tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66252718081925629122024-02-20T17:09:17.796+00:00Air 'N ThereAviation and all sorts.Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.comBlogger288125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-34042491595489726782019-08-30T16:57:00.001+01:002019-08-30T16:57:38.336+01:00Bouquets for LNER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Britain's power failures on 9 August affected many railway routes and particularly the electrified East Coast Main Line. John Williams whose train from Edinburgh to Kings Cross took over ten hours before arriving well after midnight.<br />
<br />
First bouquet goes to the train staff who went the extra hours to deliver the train and its passengers to their destination. Thousands of railway people that night did what they do best in all sorts of thoroughly professional ways.<br />
<br />
Second bouquet goes to LNER's customer services office people. Full refunds were made within a week. That's going some.<br />
<br />
Take a bow.</div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-25262595050397344552018-12-17T19:24:00.000+00:002018-12-17T19:24:36.238+00:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">African Roundup: October - November 2018</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">The
Fastjet/Solenta relationship deepens. Solenta now controls Fastjet. A mix of recent
financial transactions has resulted in Solenta increasing its shareholding to
54% and its voting share holding has risen to 60%.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Fastjet,
since its inception in 2012, has never been far from cash difficulties. In July this year it feared for its survival
beyond the end the end of October followed by a familiar appeal to
shareholders. US$10m was secured but a further, more frantic, appeal followed
to ensure the continuation of business into 2019. This too was successful with
a complex mix of transactions adding USD40m to the equity base. Details of the
financial restructuring include Fastjet buying from Solenta the current leased
4x ERJ145s and settlement of various debts and loans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Fastjet
changes have also happened in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. In October Fastjet announced its withdrawal
from Tanzania – its ‘birth country’.
Mounting frustration with the foot-dragging of the TzCAA in granting new
route licences and regulatory approvals for ATR72-600 operations was the
cause. But the familiar parrot logo will
not disappear: a conditional agreement has been reached with local management
to buy the company - for US$1 – and to continue operations under a franchise
agreement. In Zimbabwe Fastjet is
exercising its right to acquire the current 51% holding of Zimbabwean
interests. The shares will switch to a
new Zimbabwean company under Solenta control.
Approval for increases to Harare-Bulawayo frequencies has recently been
secured.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Fastjet and
Solenta now believe they are better prepared to weather an entry of a new
competitor to their markets or, alternatively, prepared for an aggressive
response from existing operators when they launch, next year, into the highly
competitive South Africa LCC market.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">The
sometimes overlooked Horn of Africa is experiencing a burst of operations. The September peace deal signed between
Ethiopia and Eritrea has resulted in Asmara, after a 20 year gap, now seeing
daily Ethiopian Airlines B737-800s linking with Addis. Eritrean Airlines with its single B737-300
also flies the route, 4pw. Ethiopian has
talked of assisting Eritrean to grow including possible investment. Routing
some European services to Europe via Asmara is under evaluation subject to 5<sup>th</sup>
Freedom traffic rights clarification.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">In similar
vein Air Namibia is looking at new routings via Harare, Luanda or </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Lagos</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">, again subject to traffic
rights. Subsidies for Frankfurt flights
continue as a point of open conflict between Government and carrier. <span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a;">Air
Namibia uplifts are under pressure from the increased presence of foreign
operators at Windhoek, eg Qatar Airways and KLM. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Subsidy conflict
between Government and SAA also continues.
Similar to Air Namibia, in a search for revenues, the carrier is looking
at routing some long-haul ops via Accra, for example Washington, again subject
to 5<sup>th</sup> Freedom rights being available. But Government voices are increasingly
hostile. Public Enterprise Minister
Pravin Gordhan has said “perpetually unprofitable long-haul ops will cease – no
holy cows”. And new Finance Minister
Tito Mboweni has been forthright in saying “we need think <span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a;">about closing it (SAA) down”. For the
moment USD349m is being provided to cover debts maturing up to March next year.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">EAST AFRICA</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air
Tanzania</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> After an 8 year
banishment re-admission to the IATA Clearing House has been secured, debts have
been repaid, (Oct 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air
Tanzania</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> plans launch of B787 Guangzhou ops from Feb next year.
(Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Eritrean Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> Asmara-Addis B737 frequency is to
rise to 4pw from 19 Nov. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> In
November is to re-start to Mogadishu, initially with 3pw, Q400. Regional
conflict led to services being halted 41 years ago. But, Kaduna services are to be withdrawn
following poor performance since launch last August. Not a big surprise although worth trying.(Oct
2018)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> from
December Asmara was to be added to the routing of some existing Addis-Europe
flights, including London, but traffic right difficulties have delayed decisions.
(Nov 2018) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> On 1 Dec is to launch Addis-Istanbul-Moscow
3pw ops. Also in Dec is to switch Dublin for Lome on the 3pw Addis-Los Angeles
routing. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> there are reports of a possible agreement with
Nepal Airlines and the establishment of a Kathmandu hub, – its first outside
Africa. (Nov 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> launches Mogadishu 3pw ops and within days ups
the frequency to daily. (Nov 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Jambojet </span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">(Kenya Airways LCC subsidiary) is to
lease an additional 2xQ400 for mid-2019 delivery to boost the fleet from 5 to 7
of the type. The leasing of a further 2
is being discussed. (Oct2018) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Jambojet</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Kenya Airways LCC subsidiary)
Burundi blocks approval of Bujumbura flights. It is unhappy with the planned
turboprop Q400 equipment. Kenya Airways continues to fly daily with an
E190. (Oct2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Jambojet</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Kenya Airways LCC subsidiary) CEO
Willem Hondius is to leave the company. New CEO Allan Kilavuka, currently with General
Electric Kenya, is to start in January<span style="background: white; color: #555555;">. (Nov2018)</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Sudan Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> as part of an ongoing restructuring
exercise staff numbers have fallen from 1600 to 470. A new operational plan presented to Govt
this month by Airbus has resulted in approved funding for new A320s. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">SOUTH / CENTRAL AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air Botswana</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> Has taken delivery of
the 1<sup>st</sup> of 2x ATR72-600 and mentions a possible new route to Maputo.
The aircraft sports a new Air Botswana livery. (Nov 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air Namibia</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> seeks a capital injection of
USD175m-210m to gain profitability.
Frankfurt and Luanda are the two big loss-making routes. A reduction of
Frankfurt frequencies would release the second A330 for more profitable deployment. Evaluation is underway to convert the leased
2x A330s and 4x A319s to ownership to reduce operating costs. New route
possibilities are China via Luanda and London via Accra or Lagos. (Oct2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air Namibia</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">
cancels Harare ops following the impounding of an ERJ145 for 24hrs in an
ongoing legal case. Operations restarted
several days later. (Oct 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Zimbabwe</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Grant Thornton, the recently appointed
administrator, is searching for potential investors and for someone to lease
one of the 2x B767-200s. Action, via a
Creditors Meeting, is seeking to determine the accuracy of the oft-repeated
debt of US$320m (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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(South Africa) is to move all fleet maintenance offshore to Lufthansa Technic.
Poor scheduling performance by current provider SAA Technical has forced the
move. (Oct2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Congo Airways</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> (DRC)
is to lease 4 aircraft from Ethiopian Airlines; 2x B737-800 plus 2x Q400. Domestic and regional network and frequency
growth is the aim. (Oct 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Congo Airways</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> (DRC)
plans Dec launch of Kinshasa-Douala-Cotonou. (Nov 2018)</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Ethiopian Airlines Mozambique</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> plans 1 Dec launch of domestics with Q400 and
B737 flying under Ethiopian subsidiary ASky flight numbers. (Oct 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; letter-spacing: .1pt;">Fastjet</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; letter-spacing: .1pt;">
(PLC) “Withdraws funding” from Tanzania effectively signalling the end of
operations in the loss-making country.
CEO Nico Bezeidenhout cites the rejection of domestic new route
applications and the continuing wait for ATR72-600 operational approvals as the
cause. In July shareholders provided an additional US$10m to enable operations
to continue to the end of the year. A further need for additional capital will
however arise at end-October “to enable Fastjet to continue to operate”. An operating loss of US$14.6m was reported
for the 2018 first half. (Oct 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; letter-spacing: .1pt;">Fastjet</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; letter-spacing: .1pt;">
(PLC) raises a further US$40m from shareholders. Payback day receeds. From this
total major shareholder Solenta increases its voting-share holding to 60.2% and
sells to Fastjet the currently leased 4 ERJ145s. Solenta now takes control of
Fastjet. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; letter-spacing: .1pt;">Fastjet</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; letter-spacing: .1pt;">
(PLC) additional aircraft will be acquired for the anticipated launch of South
African operations next year. Federal Air, using its own AOC, will be the
operator under a brand licencing agreement. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; letter-spacing: .1pt;">Fastjet</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; letter-spacing: .1pt;">
(Tanzania) a provisional agreement has been reached with Tanzanian management
to </span><span lang="EN-ZW" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZW;">purchase, for US$1, and relaunch
the company as an independent franchisee.
The 3 ATR72-600 acquired for Tanzanian operations will be early-returned
to the lessor. (Nov 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">SAA</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> is to receive US$349m from Government to cover
debts maturing up to March next year. Most domestic and regional ops are now
profitable. Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan, recognizes this but
says persistently loss-making long-haul ops will cease – ‘no holy cows’. Before
year-end SAA and SA Express are to present plans for further integration . A
decision is awaited on the proposed merger of the 2 carriers. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">SAA</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> Finance Minister Tito Mboweni says the
airline, despite recent progress, is still failing to generate sufficient cash
to service debts making it impossible to attract an equity partner. “We need to
think carefully about closing it down”, he added. (Nov2018) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">SA
Express</span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">
is to receive US$83m from Govt. The application was for US$123m. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">SA
Express</span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">
plans to have the full fleet of 21 aircraft re-certified and operational in
January following the withdrawal of their AOC and other approvals in May. Network changes will focus on routes </span><span style="background: white; color: #656565; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">that “almost
guarantee commercial returns” (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">TAAG</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> in a fleet replacement/modernization plan looks to add
6x Q400 plus other medium-haul aircraft in 2019 plus several B787s. They will
see service from the near-complete new Luanda Airport. The current fleet is 5x B737-700 plus 8x
B777-200/300. (Oct2018) </span><span style="background: white; color: #656565; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">TAAG</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">
(Angola) On 29 Oct launched Luanda-Brazzaville-Kinshasa B737-700 ops and plans
imminent launch of Luanda-Lagos services, also B737. (Nov 2018) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Zimbabwe
Airlines </span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">anti-corruption
regulators launch an investigation into the acquisition of 4 ex-Malaysian
Airlines B777s and 3 ERJ145s (Oct2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Zimbabwe
Airlines</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> one B777-200ER has been reclaimed by owners, Jet West
(USA) </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">due </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">monies not
paid. Govt questions Zimbabwe Airlines’
ownership in relation to proposed merger with Air Zimbabwe (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">WEST AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #303030; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Africa
World Airlines</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #303030; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Ghana) majority shareholder HNA Group of
China has started to sell its entire portfolio of overseas aviation holdings as
it struggles with onerous debt. No
mention yet of the effect on the AWA holding.
(Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air Burkina</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> has taken delivery of its first
leased Emb195. A second plus an Emb170
will follow before end-January next year.
(Nov 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air Peace</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) orders 10x B737-Max 8s and
plans Lagos-Dubai and Sharjah ops before year-end. Aircraft number 5 of a planned 6x ERJ145
fleet is received. (Oct 2018) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air Peace</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) selects Asaba, Delta
State, to be its new base. (Oct 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air Senegal </span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">receives of the first of two A319s
ordered earlier this year. Expansion of
regional ops is the objective. Abidjan, Cotonou and Praia are named. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air Senegal</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> plans for a January launch of Dakar-Paris
ops using the first of 2x A330-300neo currently on order. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">ASKY</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> (Togo)
eff this month expanded Q400 ops to include Bamako, Conakry, Dakar and
Banjul. Current fleet, all leased from shareholder
Ethiopian Airlines, 6x B737-700-800 plus 2x Q400. (Oct2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Camair-Co</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">
considers increasing the fleet to meet extra demand next year. Cameroon is to host the football 2019 African
Cup of Nations to be played in June/July. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Guinea
Airlines</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> further to the MoU signed with Ethiopian earlier this year
operations are planned to start before this year-end. A likely leased Q400 from Ethiopian will
first fly domestic routes. Ethiopian is
to provide comprehensive support. Privately-owned carrier. (Oct2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Overland Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) domestic carrier launches
regional ops to Cotonou and Niamey with 9 strong fleet of ATR42/72 and Beech
1900Ds. (Oct 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">RoyalFly-GH</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Ghana) privately-owned start-up,
born out of the ashes, including the AOC, of Fly540 Ghana in 2015, plans a
1Q2019 launch of domestic and regional ops. (Oct 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">NORTH AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air
Arabia Maroc</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Morocco) plans June 2019 launch of
Tangier-Lyons ops (Oct2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Royal
Air Maroc </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">has operated its last B747 flight. All 4 of the type have
gone. (Oct2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Royal
Air Maroc</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> plans new route from Casablanca to Abuja next March.
(Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Royal
Air Maroc</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> orders an ATR72-600 to raise the fleet to 6. Delivery next month. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">NON-AFRICAN AIRLINES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">British Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> after a gap of nearly 10 years has
returned to Durban with a 3pw B787-8 schedule operating overnight southbound ,
returning as daylight flights northbound.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> It has also added 4 weekly B788s to its twice
daily (nightly) A 380 services. The new flights return northbound as early
morning daylight departures at 0740/50
arriving at Heathrow 1715/25. Unlike Emirates first hubbing to the world
departure at 0925 this allows for no same day feed at the Johannesburg end,
although it offers clear very early morning roads to the airport for local
traffic. It does though give a wide range of UK domestic, European and a couple
of USA connections at the London end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Brussels Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> , ever the Africa specialist, plans
Jan 2019 increase Banjul frequencies from 4pw to daily. Plus, from April, Accra
and Lome frequencies will rise to daily plus Monrovia and Freetown to
5pw.(Oct2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">KLM</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> switches
to the B787-10 for its long-running Amsterdam – Kilimanjaro - Dar es Salaam
route. (Oct 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Turkish Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> plans to launch to
Abidjan in April 2019 with B737-800s
(Oct 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">MISCELLANEOUS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Botswana
</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">in a positive move joins the growing list of countries granting
visa on arrival for all AU citizens.
(Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Ethiopia</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> plans
are being drawn up for a new airport to serve Addis Ababa, 48kms distant. (Oct2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Ethiopia</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">
grants all AU citizens visa-on-arrival entry recognizing the growing volumes
and value of inter-regional travel.
Rwanda does likewise. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ghana</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Accra’s Kotoka Intl Airport’s
new USD275m Terminal 3 has opened. ACSA,
South Africa, has a 5yr Technical and Operations Agreement. (Oct 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ghana</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #656565; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">the process of establishing a new national carrier is “far
advanced” with Ethiopian, Air Mauritius and SAA among others each bidding to be
the strategic partner. A partner decision is due in Dec. Securing FAA Cat1
status enabling direct Ghana-USA flights is a priority (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #656565; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #656565; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> governments have signed MoU to create a
regional carrier to be called Air Mano.
No start date announced. (Oct
2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Libya</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">
President decrees a 183% surcharge on dollar payment for air tickets. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Namibia </span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako Airport
terminal is to undergo a US$17m upgrade with completion late next year. (Nov2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Zimbabwe
</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Govt commits to pay US$4m per month to carriers with blocked
funds. The total withheld: US$150m. (Oct 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">John Williams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">November 2019</span></span></div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-19072025985816491802018-11-12T17:23:00.001+00:002018-11-12T17:23:38.494+00:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">World Travel
Market , London, 2018 ….<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Yes, it’s still in business. Despite continuing
mutters about its high price, value for time and money, London’s World Travel
Market was back last week at the Excel exhibition centre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Some of the traditional exhibitors have scaled back or
gone entirely. A lot of the names and people are new as generations move on.
