Aviation (L8) is to take delivery of its first ATR72-200 to complement its current ATR42-300 reports Swiss aviation newswire, CH-Aviation.

► SOMALIA: Daallo Airlines set to start Dubai - Burao via Berbera.

Daallo Airlines (D3), the Dubai-based national carrier of Djibouti, are to add another route to their network with the launch of Burao - Berbera - Dubai. Burao and Berbera are cities in Somaliland, an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia.

■ TOGO: Construction works at l’Aéroport Lomé-Tokoin nearing completion.

The upgrading and expansion of the Togolese capital, Lomé's, l’Aéroport International Gnassingbé Eyadèma (AIGE), also known as Lomé-Tokoin Airport, is progressing with work nearing 80% completion. The project, funded by the Chinese Export-Import Bank (ExIm Bank) to the tune of USD150million and using the China Airport Construction Group Corporation (CACC) and WIETEC, aims to transform Lomé into a "sub-regional transport hub."

► RWANDA: RwandAir leases a Dash 8-100 from Kenya's ALS Aircraft Leasing Services.

Rwandan aviation blog, RwandanFlyer, reports that Rwandair (WB) has leased a Bombardier DHC 8-100 (MSN 10 | 5Y-CAU) from Kenya's ALS Aircraft Leasing Services.

 

■ NIGERIA: Kaduna Airport to be ready by April: FAAN

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says the Kaduna Airport remodelling project, located in the Northen Nigerian state of Kaduna, will be completed in three months. The airport was among the first 11 major domestic Nigerian airports scheduled for remodelling under the Nigerian Government's transformation programme.

►► MOZAMBIQUE: Federal Air drops Joburg - Vilanculos from 2013.

[UPDATE 12 JANUARY] Federal Airlines (7V) has announced that, effective February 1, it will cease its Johannesburg ORTIA - Vilanculos, Mozambique route, with the last operational flight on January 31. The flight currently operates daily with an ATR42.

■ BURUNDI: Lack of political, legal will sabotaging the privatization of Air Burundi, Civil aviation authority.

Bureaucratic infighting and legal nit picking are amongst the causes of the Burundian government's ongoing battles to reorganize and in some cases, privatize, its ailing civil aviation industry.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: 1Time's Jetworx MRO to be taken over by the American Industrial Acquisition Corporation.

In another promising development following the proposed acquisition of bankrupt South African LCC 1Time (T6) by LCC fastjet (FN), its sister MRO company, Jetworx, has been acquired by the American Industrial Acquisition Corporation (AIAC), thereby giving hope to its remaining 200 employees. The deal however, is still subject to approval by Jetworx creditors.

► MAURITANIA: ANAC grounds Mauritania Airlines International 737-500 over maintenance concerns.

The Mauritanian Civil Aviation Authority - l’Agence Nationale de l’aviation civile (ANAC) -  has grounded a Mauritanian Airlines International (L6) Boeing 737-500 (MSN 28469 | 5T-CLA) at its home base, Nouakchott International Airport, following revelations the aircraft had exceeded its maximum permissible flying cycles.

■ UGANDA: Air Uganda renews its IOSA certificate; launches new Premium Economy class product.

Celestair's Air Uganda (U7) has passed its IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and has had its certificate renewed until 30 September 2013 according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website. The certificate was awarded to Meridiana Africa Airlines Uganda Ltd t/a Air Uganda.

► COMOROS: (Pics) New Comorian government airline starts flights.

Following on from our previous post, the Comorian government has launched flights using its newly acquired Let 410-UVP20 (D6-NWD), to be used to ply inter island services. The aircraft is understood to be part of greater fleet expansion plans that the Comorian government has, following the crash of an Inter Îles Air (ZXA) Embraer 120ER in November.

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines' 787 timetable for Beijing, Frankfurt, Toronto, Washington DC announced.

AirlineRoute reports that as per the 11 January 2013 GDS timetable and inventory display, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will continue to tweak its planned Boeing 787 long haul service between now and late-March 2013.

►►► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Air France suspends Bangui after riots outside French embassy.

[UPDATE 11 JANUARY] As the situation in the Central African Republic continues to deteriorate, so French carrier, Air France (AF), had to cancel its weekly flight to Bangui on 26 December, with the next flight on 2 January 2013, under review.

■ LIBERIA: Liberian, Ghanaian Civil Aviation Authorities order safety audits of Delta Airlines citing frequent delays.

Liberia's Civil Aviation Authority, along with the Liberian Ministry of Transport, have ordered a safety audit of American airline, Delta Airlines (DL) following a series of flight cancellations and intermittent technical problems. The LCAA has also recommended that Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and government officials not use the American carrier for travel.

► GABON: Air France boosts Libreville frequencies from March 2013.

Following on from bilateral talks between the French and Gabonese governments concluded last year, Air France (AF) will, starting 11 March 2013, progressively increase flights to Libreville, Gabon with the addition of a 6th weekly service between Paris CDG and Libreville, followed by the addition of 7th weekly service from 31 March 2013. 

■ TANZANIA: Omani consortium to invest $100m in Air Tanzania.

Tanzanian national carrier Air Tanzania (TC) is set to receive a much needed shot in the arm with reports that a consortium led by the Oman-based Al Hayat Development and Investment Company is to invest USD100million (TSH160million) into the struggling airline, with the final Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed "by the end of next week" (January 18).