► UNITED STATES: Egyptair reduces Cairo - New York JFK ops for duration of April.

Egyptair (MS), during the month of April 2013,  is temporarily reducing its Cairo – New York JFK operations, where overall service is being reduced from daily to 5 weekly. A Boeing 777-300ER aircraft operates on this route.

► RWANDA: Rwandair announces further Summer 2013 schedule changes.

Following on from our previous post, Rwandair (WB) will, according to the 08APR13 GDS timetable and inventory display, adjust a number of its operations from 01JUN13 in preparation for the Summer 2013 season.

■ SUDAN: SCAA releases final report on Sudan Airways A310 crash in Khartoum in 2008.

The Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority has released its final report on its investigation into the 2008 crash of a Sudan Airways (SD) Airbus A310-300 (MSN: 548 | ST-ATN) at Khartoum International Airport which killed 30 of 214 occupants on board. The Airbus had touched down on Khartoum's runway 36 at 20h26L before longitudinally overrunning the runway by some 200m and bursting into flames on its right side. The report blames the long flaring distance (900 meters from R/W  threshold) on a wet slippery runway and various piloting oversights as the primary causes of the crash.

► EGYPT: Air Memphis forced to suspend Tehran flights after just 1 week following sectarian protests.

Just one week after having launched Egypt and Iran's first direct air link in over 30 years,  Air Memphis (MHS), the Egyptian charter operator, has been forced to suspend the flights after protests broke out at the Iranian ambassador's residence in Cairo just prior to Saturday's inaugural flight.

►► CUBA: TAAG increases Luanda - Havana, Beijing frequencies from late March.

[UPDATE 8 APRIL] Angolan flag carrier TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), is to increase its frequencies from its Luanda, Angola hub to Havana, Cuba and Beijing, China effective 31 March.

■ KENYA: Experienced-pilots shortage a headache to Kenya Airways and a possible dampener to Project Mawingu.

Kenya Airways (KQ) expansion plans, as outlined in its ambitious 10 year vision, Project Mawingu, could be hampered by a lack of adequately trained personnel, most critically among them, experienced pilots.

■ TUNISIA: Air BP, AGIL sign agreement covering 7 major airports.

Aviation fuel supplier, Air BP is to enter the Tunisian aviation fuel sector through the signing of a Commercial and Technical Service Agreement with the Société Nationale de Distribution des Pétroles (AGIL), Tunisia's national oil distribution company. The agreement, effective immediately,  includes service coverage at seven airports in Tunisia including: Tunis Carthage, Djerba, Enfidha, Tozor, Tabarka, Monastir and Sfax.

■ ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines in talks with international firms over construction of a 4* hotel in downtown Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is reportedly in fresh talks with unnamed international companies regarding the design, construction, vendor finance and management of a proposed four-star (previously 5 star) hotel it wants to build on 40'000sqm of prime real estate in downtown Addis Ababa on the newly revamped African Avenue.

■ UGANDA: Cornwell Muleya appointed CEO of Air Uganda.

Meridiana Africa Airlines (Uganda) Limited, also known as Air Uganda(U7), has announced the appointment of Cornwell Muleya to the position of CEO. He joins Air Uganda from Kenyan outfit ALS - Aircraft Leasing Services (K4), where he has been CEO for the last 3 years. An Engineer and Chartered Accountant by trade, Mr Muleya spent the early part of his career in audit and financial consulting with Deloitte and PriceWaterHouseCoopers.

► KENYA: Mombasa Air Safari, Safarilink announce their proposed high season routes.

Safarilink (F2) has announced the addition of two new routes to its network; the long awaited reverse service from Masai Mara to Laikipia, and an afternoon service from Laikipia to Wilson, commencing on June 15, 2013.  It will operate from 3 airstrips in Masai Mara to Nanyuki, Samburu, Loisaba and Lewa Downs. Mombasa Air Safari (RRV) will also launch flights into the Mara from Nairobi Wilson effective from July.

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Kenya Airways suspends Bangui flights 'til early May likely due to political situation.