New businesses and people need a platform to show their faces to start building
up the relationships which will bring in the money. Hopefully this is what’s
happening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The first surprise was to see the Palestine
stand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second was the long queue
waiting to step onto their carpet; a queue that continued to grow for several
hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Banksy, the street artist, was
the attraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He, apparently, has an
interest in a local hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stand
displayed two large pieces of his work and being given away to everyone were
‘collectable’ Banksy prints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly
different to collecting armfuls of brochures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The second surprise was the central positioning of the
Africa stands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Years of banishment to a
remote end of hall area were but a memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How areas are allocated is a mystery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, be it chance or influence that determines it, Africa benefitted
this year. Positioned between the big-hitter stands of the Gulf countries and
India, Africa had become part of the tourism Premier League. The passing
footfall is high and simple awareness of the existence and location of Rwanda, Malawi
and other lesser known countries must have risen amongst passers-by.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The quality of the African stands seemed to benefit
from the new location. The historic large floor areas were becoming ever more
sparsely populated in recent years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fewer tour operators were taking space each year and any sense of
business being negotiated was dissipating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Kenya was becoming subject to this sometimes desolate appearance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this year the African stands were smaller
and looked busier as a result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The design
and appearance of the stands also seemed to be higher. They were certainly not
outshone by the traditional vast expenditure of the neighbouring Gulf stands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Sudan was a newcomer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mali was there for a second time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many smaller countries, eg Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Swaziland were
present, the last struggling with its new name,<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> ‘Eswatini’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rwanda had a big presence, so too did
Tanzania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The latter needing the space
to display a huge picture of their new Boeing 787. Senegal had the most lively
and engaging representative; Senegalese herself and a Glasgow University
student she bubbled with enthusiasm for her country and for the WTM experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">But, subjectively, the overall numbers seemed to have
again declined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Escalating stand costs
are regularly mentioned but the increasingly dated site itself has unchanging
shortcomings and could do with bringing into the 21<sup>st</sup> century. Access
via the DLR is far from an attractive welcome to London for attendees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lunch is always a problem. Old fashioned
cafetarias ,extinct in most places, long queues, indifferent food, temporary
staff and woefully limited seating space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>WTM is primarily a networking event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Attendees need to meet, talk and socialize informally as well as on
their stands and they need pleasant places to do it. The organization here
simply does not allow for this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">But the Palestine stand and its Banksys will stick in
the memory…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">John Williams<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9
November 2018<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-79898485903894836412018-10-24T17:35:00.003+01:002018-10-24T17:35:45.748+01:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">African Roundup<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>August - September 2018 </span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Nigeria
Airways has been stopped in its tracks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The project to launch a new national carrier, announced in July and
scheduled for launch this December, has been ‘suspended’ by Government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No reason or qualification has been given. It
seems reasonable to interpret ‘suspended’ as ‘cancelled’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With much fanfare and supporting PR activity the project was announced
at this year’s Farnborough Air Show with negotiations for an initial 5 aircraft
fleet of B737Max and A330s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start-up
capital needs were estimated to be USD300m, spread over 3 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>USD300m, if an accurate amount, becomes even
more substantial when early years’ operating losses are added plus other
‘contingencies’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could it be that, for
perhaps the first time, a government faced with such a decision has decided the
costs are too high and the benefits too questionable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, it just might prompt other governments
to review their plans for new national carriers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In April next year a reborn Uganda Airlines
is to take to the skies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each month the
date slips a little but 4 new CRJs have been ordered for 1Q2019 delivery even
though discussion continues within Government on the source of the finance and
the scale of benefits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise, a
reborn Zambia Airways is scheduled for launch in January next year in a joint
venture with Ethiopian Airlines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
first step the Zambian Government must fund its 55% shareholding in the USD30m
venture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this at a time when Zambian
indebtedness to foreign countries is ballooning and the recent cancellation of
all aid by the UK and others might suggest that a new national carrier is not a
priority……<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Ethiopian
Airlines’ expansion continues apace – revenue growth, fleet expansion, aircraft
maintenance facilities and the imminent opening of much improved passenger
facilities at Addis Ababa, is an impressive achievement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The CEO has described 2017-8 as ‘a notable
year’ with 46% revenue growth and fleet expansion passing the 100 aircraft
total.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He forecasts continued ‘fast
growth’ for this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Support for new
carriers across the continent will continue, for example, the recent agreement
for joint development of new Tchadia Airlines to be based in N’Djamena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Investment in Djibouti Airlines is also under
discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CEO Gebremariam explains
this expansion of links with other local carriers as ‘acting in line with the
AU’s goals for greater economic integration’.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">The merging
of Kenya Airways and Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Airport (JKIA), already approved
by Government, continues under discussion. The current proposal is for the
creation of a Holding Company, to be managed by Kenya Airways, being granted a
30 year concession to run the airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All current JKIA staff will transfer to the new company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stated objective of the move is to
improve the airline’s competitive position in relation to the Gulf and other
foreign carriers. The degree of influence Kenya Airways might have over the
granting of traffic rights to it’s competitors could be contentious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fastjet’s recent experience has been
salutary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Government has moved against Air Zimbabwe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Current debt is estimated at US$320m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Board has been sacked and a caretaker
administrator appointed; Chartered Accountants, Grant Thornton. CEO Joseph
Makonise remains in place in addition to his existing management team.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">And back to
Nigeria…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>just days before Government
pulled the plug on Nigeria Air, Air Peace placed an order with Boeing for 10
new B737-Max8s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have also recently
received 2, currently unutilised B777s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>An expanded regional and international operation seems likely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">EAST AFRICA </span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air
Tanzania </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">anticipates delivery of its second B787-8 in 2020 followed by
the launch of London services shortly thereafter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Aug 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air
Tanzania</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> at the end ofAugust launched Dar-Kilimanjaro-Entebbe 4pw Q400 operations plus 3 weekly on a Dar-Kigoma-Bujumbura route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Aug2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Eritrean Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> follows Ethiopian Airlines and
launches 3 weekly Asmara-Addis flights while<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ethiopian
has rapidly increased from once to twice to daily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Govt-owned Eritrean has struggled over the past 15 years flying an ever-changing
single aircraft fleet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A single leased
B737-300 currently operates to Cairo, Khartoum and Addis. The EU ‘Black List’
applies. Talks are underway on the possibility of Ethiopian taking a stake.
(Aug2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> reports 2017-18 as a ‘notable year’
with operating revenue up 46% and the fleet passing the 100 aircraft mark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Continued ‘fast growth’ is forecast for
2018-19 boosted by the opening of ‘newly expanded and significantly upgraded’
Addis Ababa passenger terminals at the end of this year. (Aug2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> eff Oct is to switch from Barcelona
to Lisbon as the beyond point for 4pw Madrid services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Aug 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> is planning increased ops to China
including additional Guangzhou frequencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shenzen is a likely new destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Sep 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kenya Airways</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> is in talks to enter a 30yr concession contract with Kenya
Airports Authority (KAA).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A new holding
company, to be 100% owned by Kenya Airways, will own and manage Nairobi
Airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rationale is to ‘enable the
airline and the airport to better compete with Gulf carriers and Ethiopian
Airlines’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Aug 2018)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="rteindent1" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="rteindent1" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kenya Airways </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">CEO talks of flight crew shortages resulting in part from the
imminent return of the 5 777s sub-leased to Oman Air and Turkish Airlines plus
annual growth of routes and fleet. Contracted foreign crew already licensed on the 777 are possibilities are
being considered but likely to be opposed by the pilots ' union.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="rteindent1" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="rteindent1" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kenya Airways</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> stops ticket issues in Zimbabwe due to remittance problems
arising from Zimbabwe foreign currency shortages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sep2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="rteindent1" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="rteindent1" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">National Airways</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> (Ethiopia) launched 3 weekly, ERJ145s on Addis Ababa – Mogadishu
plus services to Puntland capital, Garoowe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Aug 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="rteindent1" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Uganda Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> Government has officially launched
the new airline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Minister of Works
and Transport says that US$1.2m cash deposits have been made to purchase 4 CRJ900s (delivery 1Q 2019) and 2 A330-800neo (delivery 4Q 2020).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An Interim Board and management team have
been appointed and Cabinet has approved a business plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Launch of operations meanwhile has slipped to
Mar/April 2019.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Aug2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">SOUTH / CENTRAL AFRICA</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Air
Zimbabwe</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Government sacks the Board and appoints Grant
Thornton, Chartered Accountants, as caretaker administrator. The existing
management team under CEO Joseph Makonise remains in place. The estimated debt
is USD320m. (Aug2018)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; letter-spacing: .1pt;">Fastjet
Zimbabwe </span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; letter-spacing: .1pt;">adds a 4<sup>th</sup> Embraer ERJ145 to the fleet, leased
from shareholder Solenta. (Sep2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Proflight</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Zambia) wet leases a B737-500 primarily to
meet Lusaka-Ndola demand levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Acquisition of a Dash 8-300 is also confirmed. Present fleet; 3x
Jetstream J41 plus a CRJ100. (Aug 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">SAA </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">plans launch of a Jo’burg – Maldives route in
December<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Aug 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">SA Airlink</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> plans to open Jo’burg – Libreville .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Jul2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">SA Express</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> <span style="color: #555555;">Siza
Mzimela, one time SAA CEO (2010-12) and founder of domestic carrier Blue Crane
Aviation, is appointed as Acting CEO.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Aug 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">SA
Express </span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">as
operations resume after the May cancellation of its AOC the carrier again seeks
a capital injection from Govt, this time US$123m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Aug<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>2018)</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">TAAG</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">
(Angola) Has increased Luanda-Maputo frequencies mfrom 3 to 5 weekly, B737-700 (Aug 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Zambia Airways</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">
re-launch is delayed to Jan 2019.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ethiopian has signed the US$30m joint venture agreement. Ethiopian with
45% and the Zambian Govt 55%. Launch fleet will be 3 leased aircraft from Ethiopian
Airlines rising to 12 aircraft by 2028. An initial regional network will be
followed by international routes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Aug2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">WEST AFRICA </span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #303030; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Africa
World Airlines</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #303030; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Ghana) might see Chinese ARJ21s enter the
fleet with parent company, Hainan Airlines Group, leading the discussions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he current fleet is <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #303030; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">6 ERJ145s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sep 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air Peace</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) added daily Lagos-Kaduna
ERJ145 flights to its Air Peace Hopper network. An eventual fleet of 6 ERJ145sis
planned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Aug2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air Peace</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) has ordered10 B737-Max 8s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sep2018) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air Senegal</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> plans launch of Dakar-Paris services from Feb 2019 following delivery of the first of 2 A330-900s ordered in Jan this
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sep 2018).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Dana Air</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> Nigeria adds a
B737-700 on wet-lease from Asky under an aircraft partnership agreement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sep 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Dana Air</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) The Nigerian
CAA, eff 2 Sep, suspended the AOC ‘to carry out investigations’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>24hrs earlier an MD83 had left the runway on
landing at Lagos. There were no survivors from the 153 souls on board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sep 2018) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Nigeria Air</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Govt stops development work on the proposed start-up. Aviation Minister,
Hadi Sirika, has announced that “the Federal Executive Council has taken the
tough decision to suspend the National Carrier project”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No reasons have been given.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The launch announcement was made 2 months
ago, in July with the date set for
December this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sep2018)<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">PassionAir</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Ghana) Start-up has taken delivery
of the first of 3 Q400s. Accra-Kumasi flights are imminent as is the delivery of
the second and third aircraft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The domestic network </span>will be expanded progressively to include Tamale and Takoradi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Aug 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Senegal Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Government
has appointed ex-Airbus executive Philip Bohn as Director General to head-up
the launch the new company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start-up is
scheduled for 9 Dec to coincide with the opening of Dakar’s new airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2x ATR72-600s will operate a domestic
schedule. The later delivery of 2x new A330neo ordered in 2017 will enable
regional ops plus Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Aug2018)</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Tchadia
Airlines</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> (Chad) new national carrier to be launched in October with
Ethiopian Airlines holding 49% and the Chad Govt 51%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially 2x Q400, from Ethiopian, will link
4 domestic points plus nearby regional links. Toumai Air Chad operated domestic
and regional flights from 2004 until its grounding in 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Aug 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">NORTH AFRICA</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Air
Algerie</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> eff October is to launch Brussels ops plus, in December,
both Algiers-Libreville and Doual, all with B737s. (Aug 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Royal
Air Maroc </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">anticipates delivery of the first of 4 B787-9s in December
plus the first of 4 B737-8s before year end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Casablanca - New York, in December, is to be the first B787-9 route
followed by Miami in April 2019. Montreal and Sao Paulo are also
mentioned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Aug 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Tunisair </span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">The signing of an EU ’Open Skies’
Agreement is anticipated before the end of this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heavily protected, over-staffed,
state-owned carrier complete with militant trade unions, is ill-prepared to
compete with European LCC operators. As a result the reduction of 1200 staff is
being discussed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Expansion of intra-African
routes is being pursued with Khartoum and Douala to come on-line before
year-end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>6 additional aircraft are
planned to be leased during 2019. (Aug2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">KLM</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> eff Dec is
to drop recently added Freetown and Monrovia from the network in December.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sep2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Qatar Airways</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> plans a December launch
of 4 weekly, A320 ops, Doha-Mombasa. It should have immediate appeal to anyone who has had the hassle of transferring from international to domestic or vice versa flights. </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">(Sep 2018)</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Turkish Airlines</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> plans December launch of
2 weekly Lusaka frequencies via Dar es Salaam (without local traffic rights).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also to come on line is Marrakech (Aug2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">MISCELLANEOUS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ghana</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #656565; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">the process of establishing a new national carrier is “far
advanced” with Ethiopian, Air Mauritius and Abu Dhabi Aviation and local
African World Airlines each bidding to be the strategic partner. Securing FAA
Cat1 status enabling direct Ghana-USA flights is a priority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Aug2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">IATA</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">
states that since January it has successfully released more than US$500m of
airline funds trapped in Africa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Aug
2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Kenya</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> congestion at Jomo Kenyatta and
Wilson, the 2 Nairobi airports, has prompted the KCAA to consider a freeze on
new carriers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> This is the price of several large developments at Jomo Kenyatta having been announced but not moved into a construction stage over the last twenty years. Wilson has never had a coherent plan, each operator being left to build its own terminal facilities. Immigration remains in the confined space where it has been since at least the 1950s. </span>(Aug 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Kenya</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> Govt<span style="color: #4a4a4a;">
plans discussions with low-cost airlines such as <strong><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Ryanair</span></strong> (Ireland)
and <strong><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">EasyJet </span></strong>(UK)
to begin flying to the country. How that chimes with its apparent lack of enthusiasm for Fastjet isn't clear.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Zambia</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> has signed a sales agreement for a single
VIP configured SSJ100.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talks for a
further 4 passenger configured SSJ100s continue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sep2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">JOHN WILLIAMS- SEPTEMBER 2018</span></span></div>
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Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-55887837253999785292018-08-18T21:20:00.000+01:002018-08-18T21:24:46.639+01:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">African Roundup June - July 2018 <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Tanzania’s
fleet upgrading continues. The last of 3
new Q400s arrived in March followed by the sole B787-8 early in July. Within days the B787 was operating Dar-Kilimanjaro-Mwanza-Dar
triangles to build crew hours and landings and to delight passengers. Its full
capability will be exploited with Mumbai services planned for a September
start. The arrival of 2 new CS300s later
this year – the first for Africa - will complete the upgrade. Profitability is
now expected by 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">The next few
months will see several longhaul network expansions by African carriers. In addition to Air Tanzania’s Mumbai opening,
Kenya Airways is to start their long-awaited venture to New York. Rwandair
plans also to add New York, plus Guangzhou.
Slightly less visible will be Ethiopian’s introduction of a Moscow
routing via Istanbul. Meanwhile
non-African carrier Etihad has announced its imminent withdrawal from Dar es
Salaam. The welcome result: African carriers, plus 4; Others, minus 1.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">The rebirth
of several dormant carriers is close.
Also the re-creation of carriers in some of the continent’s smaller
countries. The 2002 collapse of Air
Afrique created many ripples throughout the Francophone area, likewise the post-independence
troubled childhood of new national carriers in Anglophone countries. Ethiopian Airlines has stepped in to fill
voids on maps. Its Vision 2025 ‘Multiple Hubs in Africa’ strategy already has
several visible successes, eg, ASky in Togo, Malawi Airlines and Ethiopian
Mozambique Airlines. To these will
shortly be added a new Zambia Airways for launch in October. Plus, agreements have been signed with
Guinee, Chad and Djibouti for help in forming new airlines. Uganda Government has established a new
Uganda Airlines and signed for CRJ900s and A330-800s for delivery in 2019
onwards. Lastly the Nigerian saga
following Arik Air’s problems has reached a conclusion with Government
announcing the creation of a new national carrier, Nigeria Air, in which it
will hold just 5%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Problems in
South Africa continue, this time with state-owned SA Express. As with SAA, its financial
problems are profound resulting in a capital injection being sought in early
May. But within days the problems
escalated. The SCAA, following an audit, identified ‘serious safety concerns’
and withdrew the carrier’s AOC and other approvals, effectively grounding it. Revenue dried up. SAA, Mango and Airlink cobbled together
replacement schedules and Government met outstanding salaries. By end July, a new AOC had been granted and
several aircraft had passed inspections allowing limited ops to be
resumed. Others, presumably, will
follow. Any effect on passenger confidence
will then be visible. Government has initiated
the merger of SAA and SA Express. Bringing them both within the remit of the
Public Enterprise Department - for now SAA reports to the Treasury – is the
first task.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Fastjet too
continues to suffer financial difficulties.
The relocation from Gatwick to South Africa plus restructuring is
reported as proceeding well but at a cost.
The June available cash balance was revealed as being just
USD1.55m. Shareholders responded with an
additional USD10m, sufficient for operations to continue to year-end. A revenue boost from the imminent launch of
domestic South African operations was pledged in return. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">And … IATA
statistics show that for the 3 months to Mar 2018 African passenger traffic
rose at<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> a world leading 12.7% year on year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">EAST
AFRICA</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air
Tanzania</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Eff 29 July B787-8 ops were launched. Training and familiarization will be
completed on Mwanza and Kilimanjaro routes with Mumbai ops planned for Sep.
Discussions with Boeing on the possible delivery of a second aircraft are
underway. Arrival of the 2x new CS300 is
anticipated before year-end. (Jul 2018)</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> eff Nov plans launch of Addis-Istanbul-Moscow
ops (Jun2018)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> sole shareholder, the Ethiopian Government,
signals it is prepared to sell a minority shareholding in various sections of
the Ethiopian Airlines Holding Group.
Share sales in the airline itself are unlikely. Its profitabilty makes
it source of capital for growth, says the CEO.
(Jun2018)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Ethiopian Airlines </span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">eff 17 July and after a gap of 20 years
restarts ops to Eritrea, daily to Asmara, increasing to double-daily eff 28
July, B737-800. (Jul2018)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> drops the idea of a new 100-seat fleet. Rapid regional market growth will instead
lead to increases in the B737 fleet.
(Jul 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Kenya Airways</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> looks to expand African regional ops including the
possibility of closer relationships with SAA and Ethiopian. (May 2018) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Kenya Airways</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> increases Cape Town capacity to 10pw with 3pw non-stop
ops. The daily ops route via either
Livingstone or Victoria Falls. (Jun2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Kenya Airways</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> may possibly be merged with Kenya Airports Authority. Cabinet has approved the proposal by Kenya
Airways Chairman. Rwanda and Ethiopia
are cited as successful examples of such linkages. (Jun2018) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Kenya Airways</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> having considered selling its 3x B777-300 on return from
sub-lease to Turkish Airlines the idea has overturned the idea in favour of
boosting ticket sales as the path back to profitability. The first B777-300 will return in September.
(Jun2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Kenya Airways</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> plans to launch New York services eff 28 October. (Jul 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Kenya Airways</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> is to drop Jeddah from the network eff September. (July2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Rwandair</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> will add 2x A330neo plus 2x B737Max8 during
2019. New York and Guangzhou ops are
being planned for the first half of the year. The 2x CRJ900 will leave the
fleet. (Jun2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Uganda Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Government has officially launched
the new airline. The Minister of Works
and Transport says that USD1.2m cash deposits have been made to purchase 4x
CRJ900 (delivery 1Q2019) and 2x A330-800neo (delivery 4Q2020). An Interim Board and management team have
been appointed and Cabinet has approved a business plan. Launch of ops meanwhile has slipped to
Mar/April 2019. (Jul2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SOUTH / CENTRAL AFRICA</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Botswana</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> places firm orders for
2x ATR72-600 for delivery later this year.
Other fleet renewal steps, eg replacement of the 3x ATR42-500 in service
for more than 20years, remain unclear.
Earlier this year the acquisition of an Emb170 was mentioned as was the
pending launch of yet another attempt to privatize or find a strategic partner,
also remain unclear. (Jul2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Air Namibia</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">
again looks to West Africa for revenue growth and plans 29 June launch of
Windhoek-Lagos-Accra, 4pw, A319 ops.
(Jun 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Angola
Express</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> The State President vetoes the formation of
the putative new carrier announced in February planned to serve a domestic
network with a Bombardier turbo-prop fleet with mixed public and private
financing. (Jun2018)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">Fastjet</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">
sought shareholder support for additional funding revealing a current cash
balance of USD3.3m of which USD1.75m is trapped in Zimbabwe. USD10m was provided
enabling operations to continue to year-end. In return the company offered the
prospect of domestic South African ops starting in ‘first quarter 2019’. These will be covered by a licensing
agreement with FedAir of Durban who operate domestic routes to 10 destinations.
