► ZAMBIA: Proflight mulls expansion into Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, the DRC and Zimbabwe.

With the recent launch of its first regional flights to Lilongwe, Malawi, Proflight Zambia (P0) is mulling adding three further international destinations to its growing network by mid-2014, effectively making Lusaka a regional hub for air travel.

► NIGERIA: Jimoh Ibrahim says Air Nigeria will resume ops but only under new ownership.

Air Nigeria (VK) could make a return to the skies, albeit under new ownership and management, the current CEO of the airline, Mr Jimoh Ibrahim, has stated. Speaking on the tenth anniversary of the founding of his group of companies, Global Fleet, Mr Ibrahim said his board of directors would meet over the coming week to discuss the future of the airline, which ceased operations in September 2012.

► UGANDA: Government outlines its initial fleet requirements for Uganda Airlines 2.0.

Kampala is moving ahead with plans to resurrect defunct national carrier, Uganda Airlines (QU), following reports that government has already outlined its intended fleet requirements for twelve aircraft needed to service regional and international routes.

► GHANA: ASKY Airlines eyeing a secondary hub out of Kumasi as everyone complains about Nigeria.

Ethiopian Airlines' West African subsidiary, ASKY Airlines (KP), is reportedly considering turning Kumasi, Ghana into a secondary hub through the launch of direct flights to various West African capital cities and commercial centres. The move comes as domestic Ghanaian carrier Starbow Airlines (S9) is also planning a resumption and expansion of its regional services.

► ETHIOPIA: Russian Mil-8 chopper on WFP ferry flight to Juba crashes near Debre Zeyit; no casualties.

A Russian Mil Mi-8MTV (MSN 95642 | RA-25497) helicopter leased from Krasnodar-based firm, PANH Helicopters, by the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP) enroute to South Sudan, on the morning of Wednesday 31 July, crashed in a locality called Chefe Donsa, near the town of Debre Zeyit, about 50 km outside Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. All four occupants onboard survived though three sustained serious injuries.

■■ KENYA: Huge blaze rips through Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

A devastating fire tore through the International Arrivals building and Unit 1 departures at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Wednesday, August 7, forcing the local authorities to temporarily close the airfield until further notice. The fire was under control after three hours with no injuries, fatalities or damage to any aircraft thus far having been recorded. Kenya Airways did report that one member of its staff and a passenger had slight smoke inhalation and were safe in hospital for further investigation. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has granted clearance to the Kenya Airports Authority to use Unit 3 for international departures and arrivals.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Regulator dismisses SAA's complaint against kulula regarding the latter's controversial ad campaign.

The Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa has reportedly dismissed a complaint brought by South African Airways (SA) against local rival LCC Kulula (MN) over the latter's use of the South African flag and slogan "The Most South African Airways" in an advertising campaign launched in March this year.

■ MOROCCO: AfBAA launches symposium series – first regional event to be held in Marrakech.

Just over a year since its inception, The African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA), is set to launch a series of four annual regional and national symposia, the first of which takes place in Marrakech, Morocco, on 26 – 27 September 2013.

■ GHANA: Slovenian business aviation specialist, Elit'Avia, sets up shop in Accra.

Slovenia's Elit’Avia, a fully-integrated provider of business aircraft charter, management and operation services, has announced that it has opened an office in Accra, Ghana and is currently managing four business aircraft for West African clients, specifically: two Bombardier Global 6000s and a Bombardier Global XRS in Nigeria, plus a Dassault Falcon 2000 in Ghana. Management of these aircraft is a blend of both exclusive client use and charter availability.

■ MOZAMBIQUE: AdM issues tender for renovation, upgrade works for Maputo International Airport's runway 05/23.

Aeroportos de Moçambique (AdM) has reportedly issued a tender to all interested parties pertaining to the renovation, upgrading and expansion of Maputo International Airport's main 3'660m (12'007ft) long  runway 05/23, apron, and other facilities including all airfield lighting systems. The project is Phase III of the airport's upgrading programme.

► SOUTH AFRICA: SAA jet suffers another false hijack alert, this time in Port Elizabeth.

A South African Airways (SA) jet operating as flight SA417 from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth was yesterday met at Port Elizabeth International Airport by armed police and other emergency response teams after squawking that their aircraft had been hijacked. The incident turned out to be a false alarm.

■ KENYA: Mass delays at Nairobi JKIA after pipeline fault starves airport of Jet A1.

Nearly two thousand passengers, among them 49 athletes from the Kenyan athletics team heading to the IAAF Athletics World Championships in Moscow were, on the night of Monday August 5, stranded at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after the main pipeline supplying jet fuel to the airport malfunctioned resulting in the mass cancellation of flights.

► DJIBOUTI: Air France starts dedicated weekly flights to Djibouti from late October.

Air France (AF) will, from October 27, 2013, commence once weekly dedicated flights from Paris CDG to Djibouti Ambouli onboard an Airbus A340-300. As such, the current 3x weekly service to the Horn of Africa state which operates via Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will cease with effect from that date with flights to Riyadh increasing to 5x weekly.

►► SOUTH SUDAN: Rwandair postpones Juba flights 'til September.

[UPDATE 06 AUGUST] Rwandan national carrier, Rwandair (WB), will from 01JUL13 begin operations to South Sudan, with a 3x weekly Kigali – Juba service, on board CRJ900 aircraft.

■ NIGERIA: Evergreen Apple Nigeria appoint Joe McDermott as head of FBO operations.

Lagos-based aviation business Evergreen Apple Nigeria (EAN) has appointed Joe McDermott to the newly created role of Head of Fixed-base operator (FBO) Operations. He will be based at the Lagos headquarters and be responsible for managing all operations at its fully integrated FBO facility based at Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, along with developing existing offices in Port Harcourt and Abuja that currently manage EAN passenger requests in each location. 

■ EGYPT: Cairo's proposed aerotropolis, "Cairo AeroCity", attracts $3billion in initial bids.

Egypt's new Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr Abdel Aziz Fadel, says Cairo International Airport's Aerotropolis proposal, dubbed Cairo AeroCity, has thus far attracted USD3billion in initial bids in spite of the unstable political situation currently prevailing in the country.

■ SIERRA LEONE: Transport Ministry pitches Freetown to Delta Airlines in bid to lure more US carriers.

Sierra Leone’s Transport and Aviation Minister, Mr. Leonard Balogun Koroma, says his country has submitted all the necessary documents and information to Delta Airlines (DL) in the hopes of luring the US carrier to the capital Freetown. Delta's West African network currently consists of Dakar, Monrovia, Lagos and Accra.

► LIBYA: Qatar Airways A320 diverts to Alexandria after militia forces Tripoli tower to deny landing permission.

Qatar Airways (QR) has once again been victimized in Libya, this time in Tripoli when on Sunday, August 4, an armed militia are said to have forced Tripoli ATC tower staff to deny an inbound Qatar Airways A320 permission to land, instead forcing it to divert to Alexandria, Egypt. The flight, QR528, then refuelled and returned to Qatar.

■ TANZANIA: Zanzibari lawmakers irate at cost overruns, poor workmanship at new airport terminal.

The Zanzibari House of Representatives has taken the government there to task over continuous delays and cost overruns in the construction of an urgently needed new international terminal (Terminal II) at Zanzibar's Abeid Amani Karume International Airport.

► TUNISIA: British Airways suspends London Gatwick - Tunis from late October.

British Airways (BA) has announced that from October 25, it will cease its 3x weekly flights from London Gatwick to Tunis, Tunisia citing a lack of profitability on the route. Currently, both the B737-400 and the A319 are used to service the route.