■ UNITED STATES: Air Namibia switches its GSA in the US, UK and France to APG.

Effective April 1, Air Namibia (SW) has changed its General Sales Agent (GSA) in the USA, UK and France and has appointed APG as its new GSA in all three countries.

■ ZIMBABWE: Five managers sent on forced leave as forensic audit reveals deadwood at Air Zimbabwe.

Air Zimbabwe's (UM) newly appointed board has begun to wield the axe on deadwood found following the preliminary results of an audit which revealed "some" irregularities at the parastatal.

■■ KENYA: (Pics) A look at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport's proposed Terminal 4 currently being built.

 

Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Project Greenfield & Terminal 4

[UPDATE 16 APRIL] Now that all the dust has settled following a protracted court case involving accusations of favoritism and bribery in the awarding of the tender for Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport's (JKIA) new Terminal 4 and future Greenfield Terminal and a second runway expansion planned, construction has finally started, though when the entire project will be completed, is anyone's guess.

■ TUNISIA: Tunisair gets greenlight to proceed with job cuts but no word yet from unions.

Tunisian national carrier Tunisair (TU) has received the greenlight from government to proceed with the downsizing of the company announced in 2012 which will see the loss of 1'700 jobs, though the airline's all powerful unions have yet to come on board.

► QATAR: Egyptair to go double daily to Doha from June.

EgyptAir (MS) has announced the addition of direct flights between Cairo and Doha, Qatar starting 01JUN 2013 using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The increase will bring the total number of weekly flights to 14 per week in a double daily operation, up from the current 10x weekly. The new frequencies will leave Cairo in the late evening, returning from Doha in the early morning.

■ KENYA: KAA tenders for the construction of a new domestic terminal at Nairobi JKIA.

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has officially issued a tender for the design, construction of the terminal building, supply and installation, testing, commissioning and  handing over of a new Domestic Terminal at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

■ LIBYA: Ministry of Transport to replace Tripoli's radar system; to increase civilian/military airspace monitoring.

Libya's Ministry of Transport is set to beef up the country's ability to monitor both civilian and military air traffic through the commissioning of new radar infrastructure and control facilities. The facilities will be used in monitoring the trafficking of both people and drugs in Libya as well as the illegal export of arms to neighbouring countries.

■ 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.