(Jun 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-ZW" style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">Fastjet</span></b><span lang="EN-ZW" style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">
(Zimbabwe) eff 20 July launched daily Emb145 ops Harare-Bulawayo with
additional frequencies being planned.
Other Zimbabwe routes link Harare-Jo’burg 4 per day, Harare Vic Falls 2
per day and Vic Falls-Jo’burg 3 per week. (Jul2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">flyafrica.com Zimbabwe </span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">AOC withdrawn by the
ZCAA. Ops ceased in Dec2015. (Jun2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">LAM</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> A lack of cash for the
purchase of fuel caused flight cancellations including one on which the
President of the nation was to travel.
He promptly sacked the Board. The company is in financial distress with
reports not filed since 2010. (Jul2018) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Malawi Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> eff 15 July launched daily B737-700 ops
Blantyre-Lilongwe-Dar es Salaam. (Jul2018)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SAA</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Musa Zwane, acting <span class="xcaps">CEO</span> for two years until being placed on leave in
November 2017 has been fired for financial dishonesty. So too, CFO, Phumeza
Nhantsi. (Jun 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SAA</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is ‘working closely’ with Ghana in evaluating
potential traffic rights for Accra-London adding to the current
Accra-Washington ops. (Jun2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SA Airlink</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is to add a second weekly service to
St Helena for the Dec to Apr 2019 period.
An extra service will be added to the once every 2 weeks extension to
Ascension Island over Christmas/New Year.
The ETOPS E190 ops route Jo’burg-St Helena outbound with a Windhoek tech
stop but non-stop inbound. (Jul2019)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SA Airlink</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is evaluating possible Jo’burg –
Libreville ops. (Jul2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SA Express</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Govt provides funds for staff
salaries as a new AOC is sought to enable ops to restart. The SACAA withdrew
the AOC on 24 May citing ‘serious safety concerns’ thus grounding the carrier.
(Jun 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SA Express</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is to be merged with SAA, says
Public Enterprise Minister Pravin Gordhan, with both to be under the authority
of the Dept of Public Enterprises.
Currently SAA falls under the Treasury and Public Finance. (Jul 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SA Express</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">
The SCAA reinstates the carrier’s AOC and AMO withdrawn in May. Following inspections two of the nine
non-compliant aircraft precipitating the grounding have received new CoAs.
Aircraft inspections continue. (Jul 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Zambia Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is on schedule for re-launch on 24
October in a USD30m joint venture with Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines
(45%) and the Zambian Govt (55%). Launch flee will be 3x leased aircraft from
Ethiopian Airlines. (Jul 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">WEST AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #303030; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Africa
World Airlines</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #303030; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Ghana) talks of adding an EMB190 to the fleet
to meet Accra-Lagos demand. The current
frequency is 5 p/day with ERJ145s. (Jun2018) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Burkina</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Burkina Faso) has taken delivery of
the first of 2 wet-leased CRJ900s with the second to follow later this year. Government is now the sole shareholder The
Aga Khan foundation sold its 88% shareholding last year.(Jun2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Air Côte
d’Ivoire</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">
eff 2 Aug plans launch of Abidjan-Bouake-Bamako ops providing the first
cross-border flights from the central Ivorian region city. (Jun 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Peace</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) eff 6 Aug is to launch 4
p/w ops to both Abuja-Accra and Abuja-Freetown.
Current operational fleet is 13x B737-300/500. (Jul2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Cabo-Verde Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Government targets end-2018 for
successful privatisation. The current
management contract with Icelandair is not to be renewed. (Jul 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Camair-Co</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Has
extended Abidjan ops to Dakar and plans imminent launch of ops to Lagos and
Bamako (Jun2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Ceiba International</span></strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Equatorial
Guinea) eff 26Jun extended Malabo-Abidjan ops to Dakar (Jun 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Max Air</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) eff 12 July
commenced daily ops from Kano to Abuja and Lagos with a fleet of 3x
B737-300. A wider domestic network is
planned. Charter ops continue with its
fleet of 4x B747. (Jul2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Nigeria Air </span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">The
new national carrier, as announced by Government, to be owned and managed by the
private sector. Government will hold 5%.
Target launch date is December this year with an initial 5 aircraft fleet of
B737Max and A330s. The finance partner has yet to be secured as have the AOC
and other regulatory approvals.
Start-up capital needs are estimated to be USD300, spread over 3
years. The original Nigeria Airways
collapsed in 2003. Virgin Nigeria
survived from 2004 to 2009. (Jul 2018) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Overland Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) Lagos-based domestic
carrier plans imminent entry of regional ops to Lome, Niamey, Cotonou with 9
strong fleet of ATR42/72 and Beech 1900Ds. (Jul 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">NORTH AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Royal
Air Maroc </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">anticipates delivery of the first of 4x B787-9 in December
plus the first of 4x B737-8 before year end.
Casablanca - New York, in December, is to be the first B787-9 route
followed by Miami, Montreal and Sao Paulo.
(Jul 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">NON-AFRICAN AIRLINES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Etihad
</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">eff 30 Sep will drop Dar es Salaam from the network echoing the
withdrawal from Entebbe 3 months ago.
(June 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Oman Air</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> eff Jul 2019 plans
launch of 4pw Muscat-Casablanca B787-8 ops (Jun2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Turkish Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> plans end-2018 launch of
Marrakech ops. (Jun2108)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">MISCELLANEOUS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Gabon</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Govt discusses with Saudi-based
Nexus Aero the completion of a feasibility study for a new national airline.
The original Air Gabon collapsed in 2005.
(Jul2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Libya</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Work continues on the rebuilding of badly
damaged Tripoli Airport, closed in 2015. Italian companies have been contracted
for the USD93m project. (Jul2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Zimbabwe
</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Govt is to merge Air Zimbabwe and putative Zimbabwe Airlines
with its ex-Malaysian 4x B777s. Details
vague. (July 2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Zimbabwe</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Govt
commissions a USD154m, 3 year, project to upgrade Harare’s Robert Mugabe
International Airport. A Chinese
concessionary loan will finance. (Jul
2018)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">JOHN WILLIAMS August 2018</span></div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-1374174117104998712018-01-09T19:38:00.001+00:002018-01-09T19:38:19.582+00:00Emirates gives Stansted a real long haul network.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Emirates' addition of Stansted to its London portfolio from summer 2018 comes as no surprise. The arrival of a major Gulf hubber is overdue and brings to the airport the powerful proposition it has to airports all over the world, often to the chagrin of an incumbent national carrier. Very simply it's one stop daily to almost anywhere in the southern or eastern hemisphere. That's powerful enough and if it becomes twice daily or even more it can be overwhelming. Hence protectionist mutterings in some corners , including currently the USA, but a great reluctance by many governments to do much about it..The benefits /revenue from inbound tourism and business travel are increasingly understood to be worth way more than keeping a creaking legacy carrier alive.<br />
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Stansted itself will be delighted. Its longer haul routes so far have been tentative single spokes into the USA usually with secondary fleets . They were never going to be game changers. Emirates is exactly that. It offers half the world to a substantial market located within an arc sweeping from central London , including the Canary Wharf financial centre, through Essex, East Anglia including Cambridge, and anywhere east of the A1 and East Coast Main Line.That's a lot of people and a lot of money.<br />
<br />
This will be one to watch. Assuming Stansted launches successfully will Emirates quickly double their frequency, partly to discourage imitators, or will we see Qatar or Etihad join the fray? Our guess is that these will spectate for while and see what happens before making any move. Turkish, always an avid collector of additional spokes, might though just jump the gun with a narrowbody to Istanbul. The game is on.</div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-23462358268831554342018-01-09T17:42:00.003+00:002018-01-09T17:49:30.918+00:00African Roundup October November 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">African
Roundup October - November 2017 <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">South African Airways has been handed yet another
recapitalization fund the Finance Minister asserting that SAA ‘must be
supported’. The amount this time is to meet
debts and operational costs. But since
then the airline has forecast a worsening outturn for 2017-18. The operating loss will approach US$300m and
the outstanding debt will rise to US$700m.
This is a baptism of fire for new Chairman, JB Magwaza, and new CEO, V
Jarana. The conditions attached to the money require yet another,
board-approved, 5 year turnaround plan to be submitted to Government. This begs the question of how successful can
such a plan be. The history of the many such
over the past 5 or so years suggests it to be unlikely. The SAA problems reliably escalate faster
than the solutions. But, if the new
Chairman and new CEO can strike a strong and mutually supportive working
relationship the chances of success will be better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In Kenya Airways another new Chairman and new CEO
relationship is also undergoing a baptism of fire. First target of his opponents within the
airline and government are the four Polish expatriates he hired to give him a
cohesive core team and effective control of the airline. The Board’s Staff
Committee, which should be standing well clear, is reviewing this, the
processes surrounding it etc. It’s not impossible that their educational
certificates will in some way be found deficient. That would mean game over for
the incomers and presumably the resignation of the CEO, something which might
just make people stop and think a bit. With radical financial restructuring
nearing completion and the recent disruptive General Election still nit totally
resolved, some 40% of the airline’s ground engineers and technicians walked out
demanding significant salary increases.
The new CEO moved swiftly and dismissed all the strikers. That’s not
popular politically. Court cases loom. In common with other African carriers,
Kenya Airways has seen a steady trickle
of engineers leave to join better paying Gulf carriers. That is ongoing anyway and
only lifestyle issues prevent a greater flood. Qualified local replacements are
rare on the streets of Nairobi; a conundrum familiar to experienced senior
management but a big challenge for the new Chairman and CEO relationship to
resolve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">On an entirely different front away from the big
legacy strugglers is Fastjet , now emerging
from a 2 year re-structuring with the launch of new routes based on Maputo and
domestic sectors within South Africa still a long way about the original pan-African vision which turned out to be so beset with obstacles. Old Africa hands were unsurprised. In the interim CEO Nico Bezuidenhout has relocated Head Office from
London to Johannesburg, has replaced the A319 fleet with smaller types and
brought in experienced South African senior management. New South African shareholder,
Solenta Aviation, facilitates network growth through its ownership of AOCs in several
neighbouring countries plus the provision of leased aircraft whose owners
though are likely to protect themselves from loss by wanting the money for
these up front. The costs of effecting
this restructuring have been eye-watering, measured in tens of millions of
dollars, but with the opening of the new routes it is just possible that a
significant step has been taken towards the original 2012 vision of creating a ‘successful
Africa-wide low cost carrier’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This ‘editorial page’ is too often depressingly
dominated by airlines hard pressed seemingly endlessly, trying to recover from
debilitating financial performance. The
consistent exception is Ethiopian Airlines.
They live in the same world and must experience business problems but steadily
deal with them without fuss . They have in depth highly professional home grown
management and long term strategies for the whole business . As result the
network, fleet ad frequencies keep growing and a brand new airport designed for
connecting business will soon open. The
snapshots below list them discussing with carriers and governments across the
continent opportunities to launch new local carriers, to become strategic
partners or to provide support; Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique and Djibouti are but
four. Subsidiaries operate in Togo and
Malawi. Meanwhile their academies in
Addis Ababa produces qualified pilots, engineers and other professional
specialists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Also different is their freedom from political
intervention, something that grows within SAA and Kenya Airways by the day.
Ethiopia’s governments have always been happy to just let the airline’s management
get on with the job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Down south and off into the Atlantic SA Airlink
flights to St Helena are now fully operational.
The weekly ETOPS E190 operates from Johannesburg, with a tech-stop in
Windhoek. A monthly extension to Ascension
Island will follow shortly. If booked on it not a flight you want to miss then.
Passenger numbers are small but the lower-priced RMS St Helena continues to
operate. In February these sailings will stop and Airlink passengers are likely
to increase. (Nobody explains how larger items of freight will now reach the
island. The EMB might be OK for a washing machine but will struggle beyond
that). A possible addition of Cape Town to the routing should also raise load
factors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">EAST AFRICA </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is discussing with the Djibouti government the
possibility of creating a new joint-venture with state-owned Air Djibouti. The original airline ceased flying in 2002 but
has recently been operating a B737-400 on a limited regional network. The aircraft
is supplied by Cardiff Aviation (UK) who have also provided interim technical
and management support during the start-up period. Air Djibouti is now under
local management. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Zanzibar frequencies are
rising from thrice weekly to daily while on the long haul side the Sao Paulo
flights are planned to extend to Buenos Aires twice weekly with B787-9s and
Chicago is due to join the network in April.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Seemingly untroubled by
other operators finding it difficult to make money with pure cargo operations,
particularly brand new ones, the airline has signed up with Boeing for 4 B777
freighters to add to its fleet of six plus two B757 conversions. Faced with
poor road and rail infrastructure much of Africa has substantial needs for
reliable efficient freight operators working through hubs which are organised,
really work and don’t build up horrific backlogs. As most countries have
imbalances between in and outbound demand clever route planning is needed to
minimise low revenue sectors. This produces some interesting regular routings
zig zagging around the continent and to Europe. At hubs change of gauge from
wide to narrow body presents obvious problems. From time immemorial this has
sometimes necessitated the use of widebodies on sectors with low passenger
loads but the financial result on every sector thus flown threatens the
profitability of cargo overall.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">JamboJet</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Kenya Airways LCC subsidiary) .The
expanded Q400 fleet is enabling a planned opening of regional routes to
Tanzania and Uganda in February 2018 and the plan to lease a further two.<span class="apple-converted-space"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">There is
speculation that the 2 B737s are to be retired (and conveniently returned to
Kenya Airways?) leaving an all turbo-prop Q400 fleet by the end of this
year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Kenya Airways</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> Air France is to be included in the long-established joint
venture with KLM currently being re-negotiated. April 2018 is the target
completion date lining up with the resumption of Air France flights to Nairobi.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As in
our leading paragraphs, the airline is suffering from (another) bout of
unhappiness, this time amongst the ground engineers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">RwandAir</span></strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> hopes
to raise the A330 fleet to 4 by taking another 2 in 2018. The current total fleet of 13 aircraft should
total 20 by 2022 with B737s and CRJs being retired. DHC Dash-8s will continue
on domestic routes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">In Nigeria the Lagos route will be joined in
January by a new separate service to Abuja.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Sudan Airways.</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> The lifting of 20 years of US
sanctions gives the carrier hope that scheduled services will again become
possible. The long-dormant single A300-600 is being refurbished and returned to
flight condition. The 2 A320 plus 14 new aircraft (to do what?) promised by
China earlier this year have yet to materialize. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SOUTH / CENTRAL AFRICA <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Namibia</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> plans Mar2018 return to Accra with four weekly
Windhoek-Lagos-Accra A319 services complete with 5<sup>th</sup> Freedom Nigeria-Ghana
rights. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Congo Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (DRC) has taken delivery of a wet-leased
A319-100.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Fastjet
PLC</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (S Africa) is launching new links in Mozambique and South
Africa in the coming weeks. 5 domestic
routes based on Maputo will use shareholder Solenta’s Mozambique AOC. In South Africa, Fastjet’s network will be based on
that of FedAir, serving ten domestic
points. A branding agreement has been
signed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Fleetwise the first of two E190s, leased from GECAS have
arrived . They are to be based in Dar-es-Salaam. All the A319s
have now departed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">The Mozambique arm of the company launched E145s on 3
domestic routes, Maputo-Beira, Nampula and Tete on 3<sup>rd</sup> November.
Future routes to Johannesburg, Lusaka and Harare have been mentioned. Knitting
these in with trans border links to Blantyre or Lilongwe would be interesting
but it may be that the different colonial heritage and languages of the two
countries mean that apart from in border areas there is little commerce between
the two and little inclination to develop any. Indeed such realities may be one
of the rocks upon which the original everywhere to everywhere Fastjet visions
foundered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">LAM </span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">is looking to a
consultancy to draw up a 10 year restructuring plan. The options, opportunities
and limitations should be fairly easy to identify quickly. Any consultancy
agreement should recognise this and be strictly limited in time and cost. The
Mozambique’s government has recently granted wide-ranging rights to 7 foreign
carriers. One, Ethiopian Airlines, is
evaluating a substantial network based on Maputo.</span><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SAA</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">JB
Magwaza, Chairman of Peoples Bank, is appointed as the carrier’s new
Chairman. Controversial previous Chair,
Dudi Myeni, is to leave the company. A
new Deputy Chairman plus 4 new non-executive Board members are also
appointed. </span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">New
CEO, Vuyani Jarana, an aviation outsider</span><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">, assumed responsibility on 1st November. </span><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Libreville, Cotonou and Douala routes are to drop out of the
network early in 2018. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> US$ 702m
‘recapitalsation’ has ben allocated by the government for 2017-18. The amount
is to enable debt servicing and operational costs only. A government guarantee of US$ 1.34 billion
has also been awarded. To raise the
necessary funds Government is likely to sell a part holding in Telkom. A ‘strategic partner’ for the SAA is likely
to be sought. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SA Airlink and Safair</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (South Africa) are to merge with
each retaining its own trading identity. The securing of benefits of scale, “sharing
costs and removing systems duplication”, are given as the main reason. Safair, a profitable business, will become a
minority shareholder in Airlink. Since
2014 Safair has operated a domestic LCC network. Competition Commission approval is anticipated
early next year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Zimbabwe Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> putative new carrier to replace Air
Zimbabwe announced, and missed, a targeted 9 Nov start of operations with 5
long-haul aircraft plus 6 shorthaul. The project failed to attract financial
backing so has now been shelved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">WEST AFRICA <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Aero Contractors </span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">(Nigeria) once seen as the country’s
most promising domestic carrier has reduced its fleet to just 2 aircraft, the
minimum necessary to maintain its AOC, whilst grappling with myriad financial and
staff problems. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #303030; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Africa
World Airlines</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #303030; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Ghana) has launched thrice weekly ERJ145
services between Accra and Monrovia, adding to the Lagos and Abuja regional
network. Kumasi, Tamale and Takoradi comprise the domestic network from
Accra. (Nov2017)</span><span style="background: #eeeeee; color: #111111; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #303030; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Air Côte
d’Ivoire </span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">has
received its second new A320 following the first delivered in July<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Senegal</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> took delivery of the first of 2x
ATR72-600 ordered in June. An MoU with Airbus for the sale of 2x A330neo, plus
2x options, for delivery in January 2019 has also been signed. Launch of the new carrier, with a small
domestic network, is to coincide with the planned 7 Dec opening of Dakar’s new
airport. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">ASKY</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Togo) is to re-introduce services
in November from Lome to Monrovia, Freetown and Banjul. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Camair-Co</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is
resuming some regional operations following receipt of US$53m Government
subsidy. Libreville was first, in
October, to be followed gradually by Abidjan and Bangui in December and then
Cotonou. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> The company is discussing
a possible Commercial Agreement with French carrier, Corsair International,
including Corsair operating the Paris route suspended by Camair in September.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Ceiba International</span></strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Equatorial
Guinea) operations<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> are suspended by the local <span class="xcaps">CAA</span>. Madrid flights continue with a Portuguese-registered
aircraft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Goldstar
Airlines </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">(Ghana) Privately-owned start-up was awarded an Air Carrier
Certificate covering 11 international routes in Dec last year but continues to
await an AOC grant. Original start-up was to be June 2014. Plans are to start flying with 5x wet-leased
Boeing 737s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Starbow Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Ghana) has added a BAe RJ100 to its
existing fleet of a single <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">BAe146-100
and a single leased ATR72-500. A
domestic network is flown linking Accra with the usual suspects ,Kumasi,
Takoradi and Tamale. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Starbow Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Ghana) has taken delivery of the
first, of 2, ATR72-500. The entry into
service was marred by an excursion off-runway in heavy rain. All operations
were suspended. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">TACV </span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">(Cabo Verde) selected
Loftleider Icelandic as strategic partner to develop Cabo Verde as a hub
linking Africa, Europe and the Americas. On the face of it that looks a bit of
a long shot,requiring a lot of investment to be able to provide enough hub
synergy to make it work .Having ended all domestic routes in favour of BinterCV
the 5 September date for resumption of international operations has been
delayed as the single B757-200 undergoes maintenance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">NORTH AFRICA <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Algerie</span></strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is
going through a “difficult period”, says <span class="xcaps">CEO</span> Bekhouche
Alleche, as it grapples with “increased competition, overstaffing and heavy
indebtedness” prompting a staff freeze. </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Arabia Maroc</span></strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Morocco)
launched a new service Marrakech - Paris <span class="xcaps">CDG</span> on
31 October plus Marrakech - London Gatwick on 1st November. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Egyptair</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Fleet
upgrade plans include orders for 6 B787s and 15 A320s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Syphax </span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">(Tunisia) has moved closer to
re-launching ops as Maghreb Airlines.
