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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.

Royal Air Maroc took delivery of a B738 this week. Two other similar aircraft will be delivered before year’s end.

According to posted schedules, Kenya Airways’ summer operations (beginning July) will see the following changes:
- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: 6x per week, up from the current four. The additional flights will leave Nairobi in the evening, operated by E170s
- Lagos, Nigeria: daily from the current five weekly (two leave Nairobi in the morning, the rest in the evening)
- Accra, Ghana: daily from the current six weekly
- Dubai, UAE: 2x daily from the current 11 weekly
- Bangkok, Thailand: 6x per week from the current three.
- Guangzhou, China: 5x per week, from the current four
- Hong Kong: 4x per week from the current three

Fly540, Kenya’s first low cost airline, inaugurated daily service between its Nairobi base and Juba, Sudan. Flights are operated using ATR 42-320 aircraft.

Lufthansa will begin new service to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea with the introduction of its Summer 2008 schedule. Flights will be operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays using A333 aircraft.

LH562 FRA - ABV: 1220 - 1805
LH563 ABV - FRA: 0005 - 750

Arik Air inaugurated twice daily service to Accra on January 18. Flights are operated using B73G aircraft.

W3071 LOS - ACC: 700 - 700
W3072 ACC - LOS: 745 - 935

W3075 LOS - ACC: 1825 - 1825
W3076 ACC - LOS: 1905 - 2055

Fly540’s parent company has signed a MOU with ATR for eight 66-seat ATR 72-500s, with delivery beginning this year and continuing into 2009.

Lufthansa will start new service between Frankfurt, Germany and Luanda, Angola on April 1. The weekly flight will operate on using an A343.

LH560 FRA - LAD: 2030 - 355
LH561 LAD - FRA: 2030 - 605

Emirates will introduce new service to Cape Town, South Africa from Dubai effective March 30. Flights will be operated daily using A332 aircraft.

EK770 DXB - CPT: 815 - 1625
EK771 CPT - DXB: 1810 - 600

A newly created joint venture between the Djibouti government, Istithmar World Aviation and Daallo Airlines’ founders will see Daallo Airlines transformed and branded into the flag carrier of Djibouti, which will enjoy all traffic rights held by the state.

easyJet will open air links between Madrid, Spain and Tangiers, Morocco with six weekly flights effective February 2008.

U27869 MAD - TNG: 1345 - 1400
U27870 TNG - MAD: 1430 - 1620

Nationwide of South Africa has been grounded by the country’s CAA citing concerns about the maintenance of the 16 aircraft in its fleet.

Yemenia intends to add new African destinations in the coming years, with Nairobi, Kenya and Dakar, Sénégal being cities of interest.

Jetlink Express has acquired two CRJ-100ERs. The aircraft will be used on services to Eldoret, Mombasa, Juba, Goma and Bujumbura.

Belgium-based Brussels Airlines and Democratic Republic of Congo-based Hewa Bora Airways have announced the launch of a new airline to be named AirDC. The airline will operate domestic flights as well as jointly operate with Brussels Airlines on three European routes. The airline, which will be based at Kinshasa N’Djili airport, will operate BAe 146 and B737 aircraft beginning in early 2008.

Sudan Airways has reportedly pulled out of the Juba - Entebbe route.

EgyptAir reportedly intends to increase service to India by the end of 2008 with daily flights to Mumbai, as well as three weekly flights to Delhi and Bangalore.

Zambian Airways will cease flights to Harare, Zimbabwe on December 1, citing high fuel costs and extreme currency fluctuations in Zimbabwe.

Kenya Airways and China Southern Airlines, both affiliated with Skyteam, will cooperate on services between Nairobi, Kenya and Guangzhou, China and beyond their respective hubs.

Kenya Airways, which currently serves Guangzhou 4x per week, plans to increase its frequency to daily by April 2008 (via Dubai or a third country), and operate the route nonstop as of 2010.

Transaero will begin service between Moscow (Domodedovo),Russia and Johannesburg, South Africa on December 29. Flights will be operated on Saturdays using B763 aircraft.

UN887 DME - JNB: 2300 - 940
UN888 JNB - DME: 1120 - 500

Ethiopian Cargo has leased two B742Fs from Southern Air Inc on an wet lease basis. The first aircraft will join ET on November 17 on a 14-month lease, while the second one will arrive on December 31, on a 19-month lease. Both aircraft will ply the Addis Ababa-Brussels route.

The airline will also start weekly cargo service to Hong Kong effective January 4.

New Egyptian startup Nile Air has agreed to buy nine A321 aircraft from Airbus. The airline plans to serve  Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina, Dammam, Kuwait, Dubai, Doha, and Bahrain with passenger, freight, and airmail services from its base in Cairo.

South African Airways and SAS Scandinavian Airlines, both members of Star Alliance, will begin codesharing from European points points served by SAA to Scandinavian as well as South African destinations