■ CONGO (KINSHASA): New national carrier to début in June as Government moves to recertify all Congolese carriers under IATA supervision.

Justin Kalunga, the Democratic Republic of Congo's Minster of Transport, says a new national airline has already been white-papered and approved by his government with a new strategic partner set to be chosen in due course. The new airline, due to take delivery of its first aircraft in June, will replace the current quasi-defunct national carrier, LAC Lignes Aériennes Congolaises (4V). The move is one of the initiatives the Congolese are undertaking to ameliorate the country's poor aviation safety record and international image.

■ TANZANIA: Fastjet to settle $2mln in debts with Tanzanian taxman, Airports Authority as deal with 1Time said to be under "reconsideration".

Tanzania based fastjet (FN), has agreed to settle debts amounting to over USD2million (TAS3.14billion) owed to both the Tanzanian Revenue Authority (TRA) and the Tanzanian Airports Authority (TAA). Previously, fastjet had claimed that the debts had been incurred under predecessor Fly540's previous owner, 540 Aviation, who were therefore responsible for them.

● LIBYA: LYCAA releases final report on crash of Afriqiyah 771; blames lack of pilot coordination, somatogravic illusions.

Libya's Civil Aviation Authority has released its final report on the crash of the Afriqiyah Airlines (8U) Airbus A330-200 (MSN 1024 | 5A-ONG) operating as flight 8U772 from Johannesburg, South Africa to Tripoli, Libya, which crashed on approach into Tripoli International Airport in May 2010. According to their findings, air crash investigators have blamed "the limited coordination and cooperation between the two crew members" exacerbated by fatigue and coupled with  the effects of somatogravic illusions (i.e. an optical illusion that can result in spatial disorientation) as the mitigating factors in the crash.

► SOUTH AFRICA: TAAG Angolan Airlines goes 3x weekly to Cape Town from April.

From 1 April, TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), Angola's national carrier, is to boost its Luanda - Cape Town frequency from twice weekly to 3x weekly, with the addition of a Wednesday flight. Ops are flown with a Boeing 737-700.

■ SOUTH SUDAN: Kiir issues decree founding Civil Aviation Authority as new airline, South Supreme Airlines, is born.

Salva Kiir, the President of South Sudan, on Tuesday issued a decree formally establishing the country's first civil aviation authority (South Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority - SSCAA), tasked with regulating and developing the fledgling nation's aviation and airline industry. The authority will be overseen by a board of seven members, headed by Police General Agasio Akol.

► SIERRA LEONE: Senegal Airlines starts Dakar - Freetown, adds extra Conakry flights on-board Brussels Airlines A330s.

Senegal Airlines (DN) has launched Dakar - Freetown (Sierra Leone) flights in conjunction with Brussels Airlines (SN). Since 25 February, the Senegalese national carrier has been placing its code "DN" on Brussels Airlines' Dakar - Freetown sector of its Brussels - Dakar - Freetown flights. Similarly, Senegal Airlines has also placed its "DN" code on Brussels Airlines' Dakar - Conakry sector, effectively adding 3 extra weekly frequencies to its previous 7x weekly flights.

■ MAURITIUS: Maldives and Mauritius ink BASA; daily intra island flights slated to begin "before July."

Mauritius has signed a Bilateral Air Services Agreement with fellow Indian Ocean islanders, the Maldives, at a ceremony held on 26 February in the Mauritian capital, Port Louis. Under the accord, designated carriers from both Mauritius and the Maldives will be able to jointly operate direct flights between Beijing and Mauritius, and Maldives and Mauritius.

■ ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines MRO certified for both Bombardier Q-Series airframe maintenance and CFM56-3/7 engine overhauls.

Ethiopian Airlines MRO (Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul) division has upgraded its product and has now been granted approval by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide full airframe maintenance services for Bombardier’s Q100, Q200 and Q300 turboprop aircraft. Additionally, it has also been certified to provide overhauls for the CFM International CFM56-3 and CFM56-7 engine respectively.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Kulula 737 suffers engine failure during take off roll in Cape Town forcing closure of runway; no injuries.

A kulula (MN) Boeing 737-800 (MSN 28612 | ZS-ZWP) operating flight MN104 from Cape Town International to Johannesburg, South Africa, at 15h00L suffered an engine failure during its take off roll. One of Cape Town's two runways was subsequently shut for a brief period to allow for inspection and clearance of any debris.

