■ GUINEA: SOGEAC to embark on Phase 2 of Conakry Gbessia International Airport's expansion plan.

Société de Gestion et d'Exploitation de l'Aéroport de Conakry (Conakry Airport Authority - SOGEAC) the Guinean state enterprise charged with managing Conakry Gbessia International Airport, is to embark on the second phase of renovations at the airport following the completion of Phase I, started in 2009.

■ ZIMBABWE: Former head of Zimbabwean cricket board, Osias Bvute, named new chairman of Air Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwean Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development Minister, Nicholas Goche, has appointed a new board tasked with turning around bankrupt national carrier, Air Zimbabwe (UM) with the former head of the Zimbabwean cricket board, Osias Bvute, named as Chairman of the board.

■ BOTSWANA: Puma Energy Co. opens new $3mln fuel storage depot at Maun International Airport.

Puma Energy Co. today commissioned a USD3million (BWP27million) aviation fuelling facility at Maun International Airport, northern Botswana. The airport serves as the country's primary gateway to the Okavango Delta and the Moremi Game Reserve.

■ ZIMBABWE: CAAZ takes first step in establishing own aviation academy.

Controversial Zimbabwean diamond outfit, Mbada Diamonds, has handed over a USD500'000 office block to the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), of which one of the buildings will be used to help establish an aviation training academy.

► RWANDA: KLM to boost Kigali, Entebbe frequencies to daily from April.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines(KL) will, from 5 April, boost its frequency on its Amsterdam to Entebbe, Uganda via Kigali, Rwanda route from 6x weekly, to a daily service with the introduction of a Tuesday (Day 2) service.

► SENEGAL: Air Méditerranée to start Dakar in April; Oran, Algeria in June.

Air Méditerranée (ML) has continued with its push into Africa with the announcement of two new African routes to be served from April and June respectively. Effective 3 April, French carrier will start a 1x weekly Marseille - Dakar, Senegal service while from 21 June until 6 September, a seasonal 1x weekly Montpellier - Oran, Algeria service will be launched.

■ TANZANIA: Air Tanzania allegedly tries to evade court ordered building evaluation over unpaid debts.

In yet another case of a deadbeat Tanzanian airline not paying its bills, national carrier, Air Tanzania (TC), who was threatened with the auction of its headquarters, Air Tanzania House, after it failed to settle a debt of over USD700'000 (TZS1.1billion) owed to Leisure Tours & Holidays Limited for car rentals, has allegedly obstructed the court ordered evaluation of their building.

■ GHANA: Government once more looking to partner private sector in launching new national carrier. Fifth time lucky?

Following the successful conclusion of feasibility studies, Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama says the Ghanaian government is to partner the private sector under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative in the establishment of a new national airline before year end.

► INDIA: Air Mauritius adjusts India/Hong Kong ops during September.

AirlineRoute reports that, as per the 21FEB13 GDS timetable and inventory display, Air Mauritius (MK), during the month of September 2013, is to adjust its operational aircraft in service to India and Hong Kong.

► AZERBAIJAN: Azerbaijani Airlines to operate two one-off charters to Egypt, Morocco for Novruz holiday.

Azerbaijan Airlines (J2) has announced it will operate two one-off charter flights from Baku to Egypt and Morocco respectively, in connection with the Novruz holiday, a traditional Iranian holiday which celebrates the New Year, and the coming of Spring.

► ZAMBIA: Kenya Airways to operate Harare via Livingstone flights from June 'til October.

Kenya Airways (KQ) will launch 3x weekly Nairobi, Kenya to Livingstone Zambia and on to Harare, Zimbabwe flights effective 2 June until 25 October. The route will operate with an Embraer E190 jet.

► ALGERIA: Tassili Airlines to launch domestic ops from 4 March; outlines intended route network.

As was speculated about last year, Algeria's Tassili Airlines (SF) will, at long last, launch its first scheduled domestic flights to eleven destinations beginning 4 March, in what marks Algeria's first steps towards the deregulation of its airspace.

► GABON: Nationale Regionale Transport dominates domestic market in 2012 says AdL.

Gabon's Nationale Regionale Transport (NRG) has come out Gabon's most dominant domestic carrier for the year 2012, according to statistics released by L’aéroport de Libreville (Libreville Airport - AdL). Nationale saw a 7% increase in passengers carried on 2011.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Qatar Airways reduces capacity to Joburg, Cape Town & Maputo from 31 March.

Qatar Airways (QR) will from 31 March adjust its capacity on its Doha – Johannesburg – Cape Town route and its Doha – Johannesburg – Maputo route.

■ ETHIOPIA: New BASA signed with Spain raises hopes for an eventual Ethiopian Airlines' Madrid service launch.

The signing of a new Bilateral Air Transport Agreement  (BASA) between Ethiopia and Spain has reignited hopes of Ethiopian Airlines (ET) finally launching its currently shelved Madrid route plans. The BASA was signed yesterday in Addis Ababa by the Spanish Ambassador to Ethiopia Miguel Angel Fernandez Palacios Martinez, and the ECAA's Director-General, Colonel Wesenyeleh Hunegnaw. 

■ MALAWI: Massive civil servant strike forces closure of Lilongwe & Blantyre airports.

As they had previously threatened, civil servants in Malawi have gone on strike over payrise demands, thus bringing the country to a virtual standstill with Lilongwe's Kamuzu International Airport, and later Blantyre's Chileka International Airport, having being forced to close.

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Ethiopian announces various changes to its West African network from June.

AirlineRoute reports that Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will from June 2013 adjust its operations to West Africa with numerous equipment and frequency changes to come into effect.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: SAA's ninth turnaround plan in 13 years will work because it is "cutting edge" claims Myeni.

South African Airways (SAA) acting board chairman Ms. Duduzile Myeni claims that the airline's latest turnaround plan, its ninth in 13 years, set to be presented on either March 28 or 2 April, will be "cutting edge" and will be more successful than its eight predecessors because it has been developed and "owned by our own people".

■ RWANDA: Netherlands, Rwanda sign Air Services Agreement.

Rwanda and The Netherlands, on Wednesday 6 February, signed a Bilateral Air Services Agreement following a visit to Kigali by Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade & Development Cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen. In typically wooden diplomatic language, no explicit details about the contents of the BASA were revealed. The agreement, signed on behalf of Rwanda by Minister of Infrastructure, Albert Nsengiyumva, now accommodates "both countries’ current requirements and wishes" and formalizes the air connection between the two countries.

■ MOZAMBIQUE: AdM's air traffic control comms network to be upgraded with PolarSat's VSATPlus 3.

Mozambique's air traffic control communications network, under the control of Aeroportos de Moçambique (AdM), is to be ungraded with a VSATPlus 3 satellite communications network following the signing of a multi-phase contract between GECI, a worldwide high technology, engineering, E&M support and consulting group, and PolarSat Inc, a manufacturer of full mesh hubless VSAT modem technology.