► SÃO TOMÉ & PRÍNCIPE: Newly installed runway lighting at São Tomé paves the way for night-time flights in August.

São Toméan carrier, STP Airways (8F), and the various other carriers that serve the island nation, could begin to offer better international and regional connecting flights beginning this August after the recent successful installation and testing of runway lighting at the carrier's home base of São Tomé International Airport.

► UNITED KINGDOM: Fire aboard Ethiopian 787 parked at London Heathrow; carrier to continue 787 ops despite incident.

An Ethiopian Airlines (ET) Boeing 787-8 (MSN 34744 | ET-AOP) has been grounded at London Heathrow airport following an on-board fire which broke out while the aircraft was parked at a remote stand on Friday, July 12, 2013. The aircraft was empty when the incident was observed.

■■ SENEGAL: (Pics) Dakar's new Blaise Diagne International Airport now delayed until Q4 2014.

Blaise Diagne International Airport, Diass, Senegal

 

[UPDATE 12 JULY 2013] After a bold declaration last year by the then Senior Senegalese Minister in charge of International Cooperation, Air transport, Infrastructure and Energy, Karim Wade, that the capital Dakar's new Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) in Diass would be ready this year, Senegal's Prime Minister, Abdoul Mbaye, today announced the country's second international airport would only be commissioned in the first quarter of 2014. He, however, did not provide a reason for the delay. [UPDATE 12 JULY 2013] Completion of the airport has now been delayed until November 2014. Senegalese paper, Libération, is quoted as saying a dispute between the Bin Laden Group and Dakar which threatened to derail the project has since been resolved with works now back on track.

■ LIBYA: FedEx resumes operations in Libya through Takween for Airfreight Services.

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company, has expanded its global network by re-launching its express solutions in Libya through Takween for Airfreight Services.

■ CHINA: Nigeria finalizes $500mln deal with CCECC for construction of four new international air terminals.

With a high-powered state visit to China led by Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, about to come to a close, Chinese and Nigerian government officials have finalized several loan and Memoranda of Understanding agreements valued at over USD1.1billion with various Chinese institutions and contractors.  Among them is the Chinese construction conglomerate, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), who have now been tasked with the construction of four new international airport terminals to be completed within 20 months.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Bombardier sets up a Regional Support Office and Parts Depot in Johannesburg.

Canadian aircraft manufacturer, Bombardier Aerospace, has opened a new Regional Support Office (RSO) and parts depot in Johannesburg, South Africa. The office and depot will anchor regional support capabilities for Bombardier business and commercial aircraft customers in Africa. Both the Johannesburg RSO and parts depot are co-located at Bombardier’s Business Aircraft Authorized Service Facility (ASF) at ExecuJet South Africa’s facility at Johannesburg's Lanseria Airport. It will be the 11th parts facility in Bombardier’s network.

► GHANA: Report claims pilot error partly to blame for the 2012 Allied Air Cargo 727F crash in Accra.

The chairman of the investigative committee for the June 2, 2012 crash of a Nigerian Allied Air (4W) cargo B727-200F (MSN  22540 | 5N-BJN) at Accra Kotoka International Airport which killed 10 people on the ground, has presented the final report to the Ghanaian Ministry of Transport for consideration. Among the findings by Captain Alec Grant Sam and his committee are that the pilots of the 727 "were partly to blame" for the accident, having touched down too far along runway 21 to allow them to stop safely.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Mango to boost local frequencies with arrival of first leased 737-800 in August.

South African LCC, mango (JE), is planning to boost its local capacity by over 30 weekly flights following the introduction of the first of two B737-800s leased from Safair in August CEO, Mr Nico Bezuidenhout, has confirmed.

► FLEET UPDATE BULLETIN: Arik Air, Tunisair, Air Algérie, Aeolus Air, Comair.

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: Arik Air (W3), Tunisair (TU), Air Algérie (AH), Aeolus Air (AAZ) and Comair South Africa.

■ ETHIOPIA: Bombardier appoints Ethiopian Airlines MRO an Authorized Service Facility for commercial aircraft.

