■ MAURITANIA: Mauritania Airlines International signs B737 MRO contract with Sabena technics.

Mauritania Airlines International (L6), the national carrier of Mauritania, has outsourced its maintenance support and spare-part requirements for its fleet of two B737-500s and a single B737-700 to Belgian MRO specialists, Sabena technics, until 2018.

► NIGERIA: Emirates SkyCargo to start Kano flights from early October.

Emirates (EK) cargo division, Emirates SkyCargo, is set to launch a once weekly dedicated freighter flight from Dubai to the northern Nigerian city of Kano with effect from October 4, 2013. The flight will operate on board a B777F.

► SOUTH AFRICA: FlySafair outlines its tentative schedule; operational launch due in mid-October.

In spite of a pending legal application by both Comair Ltd and Skywise to block its launch, nascent South African Low Cost Carrier FlySafair (FA) has outlined its initial timetable for multiple daily Johannesburg - Cape Town flights, now tentatively scheduled to launch on October 17. Flights will be operated by a fleet of B737-400s. Reservations are now open.

■ NAMIBIA: Government mulls closer cooperation with China; Tianjin flights for Air Namibia?

Namibia's Minister for Trade & Industry, Calle Schlettwein, says his government is considering cooperating with the Chinese aviation sector, with Tianjin in northern China, a potential new destination for the state-backed national carrier, Air Namibia (SW).

► EGYPT: Tourism downturn hits local carriers as MidWest suspends its AOC.

It isn't just national carrier, Egyptair (MS), that is bearing the brunt of the downturn in Egypt's tourism downturn, with the country's local carriers now having also begun to reduce operations in light of weaker demand.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Denel establishes Spaceteq, a new satellite & space engineering unit within Denel Dynamics.

South African state owned aerospace and defence technology conglomerate, Denel SOC,  has announced the formation of Spaceteq, a new business unit within Denel Dynamics, set to focus on the satellite and  space engineering sector. The initiative is inline with the South African government's Departments of Science & Technology (DST) and Trade & Industry (DTI) call to exploit high-technology manufacturing niches, among which is satellite production.

► SOUTH SUDAN: (Pics) Rwandair begins its 3x weekly Kigali - Juba service.

Rwanda's national carrier, Rwandair (WB), launched its long awaited flights to the South Sudanese capital, Juba with its maiden flight on Saturday, September 21, 2013. The 3x weekly flights operate on-board a CRJ900.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): RVA, Welthungerhilfe sign $15mln contract to rehabilitate Goma Airport runway.

After the successful issuance of a tender in August, German NGO Welthungerhilfe (German for "World Hunger Aid") and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's air navigation services and airport management provider, Regie des Voies Aériennes (RVA), have signed a USD15million contract to rehabilitate 500m of Goma International Airport's runway 18/36, previously covered with hardened lava.

► CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Trans Air Congo adds a fourth B737-300 on lease from Star Air.

The Republic of Congo's Trans Air Congo - TAC (Q8) has bolstered its operations with the addition of yet another South African B737-300, (MSN 27346 | ZS-VDP), on lease from Johannesburg-based ACMI specialists, Star Air (BRH).

► MOROCCO: Royal Air Maroc to establish Rabat as second local base; eyes five new routes before year end.

As part of plans to establish Rabat as its second local base after its main hub in Casablanca, Royal Air Maroc (AT) says it will launch twenty-two new flights from the Moroccan capital before year end.

● OPINION: The Legal Basis of the Court Application against FlySafair by Rob Baker.

In the interests of stirring more debate and offering a more broadly-based platform for the flow of information, ideas and opinions here on The African Aviation Tribune, I have introduced a new section to offer African aviation professionals, insiders, analysts and spectators a chance to voice their opinions, ideas and points of view on any subject pertaining to the field of Aviation in Africa.

■ BURUNDI: Air Burundi to require nearly USD4million to resume operations.

Air Burundi's (8Y) Group Managing Director, Emmanuel Habimana, says a return to service will prove costly both for the airline and its backer, the Burundian government, given the highly competitive nature of the market in the region. Overall initial startup costs are expected to total BIF6billion (USD3.9million).

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Air Cote d'Ivoire to roll out new destinations once a third A319, two Q400s arrive in November.

Air Côte d’Ivoire (HF) says it will roll out the new part of its regional expansion programme, set to include new services from Abidjan to Lagos, Kinshasa, N'Djamena, Niamey, Monrovia, Freetown and Bangui, from mid November. The new routes were due to have launched in late August.

► ALGERIA: Tassili Airlines delays international expansion 'til 2014 as subsidies for southern flights now an option.

Algerian domestic and regional carrier, Tassili Airlines (SF), has reaffirmed its plans to launch regional charter flights, albeit only in early 2014 as opposed to the previously planned deadline of late 2013.

■ CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Air CEMAC launch now delayed 'til early 2014 as more talks with Air France are due in October.

In yet another unsurprising development regarding the formation and launch of Central Africa's bloc-based initiative, Air CEMAC, the airline's launch has now been pushed back until January 2014 pending the finalization of protracted talks with strategic partner, Air France (AF).

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Imperial Logistics accuses SAA Cargo of anti-competitive practices.

South African logistics and freight specialists, Imperial Logistics, has joined the growing list of South African private firms taking action against state-backed carriers with a request to the Competition Commission of South Africa to initiate a market inquiry into alleged anti-competitive behaviour by South African Airways' (SA) freight division, SAA Cargo, in the domestic overnight express airfreight market.

► KENYA: TUIfly Nordic to begin B787 Mombasa flights from December as Edelweiss pulls out from 2014.

TUIfly Nordic(6B), the Stockholm-based charter subsidiary of the TUI Travel international leisure travel group, is set to offer a once weekly B787 service between Scandinavia and Mombasa, Kenya with effect from December 22 until March 30, 2014.  

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines clarifies its 787 order plans in light of media mixup.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has moved to clarify various misleading international media reports regarding its 787-fleet ambitions. According to Ethiopian Television, it has been widely reported that the airline has an additional eight aircraft on order on top of the thirteen 787s it has currently signed up for, of which five have now been delivered. 

■ SOUTH AFRICA: mango to boost recruitment of black cadet-pilots as demand dictates.

South African LCC, mango (JE), and regional operator, South African Express (XZ), have announced that, leveraging an existing SAX Cadet Pilot scheme, the airlines will cooperate to see cadet pilots from disadvantaged or previously disenfranchised backgrounds absorbed into mango’s pilot body as per growth requirements. The initiative forms part of Mango’s greater transformation and social engagement programme.

► KENYA: First photos of Kenya Airways' first B777-300ER emerge.

The first photos of Kenya Airways' (KQ) first B777-300(ER) (MSN ? | 5Y-KFA) have emerged with the airliner now set to undergo painting and a B1 test flight ahead of its planned delivery to Nairobi next month. The aircraft, one of two on 12 year-leases with General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), is set to début operations with a Nairobi - Guangzhou flight due on November 19. 5Y-KFA will feature 28 Business Class seats in a 2-3-2 layout and 369 Economy Class seats in a 3-3-3 Layout. The second B777-300ER is due in May 2014.