Heavily debt-laden Syphax was placed in judicial administration in 2015.
A reorganization plan has been court approved.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">NON-AFRICAN AIRLINES <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air France</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> .After an 18 years absence, the
French carrier is returning to Nairobi thrice weekly with a B787 in April 2018,
3pw, B787. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Malta</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> plans to re-start Casablanca in
April 2018. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Alitalia</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is another former player planning to
return to Kenya, this time with four weekly A330s and to South Africa with four
weekly Johannesburg operations. The late March beginning of summer schedules is
the likely date.</span><span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Brussels Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> increased Abidjan frequencies to
daily and Accra to five weekly on 28<sup>th</sup> October.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Norwegian Air Argentina</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> LCC has named
Johannesburg in its long term planning for flights from Buenos Aires. Established in Jan 2017, the Norwegian
Airlines subsidiary has received Argentina NCAA approval to operate domestic
and international routes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Turkish Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> network tentacles spread
further with the February launch of a Istanbul-Ouagadougou-Freetown route.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> Ukraine Airlines:</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> is aiming to inaugurate Kiev–Cairo B737-900
services.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">MISCELLANEOUS <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">AFRAA </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">has
highlighted that US$950m of blocked funds is held by Angola, Sudan, Nigeria and
Algeria. Angola heads the list with US$
480m blocked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #555555; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Abderahmane
Berthe, previously CEO of Air Burkina and of Air Mali, is to be the new
Secretary General succeeding Dr. Elijah Chingosho. </span><span style="background: white; color: #555555; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Comoros</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Government is planning to grant
domestic rights to foreign operators.
Air Tanzania has been named as a likely beneficiary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="loud"><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Côte d’Ivoire</span></b></span><span class="loud"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Government talks to
Ethiopian, SAA and Kenya Airways on the possibility of them operating
Abidjan-USA services. Sensible. Why sink a large capital investment and risk
when someone else will do it for you and pay a guaranteed percentage fee? For too long-about 60 years national pride
has got in the way of going for these kinds of arrangements. Countries have
paid tens of millions to from time to time decorate distant airports with their
national identity. At Heathrow Olympic in the 1980s scheduled a 23 hour layover
at the end of a 4 hour flight from Athens
so that one of its A300s was always visible from the roadway at the
western end of Heathrow’s Terminal 2. Whether
or not anybody other than spotters ever noticed it is unknown<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="loud"><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Côte d’Ivoire . </span></b></span><span class="loud"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Construction has
started to double capacity at </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Abidjan International Airport. The obvious vision is to become a major West
African hub. Currently it faces little opposition in seeking that role but it
will take a long time and lot of money to build up the spokes required to
create a real hub rather than place where every day there is a good collection
of connecting opportunities backed by alternative routings if one should fail.
Nobody wants to hang around for 24 hours or more awaiting the next flight
(which may be full anyway).</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">IATA</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> and <b>African Development Bank</b> signed an MOU</span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> “to
establish a framework for collaboration to boost the aviation sector in
Africa”. IATA signed a similar document
with the African Union in July last year.
</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Zambia</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> an un-named start-up carrier has
ordered 5 SSJ100s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">John Williams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">1 Dec 2017</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-66369142962733774962017-11-19T15:52:00.000+00:002017-11-19T15:52:23.608+00:00World Travel Market, London,- In descent?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
A fortnight ago the annual World Travel Market was about to kick off at London's vast and characterless Excel collection of docklands exhibition halls. How does it all look two weeks later?<br />
<br />
Some things are constant while others change over time. The constants are the basic heartbeat of the whole show,-the acres occupied by the Gulf states, the massed ranks of USA regional presence, the pretty grim UK area, the girls from wherever parading feathers and , despite the chilly air, little else and the truly awful lunchtime scrum for the local burger stand or the dreary offerings of the 1950/60s style, crammed to the doors, cafetaria downstairs. The scrum getting to and from Excel doesn't vary much either. A bit like a bad mannered version of the great migration but without the charm or excitement. Heaven help the less mobile.Nobody else will.<br />
<br />
Change though is apparent as the years go by. Those Gulf spaces are getting less opulent and less busy. Less sightings of the really big names in the industry and hardly any after the first day. The crowds are there but more exhibitors are sitting at empty desks and looking bored. There is a feeling that doing business on the spot now comes second to being seen to be there to be seen and to network.<br />
<br />
The Africa area reflects most of these trends. Each year it shrinks and there was a noticeable drop this year. The big players, Kenya and South Africa had taken large stands as always but there was more beige carpet on view .Fewer local tour operators, hotel chains and safari operators were present. Attending the event isn't cheap and now there are spin offs in the form of regional WTMs and other exhibitions some feel that the pulling power of the big one is diminishing to the point where being there ,if only to keep an eye on local competitors, just isn't worth it. Regular stands are disappearing and as they do WTM's significance diminishes. This year there was no Nigeria, until now always a large and noisy stand populated by the London diaspora and behaving like a Lagos street market.Ghana was providing a pale imitation. Newcomers do pop up though. This year it was Sao Tome and Principe chatting to themselves but with no business in sight in Portugese. For the first time no major African airline was there.The regulars, Kenya Airways, Air Botswana, Air Malawi have packed their bags. In essence the African presence has always been limited to eastern and southern Africa. Nigeria apart, and they never really expected or could cope with a tourism bonanza, where are Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Togo....? EU and sometimes individual government aid projects sometimes sponsor the presence of developing countries. Maybe that's how Swaziland this year graduated from a table and two chairs against a sidewall to a smart stand.<br />
<br />
Most people when asked said "Things are going well". When pressed on whether that meant business was up, not getting worse or whether they were just being brave, the facial expressions varied. A hotelier who's been there for 20 years simply said "Look, I'm still here".<br />
<br />
It's all looking a bit dusty though. The era of megashows like WTM feel numbered. It looks like something which has had its time, seen the best of its days and is in danger of sliding further until a critical point is reached. Already it's down from four to effectively two and a half days. It's losing its glitter and may not be a cash cow for its organisers or a place where the industry does its business for much longer.<br />
<br />
- JOHN WILLIAMS.</div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-70949428905948104872017-10-27T20:49:00.000+01:002017-10-27T20:49:02.747+01:00Messages from Piccadilly.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The inauguration of the new high tech version of Piccadilly's iconic electronic advertising site has prompted John Williams to forward a 1953 picture of it displaying an example of one of the best ever pieces of airline advertising.<br />
<br />
Wrapped around the corner were two bold statements. The first was "BOAC to All Six Continents" That's fair. At the time the seventh continent, Antarctica, was seen by most as off the accessible map so didn't count. "We are a/the worldwide airline ius the message. It needs no further hype or explanation. The message is brilliantly understated in a very British way.<br />
<br />
The second is the really clever one and stayed with BOAC in various forms until the merger with BEA. It reads simply "BOAC Takes Good Care of You". In some places the two messages were rolled into one "All over the world BOAC Takes Good Care of You". In the 50s ,60s and even 70s safety and reliability were much less taken for granted than now. Aircraft were much less dependable and many long haul journeys in particular were interrupted in one way or another. Advertising safety has always been taboo in the airline world but this ad did just that while avoiding the forbidden word. The implications about engineering , flight crew standards and even just being British were obvious. The bundle of messages in this tag line which was probably one of the best known in the world, imprinted themselves on people's minds everywhere. They were of huge value to the airline.<br />
<br />
Finally there was the message that "Whatever happens/goes wrong we will look after you from beginning to end". No ifs no buts. That's not one that many, if any, airline would risk sending out in 2017. Volumes alone simply overwhelm that proposition.</div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-47055365839452162442017-10-21T19:41:00.000+01:002017-10-25T19:52:46.097+01:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">African
Roundup August - September 2017<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Kenya Airways, formerly profitable since
privatization, has recorded losses for 5 successive years since 2012. ‘Project Safari’ seeks to reverse this
pattern and to return the business to profitability. In August a complex financial restructuring
was put in place to forestall a fast approaching debt repayment crisis. Conversion of debt to equity is the key.
Government and bank debts approaching US$500m are to be so converted raising
Government shareholding to 47% and 11 banks will newly hold 35%. Some 78,000
small private shareholders are losers. They are far from happy.The same goes for some banks. It is argued that, for all its
complexity, the restructuring merely buys time for the airline by ‘kicking the
can down the road’ rather than addressing underlying issues in the company, for
example, it does not improve cash generation.
New CEO Sebastian Mikosz now has the task of delivering success. He has
recently added 5 expatriate managers, who helped him successfully turn round
LOT Polish Airlines, to the Transformation Office. This follows the recipe used
by Speedwing Consultancy when they put in a group of four high quality ex BA
managers who had worked together before. Brian Davies was the CEO in 1996 and
with his team set the airline on a ground-breaking path to profitability,
privatization and growth. CEO Mikosz
also needs the full support of the Chairman and board to do whatever it takes
including hiring and firing without interference. Crucially the Chairman has to
be personally and politically strong and remain non executive and to keep all
politicians and politics at bay. It’s a formula which could be used for all
similar turnarounds but seldom is. It could be the only real winning one. In KQ
it started to fall apart as soon as the original Chairman Philip Ndegwa died
and his successor, took on a much more interventionist and less supportive
tack. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Earlier this year Kenya Airways was</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> seeking anti-trust
immunity with joint-venture partner Precision Air of Tanzania. Kenya Airways is a 41% shareholder. Closer
integration of schedules and pricing were the objectives. For the past 4 years,
in effect since FastJet started flying domestically within Tanzania, Precision
has recorded mounting operating losses.
Precision is now reported to be talking to fellow sufferer, Air
Tanzania, on rationalizing operations both domestically and regionally. It has been a puzzle why such cooperation has
been missing for the past 10 years as Air Tanzania has slid to a near moribund
state. Kenya Airways’ shareholding in Precision came about in 2003 when it was
competing with SAA to acquire 49% of Air Tanzania but it finally announced it
would instead be investing in PrecisionAir.
SAA paid US$ 20m for its share-holding, but the partnership was
short-lived. The Tanzania Government repurchased the shares for a nominal sum.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Fellow but very different struggler down south, SAA has been given
US$220m by the Government enabling it to meet debt repayment obligations to
Citibank and to meet ‘immediate operational expenditure’. The Finance Minister has the power to pay
funds ‘which cannot, without serious prejudice to the public interest, be
postponed’. Others would argue that
this is another ‘kicking the can down the road’ exercise. The Minister has committed to an October
announcement on the future financial structure of the airline. In July SAA asked for US$970m, to be spread
over 3 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">But, as ever, there are bright spots.
2 governments have seemingly recognised that it is air services that are
important, not the national airline. The
Government of Mozambique, long embarrassed by subsidising loss-making LAM, and
having failed to land a strategic investor, has granted domestic rights to
those applying. Both Malawian Airlines
and Ethiopian have been so rewarded along with 5 other carriers. And, the Zimbabwe Government, perhaps weary
of Air Zimbabwe’s limited ability to meet the needs of the local tourism
industry</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> has announced
it is “opening our skies to any airline that wants to fly as many times as
possible”. The details are lacking but
it is a notable expression of intent. The breaking down of nationalistic
barriers, if it really happens is most welcome. It’s taken more than 70 years
of blinded sectors or simply non flown links going back to colonial times. Even
within the colonial framework East African for many years East African could
not uplift passengers on Central African domestic and inter territorial sectors
and vice versa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Also bright
is the Rwandair basing of 2 B737-800s in Cotonouto inaugurate a Benin hub with
full traffic rights to regional destinations.
Benin is without a national carrier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And … services to St Helena are set to start on 14
October. Airlink, South Africa, will
initially provide a weekly service Jo’burg-Windhoek-St Helena with an ETOPS
Embraer E190.</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">1 EAST AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Agreement has been reached with the Nigerian
government on a management contract to re-launch and run Arik Air as a national
carrier. A formal offer has been submitted.
Contract signing is anticipated in November. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Further south the CEO has
confirmed that it is close to signing a deal with the Zambian Government for
the creation of a new joint venture national carrier. Operational start up
would be early 2018.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> On 16<sup>th</sup> September the airline
launched B787-9, non-stop Sao Paulo services four times weekly thereby cutting
Lome,- and with it a West African feed hub from the previous routing, launched
in 2013. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> A cargo service is to begin Addis-Los
Angles-Mexico in October. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kenya Airways</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Shareholder approval was secured at an EGM on 7 August for a
debt-restructuring ‘Optimisation Plan’ which sees 11 local banks convert
US$225m of loans into equity with a resultant 35% shareholding. Three banks are though not yet agreeing to
the arrangement . The Government will convert US$243m of loans into equity
raising its shareholding to almost 47%. The 1995 Shareholder Agreement with KLM
is to be terminated and KLM’s shareholding reduced to near 14% although the
carrier will invest a further US$24m capital.
Minority private shareholding, originally a magnet for small investors
proud to own part of the (successful) national carrier is to be diluted to just
1%. Government is also to provide guarantees
for the US$525m loan from US Exim Bank. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">The US DoT has approved
scheduled operations to the USA and talks of launching in April 2018, perhaps,
initially, using SkyTeam partner Delta’s aircraft. KQ is chronically short of widebodies with no
more on order and two 787s leased to Oman Air leaving them with just six active
787s. The 772s and the over-large 773s have variously been sold or put out on
long term leases .Ethiopian, SAA and Egyptair are the only 3 other African
carriers approved for US operations. More 787s are needed to avoid a static
state and avoid the network branches withering. This applies to both long haul
and regional routes. Cargo alone cries out for widebodies to provide the
capacity to ensure that “via Nairobi” is a competitive or even viable routing
for freight. There have been periods in the past where far from being Africa’s
smoothest running hub it has been the continent’s biggest bottleneck with
backlogs in every direction. The landlocked countries can’t afford to live with
that sort of offering and these days many cities have direct flights to the Gulf hubs so Nairobi no longer enjoys its former hold on the market. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
new CEO, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Sebastian Mikosz, ex-CEO of LOT Polish Airlines,
furthered the route rationalization programme ,- a sort of reverse network
development plan,- with the dropping of Hanoi and Hong Kong at the end of
October. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Precision Air</span></strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Tanzania)
is considering pursuing a cooperation agreement with <strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Air Tanzania</span></strong><strong>
</strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">on pricing and networks</span></strong>
to expand coverage within Tanzania and beyond. Kenya Airways is a 42%
shareholder. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> On 1st
October the airline launched scheduled services into Serengeti National
Park. The Dar es Salaam - Seronera –
Zanzibar route linking the safari and beach holiday destinations is being flown daily with
ATR 42s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Rwandair</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is planning Kigali – New York JFK,
A330 services starting in September next year.
Nice idea but hugely expensive in capital and operational costs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Closer
to home, and perhaps a better bet, 2 B737-800s are being based in Cotonou as
Rwanda and Benin establish a new joint venture carrier to serve the region.
Rwandair will enjoy full 7<sup>th</sup> Freedom rights to/from Benin. On 30
September 6 routes were opened from
Cotonou to Libreville, Brazzaville, Abidjan, Conakry, Bamako and Dakar, all
planned to connect with the Kigali hub. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">2.
SOUTH / CENTRAL AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Botswana</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> one of the 2 stored
BAe146-100s, originally acquired in 1989, has been ferried to the Philippines.
It’s unclear why. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Namibia</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> talks of adding 2 Emb135s and 4 Emb 145s <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>to the fleet. The
SSJ-100 is also under evaluation.
Current fleet is: 2 A330, 4 A319 and Emb135. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Namibia</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> plans a March 2018 return to Accra with a four
times weekly Windhoek-Lagos-Accra A319 routing complete with 5<sup>th</sup>
freedom Nigeria-Ghana rights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Air
Zimbabwe</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> : Funding problems are surfacing for the
wet-leasing of the 4 Malaysian Airlines B777-200s announced in June.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Fastjet
PLC</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (South Africa) Is considering using small turbo-props on expanded
SA, Tanzania and Zimbabwe domestic networks.
It also continues evaluating operating into 3 unnamed neighbouring
countries and a 14<sup>th</sup> November launch of twice weekly Harare-Lusaka
is planned . With Emirates flying a 777 daily and other competitors on the
route that isn’t going to take anybody’s breath away. It isn’t quite like the
original vision of high frequency links all over Africa. Can it rediscover its
original zest or is the growing pile of past losses going to constrain it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Meanwhile a leased Emb145 is covering services in Tanzania
pending the arrival of the planned 2 dry-leased Emb190s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Talking of cash, the airline is seeking US$44m additional
funding after reporting US$ 13.2m operating loss Jan-Jun 2017. The company forecasts cash-flow breakeven
before year-end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">FlySafair </span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">(S Africa) LCC added 2 additional
B737-400s in September. Total fleet is
now 7 B737-400s and 3 -800s.
