► WESTERN SAHARA: Royal Air Maroc launches direct Gran Canaria - Laayoune flights; Cargo ops to come in June.

Royal Air Maroc (AT) is planning to boost both cargo and passenger services out of Laâyoune, the capital of Western Sahara (also known as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) with the recent launch of flights to Gran Canaria  and Royal Air Maroc Cargo flights from Dakar to Casablanca via Laâyoune set to begin in June 2013.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Air Mauritius to resume Durban flights "soon".

Air Mauritius (MK) is looking to return to Durban, South Africa after having dropped the route in late October 2012 citing poor loads. In addition, the carrier will also offer "convenient connections to the Far East" as it seeks to exploit the growing Africa - Asia market.

► LIBYA: Libyan Airlines looking to dramatically boost international and domestic market share in 2013/2014.

Libyan Airlines (LN) is aiming to boost its passenger numbers by 11% in 2014, to 1.5million as the carrier seeks to secure a 50% market share of Libya's international traffic.

► DUBAI: Kenya Airways acquires 5th Freedom rights on Dubai - Hong Kong sector of new Nairobi - Dubai - Hong Kong flights.

Kenya Airways (KQ) has acquired fifth freedom rights on the Dubai - Hong Kong sector of its new Nairobi - Hong Kong flights, set to begin 13JUN. The new flights will operate out of Nairobi 3x weekly.

■ NIGERIA: Airjet Routing awards Evergreen Apple groundhandling contract for Lagos MMA.

Evergreen Apple Nigeria (EAN) has been selected by Avjet Routing, the Sharjah, United Arab Emirates-based aviation business services company, to serve as its preferred ground handler in Nigeria with principal services being provided at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

►► TANZANIA: Air Uganda planning for Entebbe - Kilimanjaro flights; launches "Crane Class" product.

[UPDATE 2 APRIL] Air Uganda (U7) has revealed that it is in the process of planning a new route from its hub in Entebbe to the Tanzanian tourist mecca of Kilimanjaro. Currently, the airline operates to the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam.

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines to boost Muscat, Brazzaville & Kinshasa services from mid June.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET), will, starting 16JUN13, add a 5th weekly service to its Addis Ababa – Muscat route while from 18JUN13 service to Brazzaville and Kinshasa will increase from 7 to 10 flights weekly. In addition, the existing daily Addis Ababa – Kinshasa – Brazzaville – Addis Ababa service will be adjusted.

■ MAURITIUS: Zambia, Mauritius set to sign BASA in near future.

Following the 2nd session of the Zambia-Mauritius Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation held in the Mauritian capital, Port Louis, last week, Mauritius and Zambia have agreed to sign a Bilateral Air Services Agreement in the near future, aimed at promoting and enhancing trade between the two countries.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Former 1Time founders place blame for airline's demise on BEE investors' shoulders.

The former founders of defunct South African LCC, 1Time (T6), have placed the blame for the carrier's demise squarely on the shoulders of the Black Economic Empowerment consortium who acquired a 25% shareholding in the airline.

► SOMALIA: African Express Airways timetable changes for Somalia, Kenya, Yemen, UAE traffic.

Nairobi-based African Express Airways (XU), has adopted numerous changes to its regional & Horn of Africa operations. Most notable are the dropping of Aden (Yemen) - Berbera (Somaliland) - Mogadishu flights, the suspension of Sharjah (UAE) - Berbera - Mogadishu - Wajir - Nairobi flights until June and the introduction of Nairobi - Mogadishu - Wajir flights from early April.

► BOTSWANA: Air Namibia to axe Gaborone from late May.

Air Namibia (SW), will from 31MAY, axe its 4x weekly Windhoek - Gaborone, Botswana flights. The rationalization comes after the carrier announced it would drop its Johannesburg - Windhoek - Accra, Ghana service from 10APR13.

► OMAN: Oman Air looks to expand Africa network as part of efforts to become profitable.

Omani national carrier, Oman Air (WY), is planning to increase its services to Africa - with Casablanca first in line - as part of its plan to become profitable. The move comes after the airline posted a loss of USD253million (OMR97.47million) for 2012.

► SOUTH AFRICA: SAAF Agusta A109LUH crashes near Kruger; 5 dead.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has confirmed the death of five people who died on the evening of Saturday 30 March, when their South African Air Force Agusta A109 Light Utility Helicopter crashed around 19h00L just north of Satara, Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga.

► ETHIOPIA: Abedair Aviation Ethiopia rebrands itself as Aquarius Aviation.

Addis Ababa-based Aberdair Aviation Ethiopia has been re-branded as Aquarius Aviation to distinguish itself from the Nairobi-based operator, Aberdair Aviation. On launching in 2009, Aquarius leased various aircraft from Aberdair Kenya, as well as paid it royalties for the use of its name in order to help establish a reputation for the ad-hoc charter airline.

► MAURITIUS: MegaMaldives Airlines planning Beijing - Mauritius flights from July.

Mega Global Air Services, also known as MegaMaldives Airlines (5M), is planning to start a once weekly Beijing - Mauritius service from 9 July writes Swiss aviation newswire, CH-Aviation.

► NETHERLANDS: See Pic of Rwandair's first 737-700 fresh out the paint shop!

Rwandan national carrier, Rwandair's (WB), first of two Boeing 737-700NGs (MSN: 30717 | 9XR-WJ) (ex D-AHXB) leased from the  International Leasing Finance Corporation, has come out of the paint shop in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

► ZAMBIA: Mukuba Airlines, Zambia's first LCC, set to start ops in coming months with ATR42s, 72s.

Mukuba Airlines, dubbed Zambia's first Budget airline/LCC, is set to start operations in the next few months, in time for the XXth United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly to be jointly held in Livingstone & Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in August this year.

► NIGERIA: AeroContractors resumes operations today.

As previously reported, Nigeria's second largest airline, AeroContractors (AJ), will resume flights effective today, 29 March bringing to an end, a strike that had lasted 20 days. Dana Air (9J) however, remains grounded despite being given the go ahead by government to resume operations nearly 2 weeks ago.

► GHANA: RwandAir announces Douala, Accra, Juba as next destinations to come in June/July.

With the imminent arrival of the first of two Boeing 737-700NGs, replacing the airline's Boeing 737-500s whose leases expire mid year, Rwandair (WB) has announced that Douala and Accra will be the airline's next new destinations from 1 June 2013.

►► KENYA: Etihad Airways, Kenya Airways sign partnership deal; KQ to launch 3x weekly Abu Dhabi flights from July.

[UPDATE 29 MARCH] Etihad Airways(EY), has signed a strategic commercial partnership agreement with Kenya Airways (KQ), which will see Etihad Airways placing its EY code on Kenya Airways flights while Kenya Airways will place its KQ code on Etihad Airways’ daily service from Nairobi to Abu Dhabi and, subject to government approval, onto Etihad various other routes.