■ CAMEROON: Parliament ratifies new Civil Aviation Regulations bill.

The Cameroonian parliament has adopted a Civil Aviation Regulations Bill following a plenary sitting of the Upper House in Yaoundé on July 16. The bill is based on recommendations made by the ICAO following a September 2006 audit of the country's civil aviation structures which revealed several shortcomings both in terms of legislation as well as implementation.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Cirrus light aircraft crashes just outside Johannesburg Lanseria Airport; 2 dead.

Two people were killed yesterday morning when their Cirrus SR-20 (ZS-CAP) light aircraft crashed after take off from Johannesburg's Lanseria International Airport. According to the South African Press Association, a Lanseria spokeswoman has stated that the "plane left the airport and appeared to be trying to return when it crashed on open land outside the airport."

■ SOMALIA: Somaliland lifts UN flights ban after Turkish brokered talks resolve impasse with Mogadishu.

Turkey has successfully brokered an agreement following talks between the autonomous, yet internationally unrecognised, state of Somaliland and Somalia in which United Nations aircraft will once more be allowed to resume transiting Somaliland airspace and airports, effective July 15. Mr Mahmoud Abdi Hashi, Somaliland's Minister of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, made the announcement in Hargeisa.

■ NIGERIA: Kenya, Nigeria sign revised BASA; Kenya Airways eyes Abuja flights soon.

Kenya Airways (KQ) will "soon" commence direct flights to the Nigerian capital, Abuja, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced. Mr Kenyatta made the remarks during a recently ended official visit to West Africa in which various trade and bilateral agreements were signed, among them, a revised Air Services Agreement. Speaking during a meeting with Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, at State House Abuja, he pointed out that tourism was a potentially untapped market in bilateral relations between the two countries.

► GERMANY: Royal Air Maroc resumes Casablanca - Munich from December.

Royal Air Maroc (AT) will, from 7 December, resume flights from Casablanca to Munich, Germany following a 7-year long interregnum. The thrice weekly flights will be operated by Denim Air Embraer E190 aircraft.

► CAMEROON: Airbus Military delivers a CASA CN-235 transport to the Cameroonian Air Force.

Airbus Military has delivered one of its CASA/IPTN CN-235 medium-range transport planes to the Cameroon Air Force. The handover makes Cameroon the sixteenth sub-Saharan nation to operate the Airbus Military family of aircraft.

■ EGYPT: Egyptair M&E boss, Abdel Aziz Fadel, appointed new Minister of Civil Aviation.

Egypt's new interim president, Adly Mansour, on Tuesday July 16, presided over the swearing-in ceremony of his new cabinet, scheduled to last six months while fresh elections are planned, whereupon he appointed Mr Abdel Aziz Fadel, the current Chairman and CEO of  Egyptair Maintenance & Engineering, to the post of interim Minister of Civil Aviation. Mr Fadel replaces Engineer Wael El-Maadawy who was ousted along with the rest of Mohammad Morsi's government during last week's military-backed coup d'état.

► TANZANIA: AeroVista pulls plug on Tanzanian subsidiary citing excessive taxation.

Aerovista has announced that as of July 1, 2013,  it has suspended the operations of its Tanzanian subsidiary, Aerovista Tanzania Limited. The Sharjah-based ACMI specialists had obtained their Tanzanian Air Operators Certificate in September 2012 just as a lease deal with Air Tanzania (TC) for a Boeing 737-500 (MSN 27354 | 4L-AJB) fell through.

► ANGOLA: TAAG to serve either London or Paris from June/July 2014 - Carreira.

TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT) will launch flights to either London or Paris CDG during the second half of 2014, the airline's director of operations, Mr. Rui Carreira, has disclosed. The route's launch, however, will hinge upon the delivery of a new Boeing 777-300ER, due in May 2014, he added.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Over four-thousand SAA staff to strike today over wage dispute; allege discrimination.

Over 4000 South African Airways (SA) employees in the airline's cabin and ground crew sectors will, from today, embark on a strike proclaimed by their trade union, the South African Transport & Allied Workers' Union (SATAWU), after SAA's management "unilaterally" went ahead and implemented a 6.23% wage rise with benefits; an offer previously rejected by the union.