Johannesburg -based, it flies a domestic network, mirroring SAA and
Comair/BA/Kulula linking Cape Town, Durban, George, Port Elizabeth and East
London. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Mahogany
Air</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">
(Zambia) has been granted an AOC following a US$23m re-captalization fund from
Zambian and Dubai investors. Operations
resumed following a 3 year gap in July this year with a single leased Emb-120
flying domestic routes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Malawian Airlines </span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">along with 49% shareholder Ethiopian Airlines
has been granted rights to operate domestic routes by the Mozambique
Government. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Ontime
Airlines.bw</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Botswana) Putative LCC startup. Seeking US$25m funding to
purchase 4 ATR72-600s to operate domestic and regional opserations. An Air
Service Licence and AOC being sought. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SAA </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">has appointed Vuyani Jarana as its new CEO. An
aviation outsider, he joins from Vodacom Business. Start date is 1 November.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SAA</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> whilst highlighting the continuing problem of
poor governance in SAA, the Minister of Finance says a new Chairman will be
appointed in November. The search continues for an acceptable method of
financing the 3yr US$970m injection requested in July. USD140m repayments are
due at the end of September. Returning
the business to financial stability is the government’s principle aim.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">The airline is planning a 20% cut in the flying
programme in an attempt to further reduce costs. Starting in October some domestic services
are to go including Johannesburg-Cape Town and Durban. We wonder if those will
happen as the volumes are high even if yields are constrained by compettion
from its own Mango, Comair’s Kulula, Comair/BA and Fly Safair. Loss-making
regional routes </span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">to Brazzaville, Douala, Kinshasa, Entebbe, Luanda, and Cotonou
are to have frequency reductions.</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> The
fleet is to be reduced by almost 20%.
Five narrow-bodies will be retired by end-2017 and 5 wide-bodies will by
October 2018.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> A
US$220m bail-out from Government to meet USD132m loan repayments is due at the
end of September and US$88m to meet immediate operating expenditure. Finance
Minister, Gigaba, is to announce plans on SAA finance restructuring in October.
And so it goes on..............<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Airlink</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (S Africa) was selected by the St
Helena Government to fly scheduled services to the island. Starting in October
weekly flights will be operated from both Johannesburg and possibly Cape Town
plus from November, an extension to Ascension Island every 2 weeks, using an
ETOPS Emb-190. Re-fuelling stops in Windhoek will be required in both
directions. On 22 August a proving flight was successfully completed.
Windshear problems on runway20 resulted in Comair, the choice from the first
RFP, from mounting operations with the larger B737-800s. Airlink is happier with using the shorter and
less windshere -prone reciprocal runway 02 for the Emb 190s..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> The airline is also considering launching a Johannesburg – Brazzaville link
plus others in Central/West Africa as SAA embarks on reducing its regional and
domestic flying programme. (Sep 2017)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Swazi Airways</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">
(Swaziland) having never having secured an AOC, is closing without
operating. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">3.
WEST AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Senegal</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> has taken delivery of the first of 2
ATR72-600 ordered in June. Launch of the
new carrier is planned for December. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Azman Air</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">
(Nigeria) Kano-based domestic carrier has added a 5<sup>th</sup> aircraft to
the fleet, an A330-200, with plans to fly to China.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Camair-Co</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is to
resume some regional operations following receipt of a US$53m Government
subsidy. </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">First Nation Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) has had its AOC downgraded
to non-scheduled flights only. The NCAA specifies a minimum fleet size of 2
aircraft but the single A320 has been operating under a temporary NCAA
dispensation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Goldstar
Airlines </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">(Ghana) Privately-owned start-up was awarded an Air Carrier
Certificate covering 11 international routes in December last year but continues to
await granting of an AOC. Original start-up was to be June 2014. It now plans to start flying with 5
wet-leased Boeing 737s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">TACV </span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">(Cabo Verde) has
selected experienced hubber Loftleider Icelandic as strategic partner to
develop Cabo Verde as a hub linking Africa, Europe and the Americas. That’s
ambitious. Having ended all domestic flying in favour of BinterCV the 5 September
date for resumption of international services has been delayed as the single
B757-200 undergoes maintenance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">4.
NORTH AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Royal
Air Maroc</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Morocco) has added N’Djamena to Casablanca-Nairobi services
and split Rio and Sao Paulo into separate services.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Syphax</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Tunisia) failed to have its
Operating Licence renewed thereby jeopardising the plans to resume flying
before the end of this year. Operations
ceased on Jul 2015 with the carrier then being placed in ’judicial administration’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">5.
NON-AFRICAN AIRLINES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air France</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is to launch A320/319 Montpelier –
Algiers services in October.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Mediterranean </span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">(Greece) is planning to fly from
Athens to Casablanca and Khartoum amongst others initially with a fleet of 3
B737-400s. </span><span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Atlantic Star Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (UK) has switched its focus from
launching St Helena flights to serving Ascension Island. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">British Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> after a 10 year gap will return to
Seychelles in March 2018, with a twice weekly , initially seasonal, nonstop B787-9. It
originally withdrew from the islands because of the non remitability of
revenue earned there. Unless that issue has been resolved expect it to strictly
limit local sales and rely instead on the upmarket UK originating tours
business. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">The airline was , in July 1971, the first to fly "proper" services into the then newly opened airport. It financed the building of the first two major hotels on Mahe so that it could accomodate its crews and incoming tourists and for many years provided the management and supervision of the Government owned monopoly ground handler. Apart from the terminating services from London in 1973 it also started a twice weekly service from Tokyo, Hong Kong and Columbo, one continuing to Johannesburg and the other to Nairobi and thence also to London. Of these the Nairobi flight was soon switched to be a second Johannesburg and by the late 70s the Super VC10s had been replaced by 747s. The revived venture will be a pale shadow of all that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Cargolux</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Luxembourg) aimed at a September
launch of Frankfurt-Lubumbashi flights adding Douala in October. Routings
include variously Johannesburg, Douala and Bamako. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Emirates</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> is
returning to Abuja, routing via Kano in November. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Maldivian</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Maldives) is planning
a weekly Male to Johannesburg service. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Qatar Airways</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> to add
Salalah (Oman) to its Doha - Zanzibar - Dar-es Salaam route in October.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Ukraine Intl Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> is aiming at the launch
of Kiev–Cairo B737-900 in April 2018.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">6.
MISCELLANEOUS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Burundi </span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Government is coinsidering merging moribund
Air Burundi with profitable ground handling firm SOBUGEA. Air Burundi owns a single Chinese MA-60 but,
after 4 years, has yet to fly it on scheduled services. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Ghana</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">
carriers attribute a 23% increase in domestic traffic to the removal last year
of the 17.5% VAT previously levied on air fares. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #555555; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ghana</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #555555; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Government has signed an MOU with
Air Mauritius over the provision of expertise in the establishment of a new
Ghanaian national carrier. They have long grieved over the demise under heavy
accumulated and ongoing losses of Ghana Airways, the once proud operator of
Britannias, then VC10s and finally DC10s. At one time it was the less proud
operator of 8 Il-18s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Senegal</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">expects to inaugurate Dakar’s new airport, Blaise
Diagne International, in early December.
</span><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Zimbabwe</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> -,
‘Robert Mugabe International Airport’ is to become the new name for Harare’s
airport on November 17<sup>th</sup>.
Well, there probably wasn’t a lot of choice in the vote for it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">John Williams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">1 October 2017<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-17467987697371547112017-04-23T17:18:00.002+01:002017-04-23T17:18:56.373+01:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">African Roundup February - March 2017<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Here we go again. It’s Nigeria, one of Africa’s biggest
economies, full of talented business people and deal makers, and a place,
Lagos, which should be the aviation Dubai of Africa. The departure boards
should be showing multiple flights to destinations all over the continent. The
ramp should be home to rank upon rank of tails belonging to dominant home based
airline and see the comings and goings of a myriad of foreign operators. But
it’s not like that and never has been. Never mind the Gulf fraternity, where is
even the western Africa equivalent of Ethiopian or Kenya Airways in its
hopefully only suspended heyday a few years back? Every now and then a Nigerian airline pokes
its nose above the lower clouds and looks as if it could move into the long
term big time. From right back in the late 1950s various incarnations of
Nigeria Airways came and went. Early on BA was involved in various forms, and
others came and went. More recently Virgin Nigeria thought it could make a go
of it but never really got the hang of how to get truly embedded and do
business in the country with its layer upon layer of vested interests and
politics. Then there was Arik whose smart livery appeared on the London and
other longer haul routes. Could this be the one? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Not so say the financial people and in February the airline,
Nigeria’s largest, was placed into receivership by the Government. AMCON (Asset
Management Corp, Nigeria) sacked the Board and put new management into place taking
over the day-to-day. KPMG is to conduct a forensic audit. Cash shortages are at
a critical level. It appears that staff
haven’t been paid, nor suppliers nor leases. “threatening not only the future
of the company but that of Nigerian aviation”.
How big is the problem? Sums of several multiples of US$100million are
variously reported. AMCON cites “poor corporate governance” as the cause. What’s
that in bald terms? Debt recovery will be pursued from Arik’s assets. Amongst the immediate changes the nominal
fleet of 23 aircraft has been reduced to an operational 10 with the flagship Johannesburg and London services
immediately halted. Another Nigerian
operator Aero Contractors which was at one time the domestic airline of choice
by those wishing to travel reasonably to time is also controlled by AMCON. In
March AMCON set in motion a 900 staff reduction exercise deeming the current 1,500
to be “bloated” in support of the single operational B737-400. That must go
down as 2017’s understatement of the year so far.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Meanwhile to the south Air Botswana, which should always have
been a modest success story and with at times some bright ideas also continues
its search for a bright new dawn. The Botswana Government is again seeking to
‘privatise’ the airline. As 100%
shareholder Government has sought several times in the past 15 years to ease
its financial burden in maintaining the small loss-making national carrier but
at the same time it’s very reluctant to grasp essential nettles. Talk about
reducing staff to a minimum and eyes glaze over. All sorts of things get in the
way of sorting out what should be a simple schedule flown by a lean fleet and
with as few staff as possible regardless of who they are related to. So what’s
happening this time? The approach is
new. Expressions of Interest are again sought but this time via a “Tell us how you would like to be involved
and what you would do ” approach.
Nothing is prescribed but Government clearly wants to see cash injected,
but not at the expense of losing overall control.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Before the deadline Comair declared an interest citing mutual
benefits in merging operations and processes but not necessarily putting in
cash. Comair is very focused on cash and
isn’t up for losing any. SA Airlink made an almost identical approach in 2008
but Government eventually rejected the draft agreement. Amongst other unpalatables would have been the
subsuming of Air Botswana reservations and revenue accounting into SAA systems
in Johannesburg. This was deemed unacceptable, as was the side effect of staff
reductions. The idea of the Airlink based endorsed brand style of livery
crossed a line too. National pride,
identity and ownership of assets invariably loom large in such negotiations,
particularly so for small countries. By the 27 February deadline 17 responses
were logged with the early stages of evaluation now underway. What these might
be is anybody’s guess but the same show stoppers almost certainly remain.
Meanwhile the replacement of the ageing but robust and serviceable 4 strong, ATR42/72
fleet has been put on hold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Back up the continent and over to the east, February saw
Nairobi’s JKIA airport achieve US FAA Category 1 status. </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">The Kenya CAA has
been deemed compliant with the necessary ICAO safety standards and recommended
practices. This long-sought goal now
makes possible Kenya Airways operations to the USA plus, naturally, the same
opportunity for US carriers. Kenya Airways has yet to mention opening a route
as it continues the search for a new CEO, new Flight Ops Director and a new
Marketing Director. It would need a few more 787s too. In 2009 Delta was within hours of launching a
Nairobi operation only for the inaugural flight suddenly to be cancelled. The airside mixing of both departing and
arriving passengers was then, and for many years, the underlying security risk.
The new Kenya Airways dominated terminal unit at JKIA has removed this
weakness. Kenya joins South Africa, Ethiopia, Cape Verde and Nigeria all with
Category 1 status, plus, further north, Morocco and Egypt. Delta is the only US operator to Africa
currently reaching just Johannesburg.
United withdrew from the continent when it dropped Houston-Lagos
services last June last year. If you are puzzled by Cape Verde; the country’s large
diaspora is centred in Boston to which TACV Cabo Verde Airlines flies <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>direct from Praia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">With
all this going on it’s a shame when a high quality investor calls it a day,
particularly when it is one which has been a friendly power for good across the
continent. That’s what has happened though with the news that AKFED (Aga Khan
Fund for Economic Development) is to relinquish its majority shareholding in
Air Burkina thereby ending its linkage with African airlines. Not so long it had aspirations to have a
string of airlines across Africa and a start was made with with an original
group of 3 carriers, under the Meridiana of Italy banner. These included Air
Mali and Air Uganda. In 2016 Qatar Airways bought 49% of AKFED’s Meridiana
shareholding, leaving AKFED with just the two African entities. It was probably
a case now of double or quit. Quit won. The dream of a thriving, thrusting,
rapidly expanding pan African airline or grouping will have to await another
day. Is it an impossible dream? Ask FastJet for an update.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">1. EAST AFRICA</span></b><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">AB
Aviation</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">
(Comoros) has reached agreement with CAA on payment of outstanding debts. Operations
, suspended in January, will now resume.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">. There’s no pausing for breath here. 2025
growth targets include increasing the fleet by 50% to 140 aircraft and annual
revenue from US$2.4bn to US$10bn. Cash
frozen in Nigeria and other regional countries is quoted as US$220m.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> Unlike many carriers the Ethiopins hung on in
the Abuja market when the runway was closed for three months major repair on 8<sup>th</sup>
March by flying a daily B787-8 to Kaduna. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Despite
its long standing interest in supporting potential feeder carriers across
Africa, Ethiopian has declined an offer from AMCON Nigeria to manage Arik Air.
That won’t encourage other possible sources of support. AMCON now has control
of the business. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">A new
route development not involving its home base, Addis Ababa was the 28 March launch of thrice weekly Johannesburg
– Lome with a B737-800 linking into, 26%-owned, ASky’s West African regional
network. In the same few days Antananarivo, Victoria Falls and Oslo were also
added to the network. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Fastjet PLC </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">has appointed new Non-Executive Chairman Wally
Rashid. He steps down from the same
position with Mango, the SAA low-cost subsidiary, on 1 April. New CFO Michael Muller is also ex-SAA. CEO Nico Bezuidenhout re-iterates that the
aim continues “to become the first truly pan-African low-cost airline”, with
break-even forecast for 4Q this year. That’s quite soon. Then starts the
process of recovering the losses racked up to date. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Jambojet</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> <span style="background: white; color: #333333;">(</span>Kenya Airways LCC subsidiary) is
seeking licences from KCAA to operate to 8 neighbouring countries including
Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. That would get in the way of FastJet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Kenya Airways</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"> CEO, Mbuvi Ngunze, is to vacate his position by the end of
March although he will remain until a replacement is found. That process didn’t
appear to be going well, probably not helped by “KQ” not being seen as an
expat-friendly environment. Marketing Director Chris Diaz has resigned and is
also to leave in March. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"> The Kenyan carrier is seeking anti-trust immunity
with joint-venture partner Precision Air of Tanzania in which it is a 41% shareholder. Closer integration of schedules and pricing
is the objective. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Precision Air</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">
(Tanzania).From July the airline is planning to resume a useful link, bypassing
Nairobi ) July with our direct flights between Dar and Entebbe. The route was
dropped in 2013. This sector, flying over the Rift Valley the Ngorongoro Crater
area and the Serengeti offers some of Africa’s most stunning scenery and
outstanding long distance views. An opportunity for passengers to pull up their
window blinds, remove their ear phones and switch off their fascinating 200<sup>th</sup>
viewing of “Friends”. A difficult choice for many.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Rwandair</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> added Lagos to its
Accra flights, using 5<sup>th</sup> Freedom rights on 23 March. Next to come is
the launch of thrice weekly non-stop A330 Kigali-Mumbai services thereby offering
another Nairobi-bypass option to customers in the region. Regulatory delays
have pushed back the launch of London A330-200 operations until the end of May.<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Air
Botswana</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> has challenged the local CAAB’s friendly fire calculation of being
owed landing and passenger service charges totalling US$500k. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Air
Zimbabwe</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"> is aiming at readmission to IATA in May after having
been suspended in 2012 as a result of US$4m Clearing House default. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">It is also trying to start a programme to reduce
staff numbers, despite the Labour Court simultaneously ordering the re-instatement of 300 staff ‘fired’ in
2015. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">As a way of freeing the long haul flying
operation from the drag of historic debt there is talk of forming a new company
equipped with 4 B777s or B787s. The source of its funding and other details are
unclear, but the usual suspect, China s a possibility. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">EC Air</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> (Congo Brazzaville) is
contesting the findings of a Government report that management were to blame
for its collapse last October.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-ZW" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZW;">Fly Blue Crane</span></b><span lang="EN-ZW" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZW;"> (S Africa) aimed to present a new
business plan to regulators in March. It entered Business Rescue last November.That’s
similar to US Chapter 11 protection from creditors. Flying started in Sep 2015
with a single ERJ145 on a domestic network serving Johannesburg, Cape Town,
Kimberley and Bloemfontein. Talks continue with potential investors. CEO Siza
Mzimela is an ex-SAA CEO. </span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Proflight</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> (Zambia) has achieved
IOSA certification. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">SAA</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> A High Court
judgement found the carrier guilty of ‘anti-competitive practice’ and awarded
USD124 million to Comair. Travel agents
incentive schemes dating back to 1999-2005 were involved. It isn’t known
whether the cheque has arrived.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">3. WEST AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Aero Contractors </span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">(Nigeria) 60% state
shareholder Asset Management Corp (AMCON) dismissed 900 staff from a total
workforce of 1500 due to ‘unsustainable bloated staff costs’. Operational fleet
is a single B737-400 and operations resumed in Dec 2016 following a 4 month
cash shortage induced suspension. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #303030; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Africa World Airlines </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #303030; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">(Ghana) has
taken delivery of its 5<sup>th</sup> ERJ145.
