► CANARY ISLANDS: Mauritania Airlines International eyes Las Palmas as first EU destination from early May.

Mauritania Airlines International (L6) has set Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands as its first European destination following the removal of Mauritania and all its airlines from the EU's No Fly List. Thrice weekly flights are scheduled to begin on May 8.

● CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): AFRAA sees strong short term growth in African air travel market as doomsayers remain pessimistic about the long term.

The African air travel market growth is set to remain strong with an increase of 5.2% projected for this coming year, Elijah Chingosho, the Secretary General of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has said in Brazzaville. Doom-sayers in the industry, however, remain very pessimistic about the long term future of the continent's airlines given their inability and/or disinterest in merging.

► ALGERIA: Air Algérie now eyeing two Ethiopian Airlines MD11Fs for Cargo ops.

Air Algérie (AH) is planning to add two Ethiopian Airlines Cargo McDonnell Douglas MD-11Fs (possibly (MSN 48758 | ET-AML) and (MSN 48780 | ET-AND)) to its Cargo division as part of its fleet renewal and business turnaround plan.

■ BELGIUM: Government awards Brussels Airlines 2 extra Kinshasa slots; Jetairfly to lodge complaint with EC.

Belgian LCC, Jetairfly (TB) has lodged a complaint with the European Commission following a decision by the Belgian Secretary of State for Mobility, Melchior Wathelet, to award two additional frequencies between Brussels and the Congolese capital of Kinshasa to Brussels Airlines as outlined under a newly revised Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) signed between Congo and Belgium in February this year.

► NIGERIA: Cronos Airlines launches Malabo - Port Harcourt; plans Lagos and Abuja later this year.

Equatorial Guinea-based carrier, Cronos Airlines (C8), has officially launched flights to Port Harcourt in Nigeria out of its hub in Malabo. The carrier also plans to add flights to Abuja and Lagos during the course of the year as part of its Nigerian expansion plans.

► ANGOLA: Airbus bemoans TAAG's staunch loyalty to Boeing, claiming B777 deal price was excessive.

Reports out of Angola claim that attempts by European aircraft manufacturer EADS, the parent company of Airbus SAS, to get their foot into the Angolan market via TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), have been rebuffed outright.

► MALAWI: Kenya Airways granted rights to Blantyre; 5th Freedom rights to Lusaka reinstated.

Kenya Airways (KQ) says it has been granted approval by the Malawian Government to begin flights into Blantyre's Chileka Airport effective June 3, 2013. In addition, its 5th Freedom Rights on the Lilongwe (Malawi) - Lusaka (Zambia) vv. sector of its Nairobi - Lilongwe - Lusaka - Nairobi vv. flights have also been reinstated. Neither of the developments at this time of writing, however, currently reflect on the GDS.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: fastjet appoints Kyle Haywood as head of its new South African operation.

Fresh from announcing its new planned South African market-entry, Tanzanian-based LCC fastjet (FN) has revealed Kyle Haywood as the head of the airline's new South African venture with partner, Blockbuster, now known as "fastjet Holdings."

 

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Forensic audit reveals $20million loss for SA Express in FY 2010/2011.

Following a long, painstaking forensic audit, South African Express (SA Express) (XZ) has finally released its 2010/2011 Financial Year results posting a USD20.6million (ZAR187million) loss.

► SEYCHELLES: Air Force takes delivery of first Do-228 Patrol aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics.

The Seychelles Air Force has taken delivery of a Dornier 228 patrol aircraft following a donation from the government of India as agreed to under an agreement signed between the two nations in 2011 in which India would provide a once-off grant of USD28.79 million for the supply of the maritime aircraft.  A further aircraft is due in 2014.

► UNITED KINGDOM: AV Cargo Airlines plans African cargo ops from May onwards.

AV Cargo Airlines, the phoenix that has risen the ashes of Zimbabwe's bankrupt Avient Cargo Airlines (Z3) has introduced the first of three planned additional MD11 freighters (MSN 48746 | N278WA) into its fleet with flights to Africa planned in due course.

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Air France to deploy A380 on Abidjan flights from late 2014?

Air France (AF) is considering deploying its Airbus A380-800 onto its Paris CDG - Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire route from September 2014 onwards, press reports out of the Ivorian capital claim. Should the move come into being, it would be Air France's second A380 destination in Africa after Johannesburg, South Africa.

► KENYA: (Video) Ethiopian successfully resumes 787 ops with flight to Nairobi; Frankfurt to follow.

Boeing's incident plagued aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, has successfully resumed operations for Ethiopian Airlines (ET) following the replacement of the aircraft's problematic Li-ion battery; the cause of  the Dreamliner fleet's grounding since mid-January.

► ZAMBIA: Air Namibia acquires 5th Freedom rights to Lusaka - Harare vv. sector from May 1.

Air Namibia (SW) is set to enter the ever competitive Lusaka - Harare market through the granting of 5th freedom rights on the route effective May 1. The schedule is as follows:

►► Happy Birthday to us - The African Aviation Tribune celebrates one year online! ◄◄

Dear All,

Today marks The African Aviation Tribune's first birthday; with nearly 1'500 posts now down in the database, she has come a long way since the very early days when it was simply a matter of cutting and pasting news articles. In terms of readers, in the 12 months The Tribune has been online, we have now developed a strong following in the African airline industry with industry professionals from airlines, MROs and aircraft lessors amongst others forming the crux of our readership.

■ DJIBOUTI: Ethiopian Airlines signs MoU with Djibouti Ambouli International Airport to aide trade facilitation.

Ethiopian Airlines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport regarding the transport of goods using both  sea-air and air-sea means throughout the Horn of Africa. 

► SEYCHELLES: South African Airways, Air Seychelles sign codeshare deal.

Air Seychelles (HM), the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, today announced that it has entered into a codeshare agreement with South African Airways (SAA), the national airline of the Republic of South Africa. The first phase of the agreement will see South African Airways place its “SA” code on Air Seychelles’ non-stop flights between Johannesburg and Seychelles. South African Airways will also place its code on flights between the two largest islands of Seychelles, Mahé and Praslin, subject to approvals.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: SAA delays début bond issuance; warns it will play hardball with Airbus and Boeing in future fleet renewal talks.

South African Airways (SA) is to delay its début USD160million (ZAR1.5 billion) bond sale, originally slated for March, until its chief financier and backer, the South African government, approves the airline’s recently submitted turnaround plan. The turnaround plan will also play a pivotal part in deciding the airline's long term fleet acquisition plans; a bone of serious contention in the recent past.

■ KENYA: Siginon Aviation's new $10million cargo facility at Nairobi JKIA on track for September opening.

Siginon Aviation says its planned USD10million new cargo facility at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is on track for a tentative September 2013 launch. The facility will become JKIA's sixth and will add to its current processing capacity of 200'000 tonnes of cargo annually.

► FRANCE: See Pics of Libyan Airlines' first A330 due for delivery next month!

Libyan Airlines (LN) is set to take delivery of its first of two Airbus A330-200 (MCN 1412 | 5A-LAR) due in the coming weeks. The order is part of a larger deal for four of the aircraft of which the other two are due in Libya in May 2014.