■ HONG KONG: Cathay Pacific eyeing Nigeria, Algeria as part of African expansion plans.

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific (CX) has mentioned Africa as being part of its longterm expansion plans with the intention being to exploit the growing Africa - China market; Nigeria and Algeria in particular.

► BOTSWANA: Kalahari Airways turns to crowdfunding for 747s to operate London Gatwick flights.

Kalahari Airways is a Botswana-based startup that intends to offer flights from Cape Town, South Africa to London Gatwick via Gaborone Botswana using three B747-400s.

■ GHANA: GCAA freezes issuance of domestic operator licences in response to Antrak's, Starbow's threats to pull out.

Responding to threats by local carriers Antrak Air (O4) and Starbow Airlines (S9) to withdraw from the oversubscribed Ghanaian market, the Ghanaian Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) says it has henceforth placed a moratorium on the issuance of domestic airline licences. At present, Ghana has four local operators including Africa World Airlines (AW) and Fly540 Ghana (5G). A fifth, CTK CityLink (CTY) went bankrupt last year.

■ CAMEROON: Biya appoints Frederic Mbotto new Camair-Co boss; Edouard Mfoumou new chairman.

Cameroon's president, Paul Biya, has officially appointed Mr Frédéric Mbotto Obounou the new Managing Director/CEO of the country's national carrier, Camair-Co (QC), and Mr Edouard Akame Mfoumou as the Chairman of the airline's board of directors with effect from September 11. 

► JAPAN: EgyptAir planning to nix its Osaka flights from late October over Tokyo's travel advisory.

With the recent suspension of flights to Tokyo Narita, Egyptair (MS) has now announced plans to terminate its twice weekly Cairo - Osaka Kansai service with effect from October 20. 

► SAUDI ARABIA: Saudia Cargo to boost Morocco, Kenya, South Africa freight capacity.

Saudia Cargo (SV) has announced an increase in its belly and freighter capacity on a number of routes across its global network. In terms of its African destinations, the Saudi Arabian operator plans to boost its dedicated freighter frequencies to Nairobi while adding bellyhold capacity to Casablanca and Johannesburg through increased passenger flights.

■ MADAGASCAR: Air Madagascar signs MOU with Vanilla Islands Organization to further enhance regional connectivity.

Following a recent ministerial summit held on the French island of La Réunion on September 10, Air Madagascar (MD) and the Vanilla Islands Organization (VIO) of the Indian Ocean have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which aims to strengthen and liberalize air connectivity between member island states was signed by the Seychelles Minister  for Tourism & Culture, Alain St. Ange, the sitting President of the VIO, and the CEO of Air Madagascar, Mr Hughes Ratsiferana.

► KENYA: Former Transavia exec, Willem Hondius, appointed boss of Kenya Airways' LCC, JamboJet.

The Board of Kenya Airways (KQ) has appointed Willem Alexander Hondius as Chief Executive Officer of Jambo Jet Limited, the airline’s nascent low-cost carrier subsidiary.

► GHANA: Eagle Atlantic Airlines to launch regional operations from October 15.

Ghanaian start-up, Eagle Atlantic Airways (EAB), has announced that it will commence operations with effect from October 15 using a McDonnell Douglas MD82 (MSN 49119 | YR-OTN) on lease from Romania's Ten Airways (OTJ).

► NIGERIA: (Pic) Business charter specialists, Air Peace, awaiting first B737-500.

Nigerian business charter specialists, Air Peace, are set to add their first Boeing metal to their fleet of two Dornier Do328-300s with the impending arrival of a B737-500, (MSN 27530 | 5N-BQS).

► KENYA: Fly540 increases Nairobi - Lodwar flights to 9x weekly.

Fly540 Kenya (5H) has announced that it has increased the frequency of flights between Nairobi (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport) and Lodwar, the largest town in north-western Kenya, located west of Lake Turkana, from six to nine per week in response to rising demand. The LCC said it had added an additional flight on Monday, Wednesday and Friday respectively, resulting in two flights operating on each of these days. The return flights operate via Eldoret.

■ ETHIOPIA: ECAA selects Thales' TopSky - Flight Plan to manage flight plan and aeronautical information interfaces.

The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) has announced the selection of the Thales TopSky-ATC Flight Data Processing System (FDPS) component, TopSky–Flight Plan, to manage all critical flight plan and aeronautical information interfaces with internal and external systems as well as airline counterparties.

■ ANGOLA: Uíge Airport to be completed shortly, operations to tentatively resume by year-end.

Uíge Airport, situated in Uige, the capital city of its namesake province in northwestern Angola, could be inaugurated later this year following the successful completion of renovation and expansion works. Speaking to ANGOP, the CEO of Angola's airport and air traffic authority (Empresa Nacional de Aeroportos e Navegação Aérea - ENANA), Mr Manuel Ceitas, said the facility will also offer night-time operations given the recent installation of runway lighting.

■ MAURITIUS: Air Mauritius upgrades its MRO management software.

Ottawa-based aviation maintenance management software provider, Mxi Technologies, has announced that Air Mauritius (MK) has gone live with an upgrade to Maintenix version 8 (v8) in support of the organization’s objectives for real-time access to information, superior customer service, and streamlined internal processes.

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian outlines initial Winter 2013/14 timetable; to start Singapore from mid December.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has outlined its initial changes to its timetable in time for the Northern Winter 2013/14 season. According to AirlineRoute, among the most notable changes is the incorporation of the previously postponed Singapore flight.

■ GHANA: James Antwi appointed new CEO of Starbow Airlines.

The Board of Directors and Management of Aero Surveys Limited trading under the Commercial name "Starbow (S9)" have announced the appointment of Mr. James Eric Antwi as the Accountable Manager and Chief Executive Officer replacing Mr Keith Luxton who was appointed in February this year.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Comair Ltd profits soar to USD23.1million for latest Financial Year.

Comair Ltd has announced a significant improvement in its profitability for the 12-month period ending 30 June 2013. Revenue grew by 29% to ZAR5.38billion (USD537.46million) from ZAR4.16billion (USD415.96million) in 2012. As such, the airline declared a headline profit of ZAR231million (USD23.09million), a marked improvement on that of 2012 which totalled ZAR18 million.

► NIGERIA: Dana Air eyes regional flights by year end; to roll out more domestic routes.

The commercial head of Nigeria's Dana Air (9J), Mr Obi Mbanuzo, says the airline has applied to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for regional traffic rights with flights to tentatively launch before year-end.

■ SOMALIA: Minister of Transport implicates own President in Mogadishu airport deal scandal.

A huge scandal is brewing in Somalia over allegations by the Minister of Information, Post, Telecommunications & Transportation, Abdullahi Elmoge Hersi, that the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and the wife of the prime minister, Asha Haji Elmi, are the primary benefactors of a contract controversially awarded to Turkish firm, Favori LLC, for the management of Mogadishu Aden Adde International Airport. 

■ SOUTH AFRICA: SATAWU calls off strike as deal is reached with SAA.

South African Airways (SA) has announced that a strike by South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) members at South African Airways Technical (SAAT), the maintenance subsidiary of the national carrier, has come to an end.