Kenya Airways (KQ) has suspended its flights to the Central African Republic, effective immediately. CH-Aviation reports that the Kenyan national carrier had previously operated a 3x weekly flight to Bangui with an onward sector to Douala, Cameroon. Flights have been tipped to resume in early July, though this date is still speculative.

► NIGERIA: "United Nigeria": new Nigerian Air Force airline takes delivery of a B737-500.

The Nigerian Air Force could soon venture into the commercial flights sector following the delivery of a Boeing 737-500 (MCN 25791 | NAF916) this week. The revelation was made by the Managing Director of Aeronautical Engineering & Technical Services Ltd (AETSL), Air Vice Marshal Alkali Mamu last week.

■ TURKEY: First group of Somali ATCOs completes course in Trabzon.

Turkish-Somali relations took yet another step forward last week with the completion of a training course in Trabzon, Turkey by Somali air traffic controllers (ATCOs). Two new controllers, Dahir Mohamed Gure and Mohammed Ali Nur, graduated and will be part of a new compliment of ATCOs bound for Mogadishu where works on a renewed terminal at Aden Adde International are underway.

► KENYA: SafariLink to only accept passengers with prevalidated visas on Kilimanjaro - Masai Mara flights from June.

Safarilink Aviation (XLK), the Kenyan regional airline based at Nairobi's Wilson Airport, has announced that from 15 June, owing to lengthy delays in the issuance of visas at Nairobi Wilson Airport, it will only guarantee a connection on its Kilimanjaro - Masai Mara service to arriving passengers who already have a valid visa in their passports.

► RWANDA: Rwandair outlines new Accra via Lagos and Douala via Brazzaville, Libreville ops.

Rwandan national carrier, RwandAir (WB) has outlined its planned Kigali - Accra and Kigali - Brazzaville - Libreville - Douala services due to launch in June. According to Amadeus, Accra flights will operate 3x weekly via Lagos, Nigeria with Rwandair obtaining 5th Freedom rights between Lagos and Accra. Douala flights will operate 4x weekly.

►► SOUTH AFRICA: Air Botswana to drop Cape Town - Maun from end of March.

[UPDATE 7 APRIL] Air Botswana (BP) is to drop its 4x weekly Cape Town - Maun route effective 31 March, just 10 months after its début. The route originally launched with daily flights back in June 2012 and predominantly catered for the leisure market.

■ GHANA: Kumasi Airport partially closed again after huge cracks, subsidence appear in runway 20.

Kumasi Airport in Ghana has been closed once more owing to its runway 20 cracking and subsiding. This follows after the airport was closed year in December to allow for repairs to the same runway.

► ZIMBABWE: LAM Mozambique, Air Namibia announce changes to their Harare operations.

Both LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM), and Air Namibia (SW) have announced changes to their Maputo -  Beira - Harare and Windhoek - Harare routes effective 31 March. LAM has now added an extra 3rd weekly service to the Zimbabwean capital, while Air Namibia operations will now route its Harare flights onwards to Lusaka, Zambia also effective 31 March. Days 1 and 5 will route Windhoek - Lusaka - Harare - Windhoek while Days 3 and 7 will route Windhoek - Harare - Lusaka - Windhoek.

►► NAMIBIA: Air Namibia to axe Accra, reduces Cape Town, Joburg due to low demand, Frankfurt due to A340s undergoing maintenance.

[UPDATE 7 APRIL] Air Namibia (SW) is, according to Amadeus, to axe its Windhoek - Accra (Ghana) flights effective 10 April. In addition, Windhoek to Cape Town, and Windhoek to Johannesburg flights are to be reduced from 3 to 2 a day, with Windhoek to Frankfurt flights being reduced to 4x a week effective immediately.

■ TANZANIA: TAA forks out $12'000 for land feasibility study for new Sumbawanga airport.

The Tanzanian Airport Authority (TAA) has allocated more than USD12'000 (TZS20million) for the evaluation of an area at Kisumba Village for the construction of a "modern, spacious airport" to serve Sumbawanga Municipality in Rukwa District, south western Tanzania.