■ CONGO (KINSHASA): Minister lays into government departments, civil service and private sector over country's air safety woes.

At a recent three day seminar held in Kinshasa, the Congolese Minister of Transport & Communication, Justin Kalumba, lambasted the country's various aviation industry players, both governmental and private, for contributing to the country's poor aviation safety track record.

► INDIA: Ethiopian Airlines eyeing Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata with more to come.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is considering dramatically expanding its Indian market presence in the coming months the Star Alliance carrier's Senior Vice President for Global Sales, Esayas Woldemariam Hailu, has said.

■■ RWANDA: (Pics) A look at Kigali's proposed New Bugesera International Airport.

New Bugesera International Airport, Kigali, Rwanda

[UPDATE 14 APRIL] After the horrific aftermath of the genocide of 1994, Rwanda's economy has risen from the ashes to become one of Africa's most dynamic and fastest growing, registering at least 8 percent GDP growth in the past 5 years, with 6.9% growth projected for 2013. As part of its Vision 2020, amongst whose aims is to transform the country from a subsistence-farming based economy into a middle-income (>USD900/month) services hub, the Rwandan Government has moved to develop a vibrant private sector by investing in Roads, Rail and water transport infrastructure with the ultimate aim of dramatically reducing the cost of transport to businesses and individuals. Of the several large infrastructure projects proposed, the most economically far reaching is a new airport, Bugesera International Airport, to be built outside of the capital, Kigali.

■ LIBYA: Libyan Airlines management claims ongoing strike not affecting operations.

Libyan Airlines (LN) has denied that its operations have been curtailed by an ongoing employee strike which has now entered its second week. Online news reports had earlier suggested that the airline had ceased taking reservations though this has since been confirmed as false.

■ TANZANIA: New and improved Bukoba airport to open next month says TAA.

Bukoba Airport, situated along the southern shores of Lake Victoria, is expected to reopen next month according to the Tanzanian Airports Authority (TAA) following the conclusion of rehabilitation and extension works to the airport's runway 13/31, and rehabilitation of the terminal building.

► TANZANIA: Auric Air announces interim timetable changes effective 19 April.

Tanzania's Auric Air (H8) has announced an updated timetable to come into effect from 19 April 2013, as noted on its site. The airline operates an exclusively domestic Tanzanian service.

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Air Cote d'Ivoire set to receive third, and first own, A319 shortly.

Air Cote d'Ivoire (HF) is due to take delivery of its third Airbus A319 (MSN 1018 | HB-IPR) to supplement two other Airbus A319s leased from Air France (AF) and an Embraer E170 leased from Regional (YS). 

►► NIGERIA: Airstream Aviation starts cargo ops using wetleased B737-400F.

[UPDATE 13 APRIL] Abuja-based Airstream Aviation has launched scheduled cargo and ad-hoc charter operations on domestic routes using a wet leased Boeing B737-400F (MSN 24128 | S5-ABV).

■ ANGOLA: Renovation and expansion works at Luena Airport to be finished by June.

The rehabilitation and expansion works at Luena Airport in Moxico Province, Angola, are winding down with Angola's airport and air traffic authority Empresa Nacional de Aeroportos e Navegação Aérea (ENANA) giving June as a possible date for the overall completion of the rehabilitated passenger and cargo terminals.

►► SÃO TOMÉ & PRÍNCIPE: South African Beechcraft 1900C disappears into Gulf of Guinea in rough weather; no survivors.

A South African registered Beechcraft 1900C-1 (unconfirmed MCN UC-74 | ZS-PHL) has reportedly disappeared without trace in the Gulf of Guinea, 14km off the coast of the West African nation of São Tomé & Príncipe.

■ ZIMBABWE: Construction of new airside infrastructure at Victoria Falls Airport goes ahead as Bulawayo's nears completion.

Work on the upgrading of airside infrastructure at Victoria Falls International Airport in Zimbabwe has finally gotten under way following a ground-breaking ceremony held in the resort town on Friday, attended by Zimbabwean government dignitaries. The contractor for the USD150million project, to be financed under a China ExIm Bank loan, has been identified as China Jiangsu International Group (CJIG).

► BURKINA FASO: Cargolux to start weekly Ouagadougou flights from 16 April.

Luxembourg's Cargolux (CV) Airlines International S.A. has announced that, in addition to starting Tripoli flights from 16 April, it will start weekly Wednesday  flights to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, on 24 April. Often called the centre of the nation, Ouagadougou is the country’s largest city; its main industries are food processing and textiles.

■ ETHIOPIA: Qatar, Ethiopia sign BASA paving the way for possible Doha - Addis Ababa flights.

Ethiopia and Qatar have taken a significant step in repairing relations, broken off in April 2008 over alleged news bias against Addis Ababa by Qatar's Al Jazeera TV, with the signing of "various" agreements, among them an air services agreement (BASA) on 10 April following the conclusion of bilateral talks between the Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn. 

► SIERRA LEONE: Leone Airways, the Arik Air-partnered initiative, hoping to start operations come June.

Leone Airways, the new Sierra Leonian national carrier formed out of a partnership with Arik Air(W3), Nigeria's largest carrier, and the government of Sierra Leone is to tentatively commence operations in June this year. Under the partnership deal signed in 2011,  Arik will provide the carrier with its initial fleet and technical skills and comes about from the airline's close relationship with Freetown after in 2009 it was designated "the national carrier of Sierra Leone", thereby allowing it to ply the Freetown - London route. 

■ MOROCCO: Aerotechnic Industries expands scope to now include overhaul of Boeing 737NG airframes; secures RAM contract.

During a ceremony attended by Mr Driss Benhima, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Air Maroc (RAM) Group, and Mr Franck Terner, President, Air France Industries, the two partners officially announced a new phase in the development of their Aerotechnic Industries (ATI) joint venture. Set up in 2009, the 50/50 joint venture between the two groups is now extending the scope of its activities to the overhauling of Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) airframes. 

► MALI: Air Mali tests the waters by operating its CRJ200 and MD87 on behalf of sister carrier, Air Burkina.

As the political situation in Mali begins to settle down, so Celestair Group's Malian subsidiary, Air Mali (I5), has taken its first steps towards resuming operations by dusting off its stored Bombardier CRJ200 (MSN 7392 | TZ-RCA) kept until recently in France. 

► KENYA: (Pics) Kenya Airways Cargo's first B737-300F officially unveiled in Nairobi.

Kenya Airways Cargo (KQ) has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737-300(F) (MSN 29088 | 5Y-KQC), recently converted in Shanghai by Boeing. The ceremony took place today at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Under its 10-year growth strategy, Kenya Airways plans to have 12 freighters in its fleet by 2022.

■ LIBYA: Libyan Airlines selects OnAir for onboard wifi connectivity for its four A330s, with two due next month.

Libyan carrier, Libyan Airlines, (LN), set to take delivery of its first of four Airbus A330s next month, has selected OnAir to provide on-board internet broadband connectivity. The aircraft will fly on long-haul international routes to Asia and Europe.

► ZAMBIA: Mukuba Airlines outlines its planned domestic route network.

Zambia's first LCC, Mukuba Airlines, set to be operate out of the Victoria Falls town of Livingstone, has outlined its intended route network with flights set to range in cost from USD35 to USD50.

► KENYA: LCC Jambo Jet's launch delayed until "sometime this year": Naikuni

The launch of JamboJet, Kenya Airways' (KQ) planned Low Cost Carrier wing, has been pushed back to "sometime later this year", Kenya Airways CEO, Titus Naikuni has said.