■ TANZANIA: Air Tanzania streamlines its operations with hefty staff lay-offs.

National carrier, Air Tanzania (TC), has joined the growing list of Tanzanian airlines that have been forced to trim their workforces down with reports that 128 out its original 300-strong staff have now been let go.

► NIGERIA: Med-View Airline granted regional, international traffic rights; eyes Dubai by year end.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has reportedly granted Kano-based Med-View Airline (VL) regional and international traffic rights with flights to Dubai to launch before year end, the airline's managing director, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, has announced.

► TANZANIA: fastjet to start 3x weekly Dar es Salaam - Mbeya flights from November.

As previously reported, fastjet (FN) has announced the launch of flights from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya (Songwe airport) with effect from November 1. The route will operate 3x weekly on-board an Airbus A319. Reservations will open this week.

► COMOROS: New Qatari-American start-up, Ola, also eyeing the Indianocéanie market.

The Indian Ocean region is set to see a battle of the start-ups with news that a new Qatari-American backed carrier, Ola, is planning to pre-empt the launch Air Austral's (UU) own start-up, Ewa. Ewa is set to take to the skies in November of this year using an ATR72-500.

■ MOZAMBIQUE: LAM posts strong rise in revenue, pax numbers for H1.

Mozambique's national carrier, LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM), has announced an 8% rise in its revenues for the first half of its 2013 Financial Year buoyed by the highest July passenger traffic the airline has seen since its inception in 1980, airline managing director, Marlene Manave, has announced.

► NIGERIA: Young whippersnapper survives 45minute ride in wheel-well of an Arik Air 737.

A teenage Nigerian stowaway survived a 45-minute flight from the southern Nigerian city of Benin to Lagos MMA in the wheel-well of an Arik Air (W3) B737-700 (MSN 33944 | 5N-MJG) on Saturday, August 24. On arrival in Lagos, the boy, Daniel Ihekina, was arrested by airport authorities when attempting to get down and handed over to the Nigerian State Security Services for further questioning.

■ TANZANIA: Omani consortium Al-Hayat resurfaces with its $100mln investment plans for Air Tanzania.

Mysterious Omani consortium, Al-Hayat Development and Investment Limited, has surfaced once again in the Tanzanian commercial hub of Dar Es Salaam and once again it is touting a USD100million investment initiative for struggling national carrier, Air Tanzania (TC). 

► SOUTH AFRICA: And suddenly a new LCC, FlySafair, appears aiming for a Q4 launch.

South Africa’s Air Service Licensing Council has given local ACMI & MRO specialists, Safair (FA), the go ahead for its LCC startup, FlySafair, to launch domestic operations in the last quarter of this year. Tickets for its planned Cape Town - Johannesburg (OR Tambo International) route are expected to go on sale in September.

■ LIBYA: LYCAA selects Comsoft for aeronautical infrastructure & communications upgrade.

The Libyan Civil Aviation Authority (مصلحة الطيران المدني‎ - LYCAA) has awarded a contract to upgrade all of Libya's existing Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) infrastructure to Germany's Comsoft. The initiative is being undertaken as part of the Libyan government's ongoing infrastructural refurbishment plan and will ultimately result in safer skies over the country.

► SOMALIA: Jubba Airways begins wetlease of an An30F from Congo's Aéro-Frêt Business.

Somalia's Jubba Airways (6J) has reportedly wet-leased an Antonov An-30 freighter, TN-AHP, from Congolese cargo specialists, Aéro-Frêt Business, based out of Pointe Noire, for use on its domestic Somali passenger flights. 

► NIGERIA: Ethiopian Airlines now eyes a return to Kano as more carriers show interest.

With recent inauguration of 4x weekly flights from Addis Ababa to the south-eastern Nigerian city of Enugu, Ethiopian Airlines has now stated it plans to resume flights to Kano, suspended over ten years ago.

■ EGYPT: Despite heavy sustained losses, Fadel outlines his longterm vision for Egyptair.

Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr Abdul Aziz Fadel, says the current Egyptian government is determined to map out the future for a New Egypt by leveraging the country's aviation and tourism sectors to help kick start the stalled economy. The minister's comments come against the back drop of plunging tourist arrivals caused by the country's ongoing political and social unrest which thus far have cost national carrier, Egyptair (MS), "considerable losses". Previous reports stated the national airline's arrivals had dropped 10% since the military coup of July 3 and the ensuing civil unrest. 

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: (Pics) Karinou Airlines' first B737-300 rolls out the paint shop!

The Central African Republic's Karinou Airlines (U5) first B737-300 (MSN ? | TL-TSM) has rolled out the paint shop at the CAC Aircraft Services hangar in Florida. Previously due in early Q2 of this year, the aircraft is currently parked in Miami awaiting its ferry flight to Bangui M'poko International. Its exact details are not available at this time (i.e whether it is a lease or an outright acquisition).

■ CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Second module at Brazzaville Maya-Maya International set to become operational.

The second module of the terminal building at Brazzaville's Maya-Maya International Airport is set to come online shortly, the Congolese Minister at the Presidency for Spatial Planning, Jean Jacques Bouya, has disclosed. The works are part of the government's plan to develop Brazzaville into a strong regional hub with modern facilities.

► MAURITIUS: Transaero to operate Moscow - Mauritius from late December; eyes additional frequencies.

Russian carrier, Transaero (UN), will operate a limited Moscow (Domodedovo) to Mauritius service with effect from December 25 until January 16 (January 17 inbound). The twice weekly flights are set to use a mix of the B767-300ER and the B747-400 depending on demand.

► SOMALIA: An26 overruns runway on landing at Guri'el airstrip, impacts rock; one injured.

A Ukrainian Antonov An-26 (MCN 57314101 | EK-26818) operated by South Airlines overran the runway on touchdown at Guri'el airstrip in Somalia's central Galgadud region on Sunday, August 25, injuring one crew member. The flight, inbound from Mogadishu Aden Adde International Airport, was reportedly carrying the region's newly appointed governor, Husein Ali Wahliye, on a trip to visit Dhusamareb, Guri'el and Abudwaq.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: SAA Technical staff affiliated with SATAWU go on strike; some flights to be affected.

Employees affiliated with the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) at South African Airways' (SA) MRO unit, SAA Technical, have gone on strike over a requested 12% wage increase. According to a statement by the union, the strike will go on until their demands are met.

■ NIGERIA: Nigeria One due to be presented in early October; operations now due by year end.

Nigeria One, the planned new Nigerian national carrier, will officially be unveiled to the Nigerian public on the country's 53rd Independence Day on October 1.  The carrier's core will reportedly be formed from various local airlines who are indebted to the Nigerian government via its Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) with Aero (AJ) and the now defunct Air Nigeria (VK) listed among them.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Airlink, FedAir, Lion Sands consortium wins Skukuza upgrade contract; flights due in March 2014.

SA Airlink (4Z) is set to launch direct flights to Skukuza airport in the Kruger National Park, commencing March 2014. This will see the re-establishment of scheduled air services to one of South Africa's most visited tourist attractions, following the closure of its airport to airline traffic over a decade ago. In 2001, Skukuza Airport's licence was not renewed by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) after it failed to comply with aviation regulations pertaining to the operation of a commercial aerodrome.

►► UNITED KINGDOM: Ethiopian Cargo to start weekly ops to East Midlands Airport.

[UPDATE SEPTEMBER 4] Ethiopian Airlines (ET) freight division, Ethiopian Airlines Cargo, will launch a once weekly dedicated cargo flight between Addis Ababa and East Midlands Airport, an airport in the East Midlands of England, effective September 1. Flights operate on board a B757-200F.