africanflyer

Dubai-based Emirates is reportedly to add Durban, South Africa as its 16th African destination. Flights will operate daily effective December 1 using A332 aircraft.

EK774 DXB - DUR: 0445 - 1125
EK775 DUR - DXB: 1315 - 2345

Tunisair has placed an order for three A350s, three A330-200s and then A320s.

Kenya Airways will resume services to Paris, France in June. Flights were disrupted in December because of a drop in passengers related to political unrest in Kenya.

Kenya Airways will reportedly begin services to Antananarivo, Madagascar from Nairobi this summer. No schedules have been posted yet.

South Africa’s Nationwide ceased operations today due to financial difficulties stemming from increased fuel costs and loss of revenue from grounding its fleet last year.

TAAG will begin service to Douala, Cameroon from its base in Luanda, Angola on Tuesday. Flights will operate 2x per week on Tuesdays and Saturdays using 73W aircraft.

DT526 LAD - DLA: 700 - 1430
DT527 DLA - LAD: 1530 - 2300

The EU has banned Hewa Bora Airways from its skies citing safety standards. The airlines was previously allowed to operate a single aircraft under a special arrangement, but this operating permission has been withdrawn.

Virgin Nigeria was granted a foreign carrier permit by the US Department of Transportation, allowing it to begin services to the US from Nigeria. The airline’s application filed in 2005 was delayed due to opposition from US carriers claiming that the airline was controlled by UK-based Virgin Atlantic, and in the case of Continental, its own application to serve Lagos was denied by Nigerian authorities.

A condition withing the authorization also states “[ …] Virgin Nigeria Airways Limited may only use aircraft wet leased from a duly authorized and properly supervised U.S. or foreign air carrier (or operate through a code-share arrangement with such a carrier, where Virgin Nigeria is not physically operating the flight)”

bmi will suspend services to Dakar, Sénégal on May 1 citing commercial reasons. British Airways, which placed its code on bmi’s route, is also affected by the suspension.

EgyptAir will commence service between Cairo, Egypt and Malta on July 3 through its subsidiary EgyptAir Express. Flights will operate 2x per week on Thursdays and Sundays using E170 aircraft.

MS393 CAI - MLA: 1300 - 1600
MS394 DLA - FIH: 1645 - 1945

As of March 30, South African Airways will place its code on daily service operated by Emirates between Cape Town and Dubai.

Delta Airlines has put off its launch of services between New York and Nairobi, Kenya until December citing poor market conditions.

According to posted schedules, Ethiopian Airlines will resume service to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait City. Flights will operate on Mondays and Thursdays using B73W aircraft beginning the second week of June. Ethiopian last served both cities in the 1990s.

ET640 ADD - RUH: 2200 - 105
ET640/641 RUH - KWI: 150 - 315
ET641 KWI - ADD: 400 - 750

Ethiopian Airlines and Lufthansa will implement an agreement signed in 2007 to codeshare on the Addis Ababa - Frankfurt route. With this agreement, the airlines will offer a combined daily service between their respective hubs effective March 30.

According to posted schedules, Ethiopian Airlines and Air One of Italy will begin codesharing on the Addis Ababa - Rome-Fiumicino route operated by Ethiopian effective March 29. Ethiopian Airlines will also place its code on domestic Italian routes operated by Air One.

Royal Air Maroc will begin new service between its base in Casablanca, Morocco and Kinshasa, DRC. Flights will operate 2 per week on Thursdays and Saturdays using B738 aircraft.

AT289 CMN - DLA: 1650 - 2300
AT289 DLA - FIH: 0010 - 200
AT288 FIH - DLA: 255 - 455
AT288 DLA - CMN: 555 - 955

Brazilian airline OceanAir will reportedly start service to Luanda, Angola from Sao Paulo, Brazil in April. Flights will be operated 3x per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using B763 aircraft.

South African Airways last weekend increased its Johannesburg, South Africa to Entebbe, Uganda frequency to daily service.

Fly540, Kenya’s low cost airline, started twice daily service between Nairobi, Kenya and Entebbe, Uganda today. Flights are operated using ATR 42-320 aircraft.

5H421 NBO - EBB: 640 - 755
5H422 EBB - NBO: 840 - 955

5H419 NBO - EBB: 1600 - 1715
5H420 EBB - NBO: 1840 - 1955

Ethiopian Airlines has reportedly sold its only B732 to Star Equatorial Airlines.

Air Mauritius will inaugurate weekly service to Bangalore, India on April 28. The flight will operate on Mondays using A332 aircraft.

MK746 MRU - BLR: 1930 - 255
MK747 BLR - MRU: 355 - 1030

North American Airlines will discontinue service to Accra, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria on May 20 citing fuel prices. The airline currently serves Accra once per week, and Lagos 3x per week.

EgyptAir has exercised options to purchase six Embraer E170 jets. The first aircraft from this order will be delivered in 2009.

Kenya Airways will from next week suspend its 3x per week service to Paris, France citing a deep decline in bookings related to recent unrest in Kenya.

Air Algérie will increase capacity between Algiers and Montréal with the introduction of a third weekly frequency between June 29 and September 27.