■■ SUDAN: See Renderings for New Khartoum International Airport to be built and financed by China.

[UPDATE 17 JULY 2013] The Arab press is reporting that the Sudanese Government has signed a USD$750million loan, with an as-yet-unspecified foreign bank, to fund the initial construction phase of the capital, Khartoum's, New International Airport. The loan will be repaid over a period of 25 years, beginning after the completion of the project. Other loans secured thus far include a USD$47million loan from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development signed in July 2010, and another for USD$120million from the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) signed in May 2010.

►► PHILIPPINES: Ethiopian Airlines cancels planned Manila, Ho Chi Minh City routes; nixes Singapore.

[UPDATE 17 JULY] According to AirlineRoute, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) plans to adjust its East Asia operations from 18JUN13, with the tentative launch of 3 new destinations: Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Manila (Philippines) and Seoul Incheon (South Korea).

■ SENEGAL: ASECNA secures $39million loan from the IFC for infrastructural upgrades.

The Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (L'Agence pour la Sécurité de la Navigation aérienne en Afrique et à Madagascar - ASECNA) has secured a loan of USD39.43million (EUR30million) from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to finance part of its renovation plan, which includes the acquisition of new equipment and the refurbishment of buildings. These investments will allow ASECNA to continue improving the quality of its services and to maintain its perfect safety track record. 

► SOUTH AFRICA: fastjet keen on Mozambique, Zimbabwe markets as more SA carriers eye Dar es Salaam.

With the launch of Johannesburg - Dar es Salaam flights said to be approaching "soon", fastjet says once operations are in place, it would like to get in on the difficult to access, albeit very lucrative, South Africa - Mozambique and South Africa - Zimbabwe markets.

.

■ EU BLACK LIST: Who's hot, who's not in Guinea, the DRC, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique and Sudan.

The following is an extract from the latest Official Journal of the European Union detailing the group's most recent decisions and activities, with particular reference paid to the latest updates made to its ominous Banned Operators List. Among the countries that argued their cases to be struck off the list in Brussels (and in one instance, chose to remain on the list) were the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique and Sudan. The extract lists the various changes, including carriers that have now been either certified or struck off the countries' respective verified operator's lists, that each regulatory authority has implemented with respect to EU & ICAO minimums.

► SPAIN: Royal Air Maroc starts Casablanca - Tenerife Nord from late October.

Royal Air Maroc (AT) is set to begin flights from Casablanca to Tenerife Nord with effect from 29OCT. The three times weekly flights will operate using an ATR72. Canary Islands-based carrier, Binter Canarias (NT) currently serves Marrakech from Tenerife Nord.

■ NAMIBIA: NAC planning to add a new terminal, runway at Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport.

The Namibia Airports Company (NAC) has announced plans to construct a new passenger terminal and a second runway at the Windhoek's Hosea Kutako International Airport as part of its five year strategic plan. Speaking in Windhoek during the handing over of two apron buses for use at the airport, Chairwoman Ms Ndeuhala Katonyala said that while the NAC is currently focussed on extending the current passenger terminal at Hosea Kutako to ease the flow of passengers, a new terminal would be required to meet anticipated long term growth.

► SAUDI ARABIA: Kenya Airways to boost Jeddah to 4x weekly from September to November.

Owing to an expected surge in demand during its Hajj & Umrah operations, Kenya Airways (KQ) from 03SEP13 to 10NOV13 is increasing the frequency of its Nairobi – Jeddah service, where it’ll operate 4 weekly flights instead of the current two. The operational aircraft will also change from an Embraer E190 to a Boeing 737-800.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Thai Airways cuts Johannesburg flights from late July 'til September.

Thailand carrier Thai Airways International (TG), will from 27 July until 19 September, temporarily reduce its Bangkok – Johannesburg operation. With the loss of Friday flights during the period, frequencies will drop to 3x weekly from the current four.

■ KENYA: Construction of Nairobi JKIA's second runway to start in November.

Construction of Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport's much needed second runway is set to begin in November this year after Kenyan Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary, Michael Kamau, gave the go ahead to ensure that the project is completed by 2017.