■ ALGERIA: Ethiopia, Algeria agree to set up Business Chamber; discuss possible air links.

Algeria and Ethiopia on Sunday June 30, signed a Declaration on Strategic Partnership aiming at boosting their existing, if currently tepid, bilateral relations. Under the declaration, thecountries will cooperate in various fields, namely health, cultural and economic, while an Algerian-Ethiopian Business Council will be set up to promote economic cooperation between the two countries. As a direct result, the possibility of establishing an air route between the two countries was also discussed.

► CANADA: Tunisair planning to codeshare with Libyan Airlines on flights to Canada in 2014?

While awaiting the delivery of its first three A330-200s, Tunisair (TU) director general, Mr Rabah Jrad, says his airline plans to enter into a codeshare deal with Libyan Airlines (LN) on long haul routes to Canada.

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe mulling either the A330/777 for future long haul ops.

Air Zimbabwe (UM) is reportedly mulling leasing either the Airbus A330 or the Boeing 777 as a long haul replacement for its ageing pair of 767s, one of which, (MSN 24867 | Z-WPF), is reportedly undergoing a C-Check set to last 10-months. The other, (MSN 24713 | Z-WPE), is still serviceable though with the advent of the A320 on the airline's Harare - Johannesburg route, it has been parked and is now kept on standby for VVIP (i.e Presidential flights), charters and as a back up. Once refurbished, the aircraft should be deployed on London flights in November.

► ABU DHABI: Etihad announces additions to its SAA, Kenya Airways codesharing.

Abu Dhabi-based carrier, Etihad (EY) has outlined further changes to its previously announced codeshare agreements with South African Airways (SA) and Kenya Airways (KQ). The additions are set to come into effect from July 1.

■ ETHIOPIA: US ExIm Bank okays $130million in financing to Ethiopian Airlines.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has authorized nearly USD130million in financing to support the export of General Electric-powered, Boeing long-range aircraft to Ethiopian Airlines (ET).

► SOUTH AFRICA: Mango to lease two 737-800s from Safair before year end.

South African LCC, Mango (JE), the sister carrier to South African Airways, plans to lease two 737-800s from ACMI specialists, Safair (FA), before the end of the year, CEO Nico Bezuidenhout has said. Mango currently operates six B737-800s and a sole B737-300.

► NIGERIA: Arik Air to take delivery of two A330s this month; plans daily JFK flights from October.

Nigeria's largest carrier, Arik Air (W3), is poised to spread its wings further both regionally and internationally with plans to at long last, take delivery of two A330-200s on lease from Irish aviation specialists, Pembroke Group, later in the month.

■ NIGER: UAE, Niger sign Open Skies agreement.

At a ceremony held in the United Arab Emirates recently, the UAE, represented by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), signed an open skies agreement with the government of the Niger, bringing to 122 the number of fully liberal air service agreements the Gulf nation has with countries around the world.

■ ETHIOPIA: ECAA refuses to renew 19 carriers' operating licences on grounds of inactivity.

The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA), the Ethiopian authority in-charge of regulating the local airline industry, has refused to renew the operating licences of 19 out of 31 private domestic operators and aviation-related businesses on the grounds that the companies have yet to launch operations of any form.

► RWANDA: Rwandair still eyes 17+ aircraft by 2015 with plans to further boost African coverage this year.

On the occasion of his airline taking delivery of its second B737-700 (MSN 30726 | 9XR-WK) on Friday 28 June, RwandAir's (WB) maverick CEO, John Mirenge, says he still plans to increase the fleet to at least seventeen aircraft by 2015 with plans to add "several African, Asian and Latin American countries" to its network.

► GUINEA: Emirates to add 4x weekly Conakry from late October.

Emirates (EK) will from October 27 incorporate a stop in Conakry, Guinea on its 4x weekly Dubai to Dakar, Senegal route. The service currently operates with an Airbus A340-300. The addition of Conakry takes the number of Emirates destinations in Africa to 24. A global producer of bauxite (aluminium ore), Guinea is fast attracting attention from international carriers aiming to tap into the country's growing premium-class market.

► FLEET UPDATE BULLETIN: Rwandair, FirstNation Airways, GEASA Guinea Ecuatorial Airlines, Libyan Airlines, Senegalese Air Force, Dana Air.

The following is a fleet update bulletin for aircraft that are in use, have been in use or will be in use for these listed airlines: FirstNation Airways Nigeria (FRN), Libyan Airlines (LN), Rwandair (WB), GEASA Guinea Ecuatorial, the Senegalese Air Force, Dana Air Nigeria (9J).

► LIBYA: Egyptair Express to go 4x weekly Alexandria - Benghazi from July.

Egyptair Express (MSE) are to launch four weekly flights between Benghazi, Libya and Alexandria with effect from July 2. The flights will operate using an Embraer E170.

■ SEYCHELLES: Air Seychelles outsources some of its accounting needs to Accelya Kale.

Air Seychelles (HM), the national carrier of Seychelles, has selected Accelya Kale Solutions Limited, part of the Accelya Group,  to handle the outsourcing of its Passenger Revenue Accounting, Cargo Revenue Accounting, Airmail Revenue Accounting and Miscellaneous (Non-Transport) Billing to Accelya Kale. The transactions are being processed on Accelya Kale’s proprietary platforms – REVERA and FinesseMBS.

■ MOZAMBIQUE: Carlos Jeque elected Chairman of the Board at LAM.

Reports via Radio Mozambique state that during a General Meeting of Mozambique’s publicly owned national carrier, LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM) held yesterday in Maputo, Mr Carlos Jeque was appointed to the chairmanship of the board of Directors.

■ KENYA: Kenya Airways renegotiates its MRO contracts in bid to cut costs.

Fresh from announcing its latest Financial Year results which entailed a USD92million loss, Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced further cost cutting measures aimed at returning the struggling carrier to the black within the next two years with news that it has renegotiated its aircraft MRO (Maintenance Repair Overhaul) contracts to its benefit.

■ TUNISIA: European Union, Tunisia set to conclude latest round of talks on Open Skies agreement.

Negotiations between Tunisia and the European Union (EU) regarding a possible Open Skies agreement are set to come to an end today amid reports that Tunisia's Minister of Transport, Abdelkrim Harouni, believes that national carrier, Tunisair (TU), was no longer in any dangerand could hold its own in an open market. Open skies is an air transport liberalization scheme in which any barriers of entry to participant countries’ airlines are reciprocally lifted as well as regulations on all forms of air transportation – cargo or passenger – within their sovereign borders. 

► DUBAI: Emirates to deploy A340 to Lusaka/Harare, 777-300ER to Cape Town from September.

Emirates (EK) will from 1 September switch the operational aircraft currently deployed on its Dubai to Cape Town and Dubai to Harare via Lusaka flights. According to AirlineRoute, Harare/Lusaka will switch from the current 777-300ER to the Airbus A340-300 while Cape Town will see flights EK772/773 switch from the A340-300 to a 777-300ER. 

■ SOUTH SUDAN: First batch of SSCAA managers undergo training in Turkey.

Turkey has once more extended its hand to help develop the fledgling civil aviation bodies of nation states in the Horn of Africa, this time with a security training programme aimed at managers from the South Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority - SSCAA. The SSCAA was born in February this year.

■ NIGERIA: Abuja finalizes plans for new carrier "Nigeria One" as Aer Lingus refutes claims of leasing deal with government.

The Nigerian Government , through its Aviation Ministry, has now completed plans to float a new national carrier to be named Nigeria One (not National One as previously reported).