It is predominantly a domestic carrier with a single regional route,
Accra-Lagos. Operations started in September
2012. Hainan Airlines (China) is the
controlling shareholder in a joint venture with Ghanaian institutional
investors.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Air
Peace</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">
(Nigeria) planned to launch Lagos-Accra services in February. It has ‘licences’ to operate to 5
international points including China, USA and UAE. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Arik Air</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> Under its
new government appointed management the operating fleet is reduced to 10, the
money-gobbling New York and London routes are suspended, and KPMG has started a
forensic audit. In the short term Amcon is seeking US$31.7m to address
‘deep-seated rot’ within the company.,- ie to keep it flying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">ASKY</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> (Togo) is expanding
and aims to add a further 2x B737-800 this year raising the B737 fleet to
6. The current aircraft are leased from
26% shareholder Ethiopian Airlines whose central African investment, Malawi
Airlines has yet to show the same sort of growth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">First Nation Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> (Nigeria) has
suspended operations for the second time due to aircraft maintenance and flight
crew recurrent training. The NCAA
specifies a minimum fleet of 2 aircraft but the single A320 has been operating
under a temporary dispensation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">4. NORTH AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Air Arabia Maroc</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> launched its
Casablanca – Catania route in mid March.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Royal Air Maroc</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> in March plans to start operating and using of 5<sup>th</sup> freedom
rights between Accra and Monrovia with a B737-700 to be based in Accra.
Kenya Airways and Rwandair also use similar Ghana 5<sup>th</sup> freedoms. All
of these add useful city pairs and frequencies to the region’s patchy network.
5<sup>th</sup> freedoms are though more vulnerable to changes of policy or
fortunes by their operators. If both
points grow to justify direct services to the hime base then they will be
swiftly abandoned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">March also saw the
launch of routes from Casablanca to Bilbao, Naples and Manchester. Manchesters’
range of international destinations grows apace. Another example of hub ,- in this case Heathrow,- busting. Everybody’s at it. Get behind someone elses’
hub and you can attack their business. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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its Nairobi and Dar routes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Atlantic Star
Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">
(UK) A B757 test flight to St Helena planned for 6Mar has been postponed for
“some months” due to aircraft availability.
Meanwhile, unresolved windshear problems on the single runway mean that
there have only been a handful of exec jet type operations. To compound the island’s problems the
reinstated ship has been non operational due to mechanical problems. Presumably the UK Government experts who came
up with the idea of replacing the ship with a windswept airport, over 1,000
miles from any other land and served by
aircraft with limited cargo capacity received their bonuses and promotions some
time ago. Maybe they are on an honours board somewhere next to those who cooked
up the Tanganyika Groundnut scheme circa 1948. They just chose a spot famous
for its lack of consistent rain. The annual average was fine but it just tended
to all fall at once,- about every five years.
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">British Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">, which has oer some
years dropped most of its lower density African routes.-including Harare,
Lusaka,Lilongwe, Entebbe, Dar,- has been talking of possible new sub-Saharan
routes with long-range narrow-body A321s. Parent company, IAG, has outstanding
orders for 170 aircraft including 17 A321s, 89 A320s , 45 A350s, for delivery
2017-21. BA’s final long haul narrow body African service was flown in the mid
1980s with the airline’s last B 707 on the London-Amman-Dar- Lilongwe route. At
the time it was thought to be game over for narrow bodies other than for short
and medium hauls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">6. MISCELLANEOUS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Kenya</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> Nairobi’s airport,
JKIA, has been awarded US FAA Cat1 status enabling direct operations to the
USA. The Kenya CAA has been deemed
compliant with the necessary ICAO safety standards and recommended practices subject
to the Kenya Government passing the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill now before
its Parliament. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">KLM
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Continues to advance in Africa with the planned
return to Freetown and Monrovia after nearly 20 years, with three A330-200s a
week. A new Windhoek route is also to start. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Malagasy Republic’s</span></b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> Government has named
Ethiopian Airlines and Air Austral (Reunion) as the final contenders for a 49%
stake in Air Madagascar. A decision is expected soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Zimbabwe’s</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> Government is talking to
China’s Exim Bank for loans to upgrade Harare Airport. Most national projects
are now added to the Chinese loan slate pending the day when government
discovers that loans are not grants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-17238914518883844962017-03-14T14:50:00.000+00:002017-04-23T17:18:21.682+01:00African Roundup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">22nd January saw Kenya Airways celebrate 40 years as
the nation’s flag carrier. It was formed
in 1977, after the collapse of the once well respected East African Airways and
used a hastily cobbled together fleet adding well used Boeing 720B and 707s to those of the
DC9 and F27 fleets which happened not to be on Tanzanian or Ugandan territory
at the moment of EAA’s demise. London flights began shortly afterwards, spurred
on by the fact that with Uganda and Tanzania in the way, flying to points south
had become impossible thanks to these erstwhile partner countries banning all
Kenyan aircraft from their airspace. Replacing the pioneering Wilson Airways,
EAA had been owned by the governments of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania which now
included Zanzibar. It had originally grown carefully and organically, expanding
from an initial extensive subsidized domestic network first to South (Durban)
and Central Africa with DC3s. From mid 1957, the UK, India and Johannesburg
were added thanks to the low cost addition to the fleet of four ex BOAC
Canadair Argonauts. In September 1960, just ahead of SAA’s Boeing 707s, EAA
became Africa’s first jet operator with its own two new Comet 4s. From 1964 these
gave way to Super VC10s allowing the displaced Comets to reach across to West
Africa, Unfortunately the different political philosophies and individual
rivalries and aspirations in the three governments after independence lead to
increasing friction and tensions over mounting debts. These were largely caused
by over enthusiastic expansion to Tokyo via Hong Kong, New York via Zurich and
too many points in Europe. The East African Community itself collapsed and the
multinational airline was doomed. The echoes of the breakdown still continue.
Memories of distrust and hostility towards Kenya in Tanzania and Uganda die
hard. As result East Africa, though much improved, still isn’t an open skies
zone and undertones of suspicion and protectionism dog the relations between
the three countries. Tanzania and Uganda have never liked Kenya’s domination of
regional and long haul services or Nairobi as an initial entry point for
overseas tourists and business people. Financial difficulties have seldom been
far away. Colonial finances were always kept on a tight leash by the UK so
there was little money to be thrown at non essentials and what there was tended
to go to Kenya which was an actual colony with a big and then growing settler
population. Once a German colony Tanganyika, later Tanzania, was a UN Trust
territory from the end of World War 1 and Uganda always a Protectorate. A
simple minute in an early EAAC meeting that “ No air transport undertaking in
East Africa can expect to be remunerative” although talking about the need to
subsidise the inter territorial puddle hopping DC3 and later F27 network
because of the distances and lack of direct all weather roads was remarkably
prescient. However without the albatross of the former largely Tanganyikan
domestic services around its neck the newly privatized Kenya Airways, freed
from government micro-interventions showed that money could be made. It just
wasn’t going to be easy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The really promising and consistently profitable years after privatization
in 1996 were under Chairman Philip Ndegwa, who kept the government at bay , so enabling his contract four man management team
from Speedwing Consultancy to do what they needed to do.- including some high
level redundancies. Growth and fleet modernization were steady, B 767-300s
replacing A310s and these later giving way to four B777-200ERs . That allowed
the smaller 767s to continue to grow the long haul network in the classic hub
development manner, each new spoke adding to the strength of the others. Simultaneously
the B737 fleet grew to do the same for the regionals including trans Africa. The
selection of eight B787-8s to replace the similar sized 767-300s was also a
good one but then came a step too far,- the investment in three new 400 seat
B777-300ERs. Even EAA had steered clear of oversized aircraft. Security fears
and general economics then awkwardly meant some flattening in key markets. <span style="text-transform: uppercase;">A</span>t the same time direct flights by
Chinese carriers chasing the China/Africa labour market arrived. So did ever
increasing competition from the high quality, high frequency Gulf airlines
flying to more and more African destinations via their highly organized user
friendly hubs. Meanwhile Nairobi’s Jomo
Kenyatta International just didn’t keep up. That was before arrivals building
burned down. Lastly the choice of Embraer 170/190 series regional jets for much
of the shorter haul networks, while economical in capital and operating costs, did
nothing for the cargo carrying capacity. They simply they don’t offer the hold
volume needed at the hub and that doesn’t help the smooth flow of transfer
business through it. Nairobi had once been notorious for cargo backlogs and
that’s never good for business.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">All this has left Kenya Airways, unusually for Africa,
only 23% government owned, with serious
problems. Inevitably hyperactive politicians who have never liked the
privatization, especially the foreign KLM’s seemingly rather passive 27% stake,
would like to regain effective control and this may happen via government
loans, bailouts, guarantees. If it does, the airline management’s problems are
likely to increase rather than decrease. Bringing in top quality foreign
management assistance will also be difficult. Who would volunteer for it if
they saw their freedom of action,- and maybe their longevity in office,- as
rather limited? We have noted it before but the best option would be a contract
team of at least four people from a major successful carrier, with a successful
track record ideally in the Gulf or Far East and a carte blanche to do whatever
is necessary to restore the airline’s fortunes. Nairobi is the geographical
pivot of aviation on the eastern side of Africa. Its major airport and until
recently profitable substantially privatized airline should be great success
stories for Kenya.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Another, though very different January
birthday, this time just years, recalled the 2015 AU Summit Meeting in Addis
Ababa when </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">11<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> of the 53 member nations, including Kenya and S Africa,
gave a “solemn commitment to the
implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision by 2017”. Almost 30 years have passed since the
original Declaration of 1988 with the then dream of total African air transport
liberalisation. Implementation has been patchy across the continent: West
African governments have achieved more than the East or South, to the benefit
of carriers involved. ASky of Togo operates
a successful regional operation based almost entirely on ‘YD freedoms’. Conversion of Kenya and South Africa would be
a significant achievement.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Away
from birthdays, Fastjet, seeking yet more cash to maintain operations, has
successfully raised a further US$29m via a new share issue. More significantly,
Solenta Aviation of South Africa becomes a 28% shareholder, including 2 board
positions, in a deal valued at US$ 19.2m. In return Solenta will provide 3
wet-leased aircraft plus other services to Fastjet during a 5 year
agreement. Fastjet is changing shape
rapidly. It’s now based in Johannesburg so with Solenta as a new partner it can
now be seen as a South African, not East African, company. An increasing focus
on their new local market seems likely but where away from the Comair-Kulula/SAA-Mango
dominated Johannsburg-Capetown- Durban- Johannesburg triangle could that take
them? The original pan-Africa low-cost
vision has perhaps now completely faded along with the vision of 30+ aircraft
in the reasonably short term. It has struggled to get beyond being a small
business with just 3 aircraft and big debts which even given the fairest of
winds will take a long time to recover. Rather than comparing Fastjet’s
performance to, say, Kenya Airways’ JamboJet
perhaps now it would be better viewed against SA Airlink, its Johannesburg
neighbour. Since 1978 SA Airlink has
developed a 36 point regional network and a fleet of 43, mainly jet, aircraft shortly
to be upgraded with Emb170/190s. SA
Airlink is a mature and effective business and sets a high bar for Fastjet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">The
view from afar ….<i> Economist 28 January,
2017</i> …… </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Nigeria’s No-fly Zone. Government
is to close Abuja’s runway for 6 weeks for resurfacing and is hoping
international carriers will instead use Kaduna, 140 miles away. The runway at
Abuja is dangerously pot-holed; it has failed, says the Minister of Aviation. The
current shortages of hard currency, aviation fuel and government’s
unwillingness to let foreign firms repatriate sales revenue, has already led airlines
to cut routes or pull out of Nigeria completely. Delays and cancellations are
legion on domestic airlines. The chaos- inducing tactic used to be to buy
tickets and check in for several flights heading for your destination, take the
first flight to board and in the quaue to the gate sell the unused boarding
passes to touts to re-sell to other bidders. As result no passenger list
remotely resembled a correct tally of names and numbers. With enhanced (?)
security checks this may be a thing of the past but nevertheless Arik Air has
asked passengers to stop attacking its staff. Some things can’t be going well.
BA has declined to go along with all this and has simply withdrawn its Abuja
schedule for six weeks. <b><u><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">1.EAST AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">AB Aviation</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Comoros) has suspended operations
due to a lack of cash.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air
Tanzania</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> The government has paid a US$10m ‘commitment fee’ to Boeing
for a B787-8 for delivery in June this year. Meanwhile Dodoma-Kigoma is a new
Q400 domestic sector. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> started to Victoria Falls, Conakry and Antananarivo
in February while adding Chengdu as a 5<sup>th</sup>
Chinese destination. It also plans five
a week Addis-Stockholm-Oslo, B788s from March.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: distribute-all-lines;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Fastjet PLC</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> has raised US$29m after placing new shares. Solenta Aviation of Johannesburg becomes a
28% - and the largest – shareholder, with rights to 2 board members. Solenta is
to provide and operate 3 aircraft, initially Embraer ERJ145s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Jubba
Airways</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">
(Somalia, but registered in Nairobi) launched </span><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Mogadishu
– Dubai ops on 26 Dec ember with an A321.
In Sep 2015 Jubba merged with Daallo Airllines of Djibouti. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Sudan Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Government is continuing its search
for those responsible for the sale of the Heathrow landing slot some 5 years,
or so, ago. The cash is also missing.
International arrest warrants have been issued. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> The State President has announced tat the
airline will receive 14 new aircraft in 2017, benefitting from a Chinese loan. Saudi
Arabia involvement is also mentioned with debt restructuring and provision of
the aircraft, both longhaul and regional types. Current fleet is 2 A320 and a
leased B737-300. The Sudan’s presence on
the ‘EU black list’ continues. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SOUTH / CENTRAL AFRICA</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">EC Air</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">
(Congo Brazzaville) is in talks with Ethiopian Airlines on possible technical
and strategic support including a minority shareholding. The airline ceased
operations in October 2016 due to unpaid debts owing to ASECNA the provider of
Air Navigation Services. PrivatAir, the Swiss provider of the fleet and flight
crews plus technical support, has withdrawn. Membership of the IATA Clearing
House has ceased. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Lakestar Express</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Malawi) has applied for an Air
Service Licence enabling domestic and regional operations to start with Beech
1900Ds and perhaps ERJ135/145s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Malawian
Airlines</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">
returns to Nairobi in March with four weekly B737-700s, and a return to Harare
once a week with a Q400. This is similar to the Air Malawi Nairobi frequencies
in the 1970s and much less than the up to twice daily (Viscount and One-Eleven)
to Harare in the same era, forty years ago. The Dar es Salaam route is to be extended
to Zanzibar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Rainbow Airlines </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">(Zimbabwe) launched domestic flights on 25<sup>th</sup>
January starting with Harare-Victoria Falls, with a leased CRJ100 with another
to follow. Discussions continue on securing regulatory approvals for Johannesburg
and Cape Town.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SAA</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> has taken delivery of the first of 5 A330-300s
leased from Airbus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SA Airlink</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is starting to replace the 12 strong
BAe RJ85 fleet with 13 Embraer 170/190. Delivery of the first 5 aircraft is
imminent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SA Express</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> plans to stabilise on a 20 aircraft
fleet of 90-seat leased jets over the next 5 years. CRJ900 and E190 were competing and. An order
for three CRJ 900s has been placed already.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">2. WEST AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Air Côte
d’Ivoire</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">
is planning the imminent launch of
services to Bangui and Kigali.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Arik Air</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> strike action by staff stopped all flying for
several days in mid Dec. Agreement was eventually reached to pay all
outstanding salaries by end December but rumbling continues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Camair-Co</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> in
mid-December all 5 aircraft were unserviceable. The 767 and 737s had maintenance
payment issues and the MA-60 crews were in China for recurrent training. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> It was decided in
January to purchase the 2 B737-700s currently on lease to remove problematic
monthly lease payments. Government is to
fund the purchase. This is the first and
perhaps unsurprising step in the 5 year Boeing Consulting ‘stimulus package’ to
return the carrier to profitability.</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Imo
Air</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) Owerri-based carrier started domestic services on 24
Jan with a Dana Air MD-80 carrying Imo Air decals. Imo Air holds no licences or
approvals. Details of the agreement between
Imo State Government and Dana Air are unknown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Med-View Airline</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">(Nigeria) inaugurated
Lagos - Harbel, Liberia on 20<sup>th</sup> December. Future plans are to add services
to Monrovia and Freetown via Accra. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">NORTH
AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Arabia Maroc </span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">plans to launch Casablanca – Catania
services in March.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Royal Air Maroc </span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">also has plans for March. It
aims to inaugurate routes from
Casablanca to Bilbao, Naples and Manchester.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">NON-AFRICAN
AIRLINES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air France</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">will start Paris – Marrakech with the
March summer schedules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Azores Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Portugal) aims to add Barcelona –
Cape Verde to the network in June. The airline is the rebranded SATA
International, a name which meant little to anyone outside its home area and
who didn’t know it. Azores has much more impact. The network includes European and North
America points including Boston and Montreal.
The fleet of 7 is a mix of Airbus types with a single new A330-200 delivered
this year. It hopes to be profitable by 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Emirates</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> its
belief in very large aircraft seemingly unshaken despite some intense price and
frequency competition in the Gulf area is putting the A380 on its Casablanca
route in March A380.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> It also hopes to
up Dubai-Nairobi frequencies to thrice daily in June but there is some Kenyan
Government opposition to this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Qatar Airways</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> has named Libreville
and Douala for launches in 2017-8. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Turkish Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> has been into Zanzibar
from 14<sup>th</sup> December with a routing via Kilimanjaro. That’s thrice
weekly with a 737-900. Ouagadougo va Conakry was due to follow on 30<sup>th</sup>
January. The airline is under pressure and slightly reducing its long term
fleet growth due to marketplace impediments and traffic shortfalls. Security
concerns have badly dented its inbound tourism market and the Istanbul airport
attack has deterred some of its vital high volume transfer business.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">IAG’s Vueling</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Spain) is reaching across across
the Med into northern Africa. It plans an April launch of flights between
Valencia and Oran.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">4.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">MISCELLANEOUS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Ghana</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Ten
parties responded to the June 2016 expression of interest invitation for the
creation of a new joint venture airline. A government committee will now
deliberate. That’s always ominous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Malawi’s</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Government has said that the pledged
31% private shareholding in Malawian Airlines will be activated only when the
airline achieves profitability. Nobody will hold their breath. Government currently holds 51% and Ethiopian Airlines
49%. The joint venture Malawian Airlines started flying in January 2014 amidst
hopes that it would develop a useful and profitable regional network. Despite
Ethiopian’s involvement progress has not so far been impressive and it doesn’t
look very different from its predecessor, Air Malawi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Nigeria</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> US Dollar availability problems continue.