Bombardier Aerospace has named Ethiopian Airlines (ET) as an Authorized Service Facility (ASF) for commercial aircraft. Bombardier has signed a Letter of Intent to authorize the airline to perform line and heavy maintenance on Q400 and Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft. The agreement is expected to take effect by late August.

► SOMALIA: Turkish Airlines says strongest performing route is Mogadishu.

Turkish Airlines (TK) has announced a marked growth in the number of passengers flying to Turkey and onward to its other international destinations.  Between January and June 2013, Turkish Airlines saw a 25.8 percent increase in global ticket sales over the same period in 2012, a total of more than 22.4 million passengers with African traffic accounting for a significant proportion in that increase.

■ EU BLACK LIST: Libya chooses to remain blacklisted as Air Madagascar is stuck in Annex B.

The European Commission has updated for the 21st time, the European list of airlines subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union, better known as "the EU air safety list". While both Philippine Airlines (PR) and Venezuela's Conviasa were taken off the restrictive list, there were no changes for any of the African countries, or their carriers.

► SOMALIA: (MEDIA) Air Uganda touches down in Mogadishu.

Air Uganda (U7) on 8 July 2013, launched its 3x weekly service between Entebbe and Mogadishu, Somalia using a CRJ200. On hand to see in the arrival were Government officials from both Somalia and Uganda who welcomed the Air Uganda jet with the symbolic “water canon salute”.

► FRANCE: Equatorial Congo Airlines has begun a weekly Pointe Noire - Paris CDG service.

Brazzaville-based carrier Equatorial Congo Airlines, better known as EC Air Congo (LC), on June 29, launched a weekly service connecting the Congolese petroleum hub of Pointe Noire with Paris CDG using a B757-200. EC Air also connects Brazzaville with the French capital.

► MAURITIUS: Emirates to deploy A380 to Mauritius from mid December.

After the successful one-off operation of the jet to Mauritius earlier in the year, Emirates (EK), will from 16DEC13, introduce the Airbus A380 into service between Dubai and Mauritius route, where it’ll operate 1 of the 2 daily flights, replacing the current Boeing 777-300. 

► UNITED KINGDOM: AV Cargo Airlines to add second MD11F shortly; to expand African network further.

A second MD11F freighter, on lease from Boeing Capital Corp., is to be delivered to AV Cargo Airlines (Z3) within the next two weeks and will enter service in early September. AV Cargo, the UK-based scheduled air cargo and charter company plans to use its expanding fleet to further its route network which already extensively covers West Africa.

► MALAWI: Malawi Airlines to launch with a B737-800, Q400; outlines planned network.

Malawi Airlines, successor to the now defunct Air Malawi Ltd, has outlined its planned initial route network and its fleet, which has now been revealed to consist of a Boeing 737-800 and a Bombardier Q400. The aircraft are to be sourced from majority shareholder Ethiopian Airlines (ET).

► ERITREA: Turkish Airlines set to start Asmara flights "soon" following the end of bilateral talks.

Turkish Airlines (TK) is set to make Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, its next destination in its growing Horn of Africa network following recent talks between the Eritrean government and a Turkish business delegation which delved into issues pertaining to Ethiopia and Eritrea; developments in the Horn of Africa, as well as bilateral relations between Turkey and Eritrea.

► JAPAN: EgyptAir axes Tokyo Narita from mid July.

Having progressively reduced the frequency of flights over the last year, Egyptair (MS) has now announced that it will suspend flights from Cairo to Tokyo Narita airport with effect from July 11. The decision is likely exacerbated by the continuing political turmoil in Egypt.

► EGYPT: Air Cairo has started Amman, Misrata flights.

Air Cairo(SM) on 1 July launched three new scheduled routes: 3x weekly Alexandria (Borg Al Arab) - Amman (Jordan) flights, twice weekly Alexandria - Misrata (Libya) and a once weekly Assiut - Misrata service. Flights operate on board an Airbus A320.