■■ ZIMBABWE: A new board in place, Air Zimbabwe now hunting for a new CEO.

[UPDATE 19 MARCH] After the appointment last month of Ozias Bvute and six other board members charged with reinvigorating the airline, Air Zimbabwe (UM) is now on the hunt for a new Chief Executive Officer to replace the incumbent, Innocent Mavhunga, who was appointed to the role temporarily following the surprise resignation of Peter Chikumba in late 2010.

► MAURITANIA: Military Tucano EMB-312F crashes near Aoujeft; 1 dead.

An Embraer Tucano EMB-312F military aircraft belonging to the Mauritanian National General Staff (Air Wing) crashed yesterday (Monday 18 March) morning at 10h50L whilst out on a test flight. The aircraft came down 7km south-east of Aoujeft, a desert town in the Adrar Region of western Mauritania, roughly 500 kilometers (300 miles) north-east of the capital, Nouakchott.

► TURKEY: Turkish Airlines boosts Lagos, Dar es Salaam ops from May.

Turkish Airlines (TK) is to boost its capacity and frequency between Istanbul and Lagos and Istanbul and Dar es Salaam. Changes will come into effect from late May.

■ UNITED STATES: Quest Aircraft Company names SkyQuest International its Kodiak sales agent for Africa.

Idaho-based Quest Aircraft Company, the manufacturer of the Kodiak 10-seater turboprop aeroplane, has named SkyQuest International, LLC as an authorized Kodiak dealer to represent the company’s sales activities in Africa. 

► NIGERIA: Dana Air resumes ops tomorrow morning as AeroContractors moves to fire nearly 1'000 striking employees.

After talks held today between its management, the Nigerian Aviation Ministry and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dana Air (9J) has announced it will resume operations tomorrow. Fellow Nigerian domestic operator, Aero Contractors (AJ), has moved to fire nearly one thousand employees, striking since last Wednesday.

► KENYA: Updates on ALS Aircraft Leasing, Mombasa Air Safari, Skyward International and Phoenix Aviation ops.

Kenyan operators ALS - Aircraft Leasing Services (K4) and Skyward International Aviation have taken delivery of an Embraer ERJ-145 and a Fokker 50 respectively while Mombasa Air Safari (RRV) and Phoenix Aviation are to retire their Let 410s and McDonnell Douglas MD83 respectively.

► COMOROS: Air Tanzania resumes Dar es Salaam - Moroni flights from late March.

Tanzanian national carrier Air Tanzania (TC) will resume flights from Dar es Salaam to Moroni (Comoros) effective 25 March. Flights will operate three times weekly using Air Tanzania's leased Boeing 737-200Adv.

■ SEYCHELLES: Air Seychelles officially announces $1mln profit for FY2012/2013.

Following three years of losses, Air Seychelles (HM), the national airline of the Seychelles, today officially reported a net profit of USD1million for its 2012/2013 Financial Year. The positive result comes just 12 months after Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad Airways (EY) acquired a 40 per cent stake in the airline and was awarded a five year management contract. The result beats Etihad's original expectations in which the Gulf carrier projected Air Seychelles to turn a profit albeit within the first 24 months of operation.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: fastjet files letter of intent with 1Time's creditors in Johannesburg; one step closer to launching.

LCC fastjet (FN) has taken, what it terms, "a major step” towards its acquisition of defunct South African LCC 1Time (T6) through the filing of a letter of intent with the airline's liquidators in Johannesburg. The move comes on the back of a visit by fastjet's Chairman and Chief Executive, David Lenigas, to South Africa, last week.

►► KENYA: First of four Kenya Airways Boeing 737-300s set for Cargo conversion.

[UPDATE 18 MARCH] Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced plans to convert four of its six Boeing 737-300s into regional cargo freighters in a move that will see the carriers' cargo division, Kenya Airways Cargo, increasing its presence in Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa.

► CHINA: Air Mauritius switches flights to Shanghai to afternoon ops during Northern Summer 2013.

AirlineRoute reports that Air Mauritius (MK) will, starting 31MAR13, adjust its northbound schedule on its Mauritius – Shanghai Pu Dong route, as the carrier shifts its night-time departure, ex-Mauritius, to the afternoon.

► SAUDI ARABIA: Palestinian Airlines, Egyptair cooperating on El Arish - Jeddah Umra flights.

EgyptAir (MS) in late January, signed a cooperation agreement with Palestinian Airlines (PF) to operate a series of pilgrimage flights on behalf of the Palestinian carrier out of its current base in El-Arish, Egypt to Muslim holy sites in Saudi Arabia. 

■ NAMIBIA: NAC upgrading Windhoek-Eros Airport with new fire station, blast fence.

The Namibian Airports Company (NAC) is currently constructing a new USD1.36million (NAD12.5million) state-of-the art fire and rescue station at Windhoek's Eros Airport. Together with  an emergency control centre, as well as ablution and recreational facilities for staff, the new facilities will allow the airport to comply with standards stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

■ ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines to acquire Q400, B787 simulators this year.

Ethiopian Airlines' (ET) Aviation Academy is to acquire two new flight simulators for delivery later this year. The Bombardier Q400 simulator is expected in the coming months with a Boeing B787-8 simulator having recently been tendered for.

► NIGERIA: Emirates, Turkish Airlines granted rights to Kano; flights to begin by end of March says Princess Stella.

Turkish Airlines (TK) and Emirates (EK) will commence services to the northern Nigerian city of Kano before month-end according to Nigerian Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah. Princess Oduah made the remarks during the recent opening of the newly renovated and expanded international terminal at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).

■ EGYPT: Finalized plan for new $20billion Cairo "airport city" development to be presented in April.

Planning for the construction of a new USD20billion "airport city" near Cairo International Airport is to be concluded come April reports from Egypt’s Ministry of Civil Aviation state. The new development will be the first of three similar projects to be built in the capital, Alexandria (Burg Al Arab airport) and at Port Said airport.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: fastjet in talks with local South African partner to bypass 25% foreign ownership cap in 1Time.

Following on from our last report, LCC fastjet (FN) is now reportedly in negotiations with a "credible local South African partner" to aide in its protracted battle to acquire control of bankrupt South African carrier, 1Time (T6). This comes after an outcry from the local airline community including South African Airways and Comair Ltd, forced fastjet to rethink its strategy to acquire 1Time, which until now, has been blocked by South African law.

■ EGYPT: Egyptair losses total $880million since 2011 Revolution: al-Maddawy.

Egypt's Minister of Civil Aviation, Wael al-Maddawy, says Egyptian national carrier, Egyptair (MS), has posted continuous losses of USD880million (EGP6billion) since the 2011 Egyptian revolution which lead to the fall of then president, Hosni Mubarak, and his regime.

► ZAMBIA: (Pic) Singapore Airlines Cargo 747F touches down in Lusaka.

Singapore Airlines Cargo (SV), the cargo wing of Singapore Airlines, on Monday 11 March 2013, operated a one-off Boeing 747-400F flight into the Zambian capital, Lusaka.

► NIGERIA: Dana Air grounded as Aviation Ministry revokes its AOC.

Nigeria's Dana Air (9J), has had its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) revoked by the Nigerian Ministry of Aviation acting through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The move comes only 3 months after the carrier received its revalidated AOC and resumed operations.