Foreign carrier local sales remittances are blocked. Aircraft insurance premium
payments are being missed. Domestic carriers are defaulting on handling company
payments. Jet fuel shortages continue. Blocked funds are estimated as: US$200m <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">-John Williams-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-70715235754481373932017-03-08T13:29:00.003+00:002017-03-08T13:30:41.944+00:00To Fly To.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
BA is to continue its densification policy ,-which will see a 10 abreast layout in its 777 fleet,- by reducing pitch on its A320 series from 30 to 29 inches.That's the same as Easyjet an an inch less than Ryan Air.<br />
<br />
In an accompanying statement the airlines says:" Customers fly with us because we offer quality and value in all areas."<br />
<br />
Maybe they were talking about the saleable M&S sandwiches which are proving popular on short haul flights. These may be a bit more pricey than if you buy them in the airport but they aren't extortionate and if the odd quid or two isn't important who wants the fuss of lugging packets of sarnies aboard? The only thing is that if you want the prawn ones we hear they are selling out by Row 8 so to be sure of your choice a quick diversion into M&S landside or other outlets airside at London's T5 could be worth the trouble.<br />
<br />
A few people who are taking time off flying BA are some of its new, post 2010, Mid Fleet cabin crew. They are running a series of strikes in protest at what they describe as impossibly low wages, That's to say ones similar to those of the low cost carriers. "To Fly to Starve" said one banner and some of the afflicted were claiming that they had to sleep in their cars as they couldn't afford the petrol to drive home. Only 50% of Mid Fleet belong to Unite and not all of them are striking so daily operations look little affected. Nearly all long haul flights seem to operating using the non strikers and many of any short haul uncovered are being farmed out to disruption specialist Titan Airways. Some of those choosing, or yielding to pressure (which can be intense and unpleasant as well as long lasting after the event) to strike have only been in the airline a matter of months, maybe even weeks so it is hard to believe that they were under any illusions as to what the package was before they signed up. Strikers lose their staff travel benefits and trust in them being quickly restored when there is a settlement. On this particular occasion they could be disappointed. The BA management doesn't look as if it believes there is anything to settle .Result is the strikers could find themselves out on a limb, either having to accept the corporate rise offered and no change to the baseline from which it is calculated or just leave and find the mythical better job in a supermarket even though that option may not offer quite the same global lifestyle they have been enjoying.<br />
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BA,- or its then Chief Executive,- believed that they had bought perpetual love and goodwill from Unite will by their " Peace in Our Time" deal which threw away most of their cards at the end of the bitter 2010 company-wide BASSA ( sub unit of Unite) strike in exchange for the setting up of the entirely separate lower cost unit called Mid Fleet which would gradually ( very gradually as it turns out) take over the world while the leaving the existing fleets to carry on with their high costs and inflexibilities pretty much as before. It was a mistake.</div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-32658638277375926452017-02-15T04:32:00.003+00:002017-02-15T04:32:26.945+00:00Delta <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Following our previous post wondering how Trump's general protectionist and Putting America First policies would pan out in the airline traffic rights arena, legacy Delta has been quick to cross his doorstep, claiming that a level playing field, whatever that might be, would protect and add up to 25,000 American jobs. Where that figure comes from is unclear, and even if it were remotely accurate, how about the jobs of all those Americans in the aerospace industry building billions of dollars worth of aircraft for all those nasty foreign airlines? Or the people who work for foreign airlines in the USA?<br />
<br />
The idea of forcing long haul American and foreign travellers to enter and exit the USA only at those points and on those routes the US carriers choose to serve is of course possible but in reality ludicrous. The ironic loser would be especially the new generation of highly efficient, smaller widebodies. Think Boeing 787 which even Emirates , hitherto wedded to almost exclusively the biggest aircraft it could get its hands on now appears to be considering. Then there are Trans- Atlantic capable 737s , and , if built a 757 successor.<br />
<br />
Hopefully Mr Trump will suggest to Delta and friends that they just go out there and compete with all comers like never before ( and no, Pan Am never did at least ever since the jet age began) with their ground and onboard service and route networks. Depriving a host of US cities of their international gateways and choice of routes to the world would be a real backward step into the dark ages. It would also put the consumer last rather than first. </div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-28263680368877219542017-01-22T18:51:00.000+00:002017-01-22T18:51:08.197+00:00Post Trump,- Closed skies?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
In aviation terms the biggest question coming out of Donald Trump's victory is how much he will listen to the bleats of the US pilots' union ALPA and the legacy carriers about,-in old British union terms, the bread and butter being taken out of their mouths by foreign airlines,especially the Gulf ones, Will non reciprocated links be cut back? If so, American cities to whom the foreigners have brought a plethora of new links to the world will lose them and their customers will just have to fly via wherever US carriers choose to fly and just as far as they go. For points beyond whatever gateways are left they would have to find whatever connections they could. The beneficiaries would be the US and European legacy airlines, but particularly the latter as they could offer a range of worldwide onward connections which the Americans couldn't. The big losers would be be the newcomers.<br />
<br />
Alternatively will the interests of these cities and of Boeing from whom the foreigners continue to buy large fleets, especially of widebodies, and of the inbound tourism industry prevail?<br />
<br />
We should know at least the initial position before long.</div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-15733990074748807052016-12-27T16:11:00.001+00:002016-12-28T19:48:42.317+00:00African Roundup October November 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">November has
seen Fastjet celebrate its fourth birthday whilst facing falling
passenger numbers and substantial operating losses. No presents there,- and
certainly none for the shareholders. One commentator has remarked that they are
“chasing a market that doesn’t exist; there is no demand for an Africa-wide LCC
operation”. Can this be true? There is some evidence. Of the 53 African countries,
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">South Africa is alone in having mature LCC operations, flying a basic Johannesburg
- Cape Town - Durban triangle. These are
domestic routes that have been operating for along time. They have no visa
requirements, and all enjoyed pre-existing high volumes at start-up. Fastjet’s
highest volume route is also domestic, Dar es Salaam– Mwanza, although this
sector was born only out of Kenya's foot dragging four years ago. It wasn’t in
Fastjet’s early business plans. Mwanza has never had it so good.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Successful LCC operations depend on ever-growing
passenger volumes and high aircraft utilization spread across several routes
per day. These criteria are rarely met in Africa. There are both operational
and cultural reasons. Almost all
European capital cities enjoy multiple daily flights between each other. But these
are exceptional in Africa. Sector
distances are long and daylight-only thereby limiting multi-sector daily
rotations and high utilization. Nairobi – Johannesburg is 1800 miles. Sectors of this length demand jets, not
cheaper to operate turbo-props. In Africa, many neighbouring countries have few
historic links between them. This is especially true when neighbours came under
different colonial rule and therefore speak different languages. In those cases
business, cultural and social links are particularly minimal. Even where there
is no language problem there are often local tribal and nationalistic factors
at work to inhibit even sensible co-operation. Few Zimbabwean businesses have trading
links with Zambia even though it’s next door. Few Tanzanian citizens travel for
pleasure or to visit grandchildren in Malawi as cross border relationships are
few even close to the boundaries. South Africa does attract regional business
people, as well as a lot of illegal immigration from other African countries
but neither it nor what is seen as the rather brash Kenya draw in much genuine
regional tourism or leisure traffic although both do score on international
connections. As result of this limited demand ,legacy national carriers often fly
just 2 or 3 days a week between neighbouring capitals with only flights Nairobi
or Johannesburg meriting higher frequencies. Luanda for example only has daily
flights to Lisbon and (twice) to Johannesburg, Angola having warded off foreign
airlines by granting very limited frequencies. West Africa is similar. Underlying demand does exist but it is tiny
compared to Europe on which Fastjet appeared to base its business model. The airline looked at the population data and
decided that demand was suppressed by lack of city pair links and frequency
meaning that explosive growth should follow their introduction. Experience in
other parts of the world would say that’s right but what if in Africa it isn’t
and they are chasing a pan-African market that doesn’t exist in the right quantities to make it all work? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Air Tanzania, having weathered wretched times for most
of its 50 years of life but especially since the 2003 collapse of the SAA joint
venture may yet have a brighter future, albeit with a huge upfront infusion of
cash followed by regular supplements to keep it going. Two new Bombardier CS300s have been ordered to add to the existing 3 new Q400s now being delivered. Less
encouragingly there is talk of maybe three more larger aircraft and long haul
operations. At the start of this year a single, ageing, Dash8-300 comprised the
fleet and served a limited domestic network. The new 130-150 seat jets open possibilities for Air Tanzania to
re-launch more distant regional destinations. By placing the order the Government has demonstrated support for the
recently appointed new CEO and again its nervousness about the long term
commitment of FastJet particularly now that its main African operation looks
like being much more South Africa rather than Tanzania orientated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The future dims a little though for other carriers although they are trimming some long haul network excesses. Camair-Co, born just 5 years ago following the
collapse of Cameroon Airlines, has withdrawn from Paris operations to concentrate
on domestic flying. Competing with Air France made no financial sense and just
wasted resources. Likewise Air Botswana has withdrawn from even nearby Harare
and Lusaka in favour of domestics and the well travelled Johannesburg route. Both carriers are chronic loss-makers. Both too are state-<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>owned,
micro-controlled and subject to all kinds of personal and political agendas
which get in the way of them functioning as normal sensible businesses. Cutting
loss-making routes helps trim costs in the short term but can place small
carriers below the ‘critical mass threshold’ important to long-term survival.
It’s that critical mass which is the problem. Malawi is another classic example
for which even Ethiopian doesn’t seem to have an answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">St Helena’s quest to get scheduled flights launched continues.
Atlantic Star Airlines has flown a proving flight with the robust and very
versatile BAe RJ100, this one fitted with reserve tanks. The Lockheed Hercules
is another possibility although it’s not of course designed as an airline
passenger carrier. Comair’s single visit with a 737-800 from Johannesburg isn’t
something either the crew or airline are inclined to repeat in the near future.
Meanwhile the good ship, RMS St Helena,
continues to provide a mainland link. How heavy and bulky cargo will be carried
anyway once the vessel is retired remains unexplained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">EAST AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air
Tanzania </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">The Government
has ordered a third new Q400 together with two Bombardier CS300s, – the first
such order from the continent, so probably very attractively priced. Delivery dates have yet to be confirmed. A
possible B787 order is also mentioned. The
Government envisages a fleet of 7 aircraft in 2018 flying a network expanded to
include Europe, USA and China. That’s a lot of cost. East African Airways and
its successors have headed down that path at regular intervals. Kenya has come
closest to making an extensive network work but that has stalled recently and
is now seeking revival. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> as part of its aim to be Africa’s most
influential airline is talking to governments of 10 countries, including
Botswana, Uganda, Congo and Zambia about providing assistance in launching new
national carriers. The last airline to do that on a large scale was BOAC in
pre-independence days when, through BOAC Assosciated Companies, it took
holdings in a range of small local and regional airlines which were to mature
into long haul flag carriers. East African, West African, British West Indian,
Bahamas Airways, Malayan Airlines and Gulf Aviation were all part of that
portfolio. The policy did keep others, notably KLM, out but it is questionable
whether it was financially or even politically worthwhile in the long term.
Times change though and Africa is Africa. Being under Ethiopian’s wing might
just keep struggling and fledgling national airlines their best chance of real
lift off especially if local politics and vested interests can be held at bay.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Cape Town frequencies
rise to 10 weekly from December. The present daily service is scheduled for 787
operation while the additional frequencies will use B767s. Closer to home the Juba operation has
restarted with Q400, after 4 month pause. Next up should be Victoria Falls
flights starting in February. Then there is a B787 route to Stockholm
continuing to Oslo from March.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">The next fleet decision,
expected before the end of the year, will be on ten 100-seat aircraft. Emb190 and Bombardier CS100 are main
contenders. That’s an interesting one,- whether to go for the top end of the
EMB 170/190 range or the bottom end of Bombardier’s new CS offerings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Fastjet Plc</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> as part of its financial
manoeuvrings has sold its single, owned, A319 for US$8.0m cash but had to lease
in a similar aircraft to cover operations while it grapples with getting EMB
series aircraft onto its AOCs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> The current fleet is 4 aircraft: 3 A319s, one each registered in Tanzania and
Zimbabwe plus the leased Bulgarian one . A single leased EMB190 is also based
in Dar es Salaam. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Additional
funding is already being sought following the raising of £15m in August. Higher
than expected (Why? Surely they must all be contractual?) return costs on the leased A319s are blamed plus other business ‘stabilisation’
costs including the ongoing glacial HQ
move from Gatwick to Johannesburg . Victoria Falls and Dar es Salaam to Nairobi and Entebbe fell off
the network map on 5<sup>th</sup> December and plans to create Fastjet Zambia
and Fastjet Kenya have been suspended.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">It
wasn’t too happy at the top either. Chairman Colin Child resigned, just 15 months
after his appointment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Jambojet</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> <span style="background: white; color: #333333;">(</span>Kenya Airways LCC subsidiary) has upped frequencies
to at least double-daily from Nairobi to Eldoret, Kisumu, Ukundu and Lamu.
Other private Kenyan airlines see this as unfair competition sustained with the
help of Kenya Airways backing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Kenya Airways</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> continues to be distracted by its internal problems. A 7-day pilot’s strike was called by their
seldom smiling union KALPA from 18<sup>th</sup> October demanding senior
management removal, including CEO Mbuvi Ngunze. A court banned the action and
flights eventually operated normally. KALPA subsequently withdrew its strike
notice but CEO Mbuvi Ngunze is to leave in the first part of 2017, probably
with a sigh of relief. A new Commercial Director, Vincent Coste, formerly with
Air France-KLM and latterly Qatar Airways was appointed with effect from
November 1<sup>st</sup>. 27% shareholder KL will feel more comfortable with the
appointment of an alumnus than it would have been with someone from another
group. He will find Kenya Airways a very different thing to Qatar. If he can
bring a touch of a Gulf airline’s quality and development approach together
with discipline on the front line to the airline he could achieve a lot. To do
that he really needs a fully supportive and highly capable team around him. This
was the very successful recipe when the Speedwing team of four led by Brian
Davies steered the airline through privatisation and for a while afterwards.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Meanwhile
spokes fall off the all important hub. That’s not how a hub model works. Abuja
and Gaborone are dropping out of the network. To compensate there is some
thickening of more successful routes with Mumbai and Dubai becoming double
daily at the end of October along with other frequency upgrades within East
Africa. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Rwandair</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> in its breakout into longer haul
operations took delivery of the second
of two new A330s on 30<sup>th</sup> November. London A330 services should start in January 2017 and an ambition to get
to New York could drive the purchase of the A350. Harare is also due to join the network in
January.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Sudan Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> the State President has announced
that the airline will receive 14 new aircraft in 2017 financed by a Chinese
loan. Their intended deployment is unknown. In the 1960s and 70s Sudan Airways
was an early sixth freedom operator with a limited hubbing network between
London, Europe and East Africa via its Khartoum base. The current fleet consists
of two A320s and a single leased B737-300.
The airline remains on the ‘EU black list’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">It’s
not all plain sailing with their own government though. On 16<sup>th</sup>
November the Sudan CAA fired a shot through the country’s own foot by ordering
the suspension of domestic services due to pricing irregularities in
contravention of a Government Directive on fares. Presumably this had something
to do with the common problem of governments demanding low fares on
domestics but then refusing the pay for the resultant loss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Uganda Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> The Government is planning to spend
US$331m on new, not leased, aircraft for the putative new state-owned carrier,
including A330 and CRJ900s. Their deployment is unclear but it’s likely that
one intention to benefit from Kenya Airways’ current disarray. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SOUTH / CENTRAL AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Botswana</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> has confirmed a codeshare agreement
with Qatar Airways linking Gaborone, Maun and Francistown with Qatar’s
double-daily Johannesburg services.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Bearing in
mind Africa’s paucity of direct air services between city pairs an unwelcome
development was the withdrawal of even low frequency flights to Harare and
Lusaka from 12/13 November. Both were served by ATR42-50s, Harare twice weekly
and Lusaka once. One of the daily domestic Kasane (near the borders of
Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe) flights also goes. Fleet renewal
remains pressing and the search continues for partners to help fund US$220m for
up to 7 new aircraft, a mix of turbo-prop and jet. Given the airline’s past
record there could be shortage of takers though as usual China is a possible as
it seeks to extend its influence and control across the continent. The fleet is
now three aging ATR42-500s and a single ATR72-500. The 2014/15 operating loss on
this modest operation was declared as US$15.6m. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Madagascar</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">says<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Air
Mauritius</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Air
Austral</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(Reunion)
are among the favourites to enter into a strategic partnership. A decision due
by end of 2016 to sell a 49% stake. </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">EC Air</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">
(Congo Brazzaville) Services were suspended in early October when ASECNA,
provider of Air Navigation Services, stopped providing service due to unpaid
debts. PrivatAir, the Swiss supplier of
the flight crews plus technical support, has withdrawn and membership of the
IATA Clearing House has ceased. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-ZW" style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">Fly Blue Crane</span></b><span lang="EN-ZW" style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;"> (S Africa) has entered Business Rescue, similar
to US Chapter 11 protection from creditors pending restructuring. Flying
started in September 2015 with a single ERJ145 on a domestic network serving
two of the usual suspects, Johannesburg and Cape Town, plus Kimberley and
Bloemfontein. Talks continue with potential investors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">FlySafair</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (S Africa) LCC has again offered to
buy SAA LCC subsidiary Mango for which SAA has reported a US$2.5m net loss for
year end March 2016. Safair has no interest in a part share sale following an
earlier Finance Minister stated sale possibility. A part share in a business
controlled by a highly interventionist government is hardly an attractive
proposition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Rainbow Airlines</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Zimbabwe). This privately-owned start-up
carrier planned to launch flights on 22October with a leased MD87 operating
between Harare and Victoria Falls. August was the original target date.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SA Airlink</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is anticipating the imminent
delivery of its first of its two Emb140s. Current fleet is 12x ERJ135s, 8xBAe
J41s and two ERJ145s. The fleet of 12 ARJ85s
is being run down. A privately owned
carrier, the airline operates as a SAA franchisee with code-shares and scheduling
integration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SA Express</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Although SAA secured a US$351m state
guarantee last month SA Express was not included and so remains unable to file
its 2015-16 financial statements. The
airline plans to stabilise on a 20 aircraft fleet of 90-seat leased jets over
the next 5 years. CRJ900 and E190 are
competing. A decision is expected in
February.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Skywise</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (S Africa) LCC plans to re-launch
before the end of this year. It ceased flying in December 2015 due to outstanding
debts. The company has now been sold to
S African private equity company, Motlekar Holdings, which talks of re-equipping
with Chinese aircraft. That’s not a well known recipe for success. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Swazi Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Swaziland). This state-owned <span style="color: #2a2a2a;">start-up leases one of those old stalwarts ,a B737-300, from
South Africa. Operations were originally
announced to start in February this year with the </span>network possibly
extending to Cape Town, Harare, Dubai and Bombay. The Swaziland Government is
also a shareholder in SwaziAirlink, the joint venture with SA Airlink. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">WEST AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Air Côte
d’Ivoire</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">
is planning the imminent launch of services to Bangui and Kigali. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Senegal Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> and Royal Air Maroc are talking of
forging a new relationship. The previous mutual shareholding with Air Senegal
International collapsed in 2009. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Arik Air</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) privately-owned, launched in Oct
2000 celebrated its 10<sup>th</sup> anniversary by announcing an ambitious
search for US$1billion through a mix of 2017 private share placement and a possible
IPO in Lagos. The fleet is expected to double to 50+ by 2025. On order are 2 B747-8i and 7 B787-9s. The long-haul network is expected to grow
beyond today’s London and New York. Current fleet of 25 is mainly B737-700/800
and two leased A330-200s <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">A temporary problem in this country which is
rich in oil production but not in refining capability has been going fuel shortages which has meant
a trimming of the domestic network. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Binter Canarias</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Canary Islands) has ordered 6 new
ATR72-600s. The present fleet is 18 ATR72-500/600 and 2 wet-leased
CRJ900s. The current Las Palmas based network includes Spain, Portugal, Senegal
and Mauritania. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Camair-Co</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">. SAA
Technical has seized a B737 undergoing maintenance in S Africa due to
outstanding debts. On 30th September the
company abandoned Paris, its sole long haul destination. The new Board Chairman has said the focus
will now be on strengthening domestic routes.