► NIGERIA: Saudia Cargo boosts Hong Kong - Lagos flights on back of strong demand.

Saudi Airlines cargo division, Saudia Cargo (SV), has announced that it will add one additional weekly flight on its Hong Kong - Lagos route effective March 2013. Overall, the increase will result in there being 9 weekly flights from Hong Kong and 8 to Lagos, its West African hub.

► JAPAN: Egyptair to reduce Tokyo Narita ops from 31 March.

As per the 27FEB13 GDS timetable and inventory display, Egyptair (MS), starting 31MAR13, is to reduce its Cairo – Tokyo Narita service from 3 to 2 weekly. 

► ZAMBIA: Proflight set to take delivery of a 737 in May for use on Lusaka - Livingstone flights during UNWTO.

Domestic operator Proflight Zambia (P0), is looking to take delivery of a Boeing 737-200ADV in late April for use on its domestic routes during the upcoming XXth United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly to be jointly held in Livingstone & Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in August this year.

►► ETHIOPIA: ASKY Airlines now codesharing with Ethiopian on the latter's West Africa, Brazil flights.

[UPDATE 26 FEBRUARY] Ethiopian Airlines (ET) and its West African subsidiary ASKY Airlines (KP) have expanded their code-sharing agreement to now cover the majority of Ethiopian's routes between Ethiopia and West Africa with Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Benin, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Togo and Burkina Faso now operating with an ASKY IATA code (KP).

■ TANZANIA: Precision Air sees a 6% increase in pax uplifted over NOV12 - JAN13 period.

Tanzania's Precision Air (PW) says it has registered a 6% growth in passenger traffic for the period NOV12 - JAN13 with an overall growth of 13% for the period APR12 to JAN13.

► NIGERIA: Discovery Air outlines its planned route network though launch date is still uncertain.

Nigerian startup Discovery Air has outlined its intended route network with various domestic and regional destinations planned. The Lagos based carrier intends to launch commercial flight services with a fleet of Boeing 737-300s and Bombardier CRJ-200s, though when exactly, remains uncertain.

► TANZANIA: fastjet to start daily Kilimanjaro - Mwanza & Zanzibar ops from mid March.

Tanzanian LCC Fastjet (FN), is to expand its network with the announcement today of the launch of daily Kilimanjaro - Mwanza and daily Kilimanjaro - Zanzibar flights effective 18 March. Both flights will operate with an Airbus A320.

► EGYPT: Sky Cruise hot air balloon explodes in mid flight over Luxor; 19 dead.

A hot air balloon belonging to Sky Cruise - Egyptian Airship & Balloon Co. of Luxor, this morning burst into flames in mid air, before plummeting to the ground killing 19 tourists who were on-board. Two passengers - the balloon pilot and a tourist  - were said to have survived, but have sustained serious burns and have been taken to a local hospital in Luxor, about 450km south of Cairo.

► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Air Annobón finally starts operations with daily Bata - Malabo flights.

Enigmatic Equatoguinean startup, Air Annobón, has at long last launched scheduled flights, albeit one month ago. Operations are understood to have commenced on 25 January using only one (and not two) BAe146-300s.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Comair Ltd takes SAA's current and previous bailouts to the High Court; disputes their legality.

South Africa's Comair Ltd, the British Airways (BA) franchise owner for South Africa and owner of LCC kulula (MN), is to dispute the legality of South African national carrier, South African Airways (SA)'s ZAR5billion bail out from Government last year and its previous injections amounting to ZAR11billion, in the High Court in Pretoria tomorrow.

► ICELAND: Air Madagascar to transfer its A340 onto Air Atlanta Icelandic's registry in hopes of using them on EU bound flights.

Air Madagascar (MD) has entered into an agreement with Icelandic ACMI specialists Air Atlanta Icelandic (CC) which will result in Air Madagascar transferring

its Airbus A340 onto Air Atlanta Icelandic's registry. The aircraft will therefore fall under the supervision of the Icelandic Civil Aviation Authorities and will allow the Malagasy national carrier to resume flights to Europe using its "own" equipment, despite its categorization as an "Annex B" class carrier on the EU No Fly List.