Boeing Consulting has proposed a five year ‘stimulus package’ of network
and fleet renewal involving the purchase and lease of up to 15 new aircraft. How
they justify this and what the aircraft would profitably is unclear especially
as the state-owned carrier is currently bankrupt and overstaffed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Colombe Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Burkina Faso) Originally launched
in Oct2013, operations resumed after on 1st November on a single domestic route
after a twelve month gap. Ouagadougou-Bobo- Dioulasso, is now flown with an
ATR72-200. Bamako, Abidjan and Accra are
potential additional points. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Cronos Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Eq Guinea) is wet leasing a single
A319-100as an addition to its fleet of a Bae146 and 2 ERJ135s. It flies
regionally from Malabo to Douala, Yaounde, Lagos and Pt Harcourt <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Mauritania Airlines
International </span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> has accepted a new
B737-800 to add to its existing pair of B737-500s, a single 737-700 two B737-800s
and an Emb145. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">NORTH AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">EgyptAir</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> has
ordered 8 B737-800s from Boeing. Finance and delivery dates are uncertain due
to Government flotation of the Egyptian Pound.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Moscow services are
being relaunched in December. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Libyan Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> launched the A320 on the short cross border coastal
sector between Misurata and Alexandria
on 21<sup>st </sup>October. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Libyan Wings.</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Current
operations are international only from Tripoli to Istanbul and Tunis, both at
90%+ load factors. Adding two A321s to
the current fleet of 2 A319s in early 2017 is being considered. Khartoum, Casablanca and Alexandria are
probable next destinations. Libya remains on the EU ‘blacklist’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Royal Air Maroc.</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Subject to Government approval the airline expects to conclude a minority
share sale to Qatar Airways. This comes at a time when neighbour Etihad is
looking to shed or alter some of its investments in unprofitable European
airlines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">NON-AFRICAN AIRLINES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Emirates</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> in what
looks like a tightening of returns on spend has hinted at frequency and network
cuts in African routes due to slowing regional GDP growth and local currency
problems.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">KLM</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> returns to Freetown and Monrovia in March 2017 after a gap of nearly 20 years, operating a thrice
weekly A330-200 . </span><span class="loud"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Qatar Airways</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> launched a Doha-Windhoek route on October 4<sup>th</sup> followed by Doha-Luxor on 30<sup>th</sup>
October.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Libreville and Douala are next on the
airline’s Africa list for 2017.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Turkish Airlines</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> is hoping to develop
China-Africa tourism to help offset this year’s drop in inbound tourism to
Turkey.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Three times weekly A330
services to Seychelles started on 30<sup>th</sup> October and Zanzibar is slated for December.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">MISCELLANEOUS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">AFRAA</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is
calling for governments to release airline blocked funds, estimated at US$2bn,
as a result of hard currency shortages. Nigeria, Angola, Egypt and Sudan are
named. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Kenya</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> 2016 visitor arrivals, January to August show
a 17% increase on 2015 but arrivals continue to be 29% lower than 2011 levels. The large European tourism producing
countries continue the significant 5 year falls in volumes: Italy 66%, Germany 60% and the UK 50%. The high end of the market focused on the game parks continues
to do well but many of the much higher volume lower yield beach holiday travellers have
been frightened away by travel advisories and concerns about possible insecurity along the Kenyan
coast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Nigeria.</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> The development of a new national carrier
continues to be a Government objective and the appointment of a transaction
adviser is imminent. The new carrier
would be joint government/private sector funded. It's not a new task. Nigeria has struggled with the
creation of a well run and profitable national airline ever since the breakup
of West African Airways in the late 1950s. Starting with a subcontracted management protected from government and any other intervention by a strong and incorruptable Nigerian chairman would be a good option. Nothing has ever worked better than that for Kenya Airways' revival and privatisation. The choice of a source would be important as would be guarantees that first rate people were assigned to the contract.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">South
Africa</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> The Government has appointed consultants, Bain and Co, to
report on the structure and performance of state-owned SAA, SA Express and LCC
Mango. The possible sale of minority stakes has been indicated but as mentioned above that may not be attractive to potential investors who don’t
want to be subject to government agendas or whims.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Tunisia</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> expects to sign an Open Skies
Agreement with the EU before the end of the year, to become effective in April
2017. Morocco has such an agreement which has enabled EU low cost carriers to
start operations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Zimbabwe’s</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Victoria Falls airport
upgrade including a new domestic terminal is complete and was opened on 18<sup>th</sup>
November. It was funded and built by China, another “to be paid for” item on
the lenders’ tab.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">-John Williams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> December 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-27068320460442263392016-12-20T16:31:00.000+00:002016-12-21T15:37:43.985+00:00BA Christmas Cheer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
At the end of Unite's last BA cabin crew strike the airline pretty much had the union up against the wall and could have achieved pretty much all it wanted in terms of new flexibility and the ability to compete with the new low cost competition at home and abroad. Instead in a tender hearted belief that a soft deal and its accompanying goodwill would achieve lasting harmony it largely let the union off the hook and just walked away from major key needs , primarily pocketing an agreement to create a new group of lower paid cabin staff. These were to be labelled Mid Fleet and were/are to operate entirely separately from existing groups and never fly together or on the same routes. Female staff were to wear hats, something which existing people have long refused to do. Mid Fleet wasn't a massive achievement as it didn't address the improved flexibility needed right across all cabin crew and it added complexity to rostering and in times of service disruption.. It was a small takeaway for a management which seemed happy to throw away its winning hand.. Those who knew more about industrial relations wondered how long any sweetness and light would last.<br />
<br />
The new Mid Fleet has gradually grown and is now around 15% of BA's total cabin crew, leaving it quite some way to go before it produces the real savings. Its people are generally but not entirely younger, tend to see the role as a short term one rather than a lifetime career. Most are enthusiastic about the job. Indeed in many cases love it and the life style.That is not good news to any union. Happy, motivated people who accept their terms and conditions and just want to get on with their job are not good picket lines fodder,- or payers of union dues.<br />
<br />
It is no surprise therefore that Unite is back in the strike business and being in festive mood is calling its Mid Fleet people out on 25th and 26th December. Talks at ACAS may or may not produce a fudge but despite the sensitive time of year BA should be careful about any short term fixes/bungs in the name of goodwill. They can be very expensive and mortgage the future. Already on the shorthaul network it looks as if the IAG future could be Vuelling on a BA codeshare rather than BA mainline.<br />
<br />
The Unite leadership chose a Christmas walkout for its media value. Its disregard of the effect on the passengers is matched by its disregard for its members' Christmas arrangements as well. Many of the affected cabin crew will have made arrangements based on their rosters. Some who expected to be back home will now not be and others who had planned to be away, and have family members with them, will now be at home.. Strikers will of course lose pay and allowances for not turning up. the union leadership meanwhile will lose no pay at all. Nor will they have their holiday arrangements disrupted. Once more the footsoldiers take the pain while their leaders relax as planned. No pain for them. There never is. <br />
<br />
Meanwhile BA has cooked up something festive for the customers who do fly (the majority). If carrying excess baggage full of prezzies for the awaiting friends and relations they are likely to get an exceptionally warm welcome from check-in staff . There is an incentive programme which rewards the most prolific collectors of excess baggage revenue. To Fly to Collect.<br />
<br /></div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-53410708497642601242016-11-27T16:29:00.001+00:002016-11-27T16:29:45.390+00:00Fastjet's parrot asks for more nuts,- and time.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
FastJet ,the one with the cheerful parrot on their tails, the intended importer of low cost air travel across the African continent, is looking for money again. The Chairman has joined a number of former executives in heading for the exit.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What's going on here? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's a long story and deserves a full writeup but for the moment here are a few points to ponder:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
- Although launched with pan-African ambitions to swiftly spread EasyJet type low cost air travel across the continent, Fastjet has never been and has never been seen as an African airline. Hence to established carriers and many governments it has been viewed as a threat with few offsetting benefits. Even Tanzania, the main beneficiary so far, has cautiously kept its national airline, Air Tanzania. on life support just in case.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
-One has to wonder if, prior to launch, its people ranged the continent far and wide, not on escorted besuited visits but as ordinary people and businessmen to take in what they saw and understand some of the realities. Did they walk the streets, explore what was for sale and at what prices in shops, sit in cafes and restaurants ,looking at and listening to what was going on around them? Did they sample local transport, see where people were going. why and what prices, try out airline products and airports, talk to a wide range of local business people of all races and knock on the doors of transport ministers? Did they get to understand who and what they would be dealing with and develop the strategies and tactics of how to approach each? Did they get to grips with local distribution and banking channels (Kenya's mobile phone based banking system is the world leader. Elsewhere credit cards can be rarity.). Did they then visit key decision makers regularly and often? (One offs are pointless. People like to deal with others they get to know and see often). Did they identify the right people to trust and to guide them through the complexities of getting established? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
- We don't know the answers to the above questions but some signs are not encouraging. Having a HQ in UK's leafy Surrey didn't exactly say "We are an African airline". Johannesburg is better but South Africa isn't seen by countries north of its borders as being really part of Africa. Maybe the airline's aspirations will shrink for a time mainly into the South African market and then re-emerge with more thrusts northward, but that's a far cry from the bold original vision and timescales.They were right in saying that the continent has huge untapped markets but maybe they misunderstood what form these come in, where they are and how to fully access them? ( With a few exceptions a multiplicity of small pockets is more likely than a plethora of high volume several times a day operations). They have been highly innovative in many ways but new CEO Nico Bezuidenhout has a huge task in stabalising the business and getting it moving forward again. He needs the next cash injection to get the headroom and time to do that. We wish him well.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-56334354097815861842016-11-19T17:00:00.001+00:002016-11-19T17:00:25.247+00:00Emirates v Qatar. An Economy Comparaison.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Andrew Woodrow writes....</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I was recently the lucky winner of a business week in Cape Town, travelling in Economy and via the Gulf as follows:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Copenhagen – Doha, Qatar Airways 787-8</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Doha – Cape Town, Qatar Airways 777-300ER</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Cape Town – Dubai, Emirates 777-300ER</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Dubai – Copenhagen, Emirates A380</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back in the 1980's a Malaysian newspaper cartoon parodied their national carrier's advertising. An Economy passenger was asked the familiar question "Chicken or Beef?" "Lobster" he replied, gaining a sympathetic smirk in reply. "I'm sure I saw it in their ads" was his thought.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fast forward thirty years and it's still happening. The Gulfies make a great deal about
their business class, often to the point where economy class passengers can
feel a little duped. On my previous EK A380 flight, I overheard a fellow
economy class passenger asking where the famous bar was. ‘Well it’s a very full
flight,’ said the stewardess tactfully, ‘so we are asking everyone to stay in
their own area of the aircraft today’. And every other day, she might have
added.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Anyway on this trip I got to compare the
less-highly advertised economy class of each airline, and a few different
aircraft types. Here's how it looked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US">-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">As a window seat man (see other
articles), the 787 wins hands down. What windows! They are huge and, if on the
sunny side of the aircraft (something I try to avoid), you can dim them
electronically, as if the entire window had sunglasses on. Great! This
contrasts particularly with the A380, where I have an overwing window seat on
the lower deck. Next time you see an A380, take a look at the wing root. Designed for a potentially much stretched model, it is
massive – both in terms of a much longer chord than any other airliner, and an initial
steep dihedral. So the broad wing sticks up as well as out, and flattens out
towards the engines. Add to that the thickness of the hull, which is at least
twice as deep as on a ‘normal’ aircraft and the window feels like a bigger
version of the time you were 6 and made a toilet roll telescope. Anyway I can
pretty much see wing only from seat 62A. Every now and then a tantalizing
sliver of mountain is visible between the leading edge and the horizon but
that’s about it. And no, it’s not the same looking at the outside camera view
on TV.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US">-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Seat next. You have more space
on Emirates, and the seats are more comfortable. Even the 3 – 4 – 3 configured
777 beats the 3 – 3 - 3 787. Seats are also wider on the A380 than the 777, and
on both the Emirates aircraft you get more legroom that the Qatar ones,– and
better IFE.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US">-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Service – Emirates wins on that
too. Both airlines are pretty good, with multi-national cabin crew delivering a
pleasant service, but Qatar’s just feels a little more forced, and Emirates
seem to come round a little more often in the gaps between meals with drinks
and nibbles.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US">-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">General note ,– the A380 is
massive, and proportionately stable. Both the A380 and 787 are noticeably
quieter than the 777, the A380 in particular. The A380 is let down by its
tunnel-like windows (everywhere) and massive wing (if you are a window seat
person sitting near the wing). The 787 has great windows and a very impressive,
curving wing that doesn't block the view too much. Overall though I like the
777 best. It’s big enough to iron out the bumps, you can see out nicely, and
maybe it’s just because I have spent so many days in the back of one, they just
feel right.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US">-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Internet ,– pretty slow on
both, even if you pay the US$1 for an upgrade on Emirates. Just as well all I
had to do was send a single, text only email.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US">-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Hub. Both Dubai and Doha are
modern, well equipped, fairly soul-less terminals (It is rare to find a modern
airport terminal with soul) <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>with loads of shopping and
few places to eat. Of the two, Doha gets my vote, although its layout is
moderately confusing. Dubai has a simple layout, being effectively long and
thin once you are airside, and if you don’t mind taking the efficient shuttles
between zones it’s fine. But the walkways are too narrow for the volume of
passengers, and there are too many seemingly conflicting flows of people. You
are forever bumping into migration-like crowds going the other way. And as at any airport where
there is consistently a queue for the gents,
a few more of them would be more than welcome.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US">-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Schedule. Copenhagen is one of
Emirates’ relatively few ‘single daily service’ destinations, while Qatar
does a double daily. That means Emirates’ downside is the connection in Dubai always
being at an anti-social time. Southbound it’s about midnight and northbound you
need to be in Dubai by 6am. On Qatar the double daily does at least give a
choice of schedules and transfer times, depending on the final destination.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">So who wins?
Overall Emirates, though Qatar has a better hub, a better schedule from
Copenhagen, – though this doesn’t apply to many of their common destinations where Emirates has the frequency. For window gazers Qatar’s 787s are the best. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-ANDREW WOODROW-</span></div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-192741313609147942016-11-17T17:27:00.001+00:002016-11-17T17:53:56.805+00:00World Travel Market -London November 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">The dogs
have barked and the caravan has moved on…</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">London’s World Travel Market 2016 is over.</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Exhibitors and visitors have returned home to
Aruba and Zanzibar and everywhere in between. Silence has descended on the vast
exhibition space of the Excel Centre in London’s docklands area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">We have been
going for many years but somewhere in the back of the mind there’s been a
growing sense of unease recently. Something to worry about..or not?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">The numbers
are impressive. 50,000 attendees and
5,000 exhibitors is more than a village fete.
Nearly 200 countries represented makes it a truly global rather than
regional happening. And to argue that
the £2.5 billion of generated business immaterial would be mean-spirited.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">But is
everything quite as it seems? The 2016
statistics have yet to be tallied and circulated but were the crowds slightly
less this year? – and were they the key decision makers and buyers? Were the
exhibitors on their stands experiencing unfamiliar quiet periods during the
day? This year the opening days were
reduced by 25%, to just 3 days, apparently at the request of exhibitors. There is no doubt that the old 4<sup>th</sup>
day was very much a ‘preparing to fly home day’. 2014 is quoted as being the busiest year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">In the 34
years since WTM London opened its doors in 1982 the travel world and its means
of marketing and distribution has changed enormously. Global travel, in its many forms, has
blossomed. The nature of today’s travel
business and the enabling technology was unimaginable all those years ago. WTM 1982 was initiated to bring tour
companies and ground operators together in a world dependent on telex
communications.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">The question
now is whether WTM has peaked and entered a slow but steady decline? Are the costs now causing small operators
from, say, Malawi to stay away? Such
exhibitors are also faced with an escalating number of similar events. There is WTM Africa in Cape Town, Ndaba in
Durban and the grand-daddy ITB in Berlin all to be considered. The costs for each are high in terms of stand
rental, travel, accommodation and time away from the business. Perhaps larger operators are now asking the
same question in readiness for a similar decision. In earlier years British Airways and many
major airlines were well represented but now apart from the Gulf contingent
most have gone. Glitzy Etihad is the
latest departee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">But don’t
expect the Excel Centre to look empty next year. The reasons for exhibiting and
attending are many. Not least is to check out new niche arrivals. For the first
time in 14 years, Sudan returned to exhibit this year. The industry is dynamic
and new products are always there to be launched. And however instantaneous digital
communication has become traditional face to face meetings are a <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack">powerful business generator. WTM is also an impressive shop
window on the world and the </a>travel opportunities on offer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">The peak may
have been 2014 but demand is likely to remain high for a few years yet even if
it is becoming more UK centric. Having said that, the UK is and will remain a
very large, growing and competitive market with its own distinctive
characteristics. WTM is therefore far from a spent force but it does need to
take stock of where it’s going and revitalise some of the formula and how it
presents itself. It can’t afford to become the equivalent of a funfair in the
age of the theme park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">JOHN WILLIAMS</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">14
Nov 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-60230178493315725782016-11-13T17:14:00.000+00:002016-11-13T17:14:04.940+00:00Trumps-for who?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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America's big three legacy airlines may be rubbing their hands in anticipation. Could Mr Trump's arrival mean that their dreams of heavy governmental protectionism be about to come good? President Obama had made it clear he wasn't interested in their pleas of woe about the Gulf airlines and others. Their demands that the intruders be cut back so "to establish a level playing field" had produced only stifled yawns from the White House. They just weren't interesting. The dusty legacies' aspirations for foreign airlines' to be cut back to operating only the routes, frequencies and capacities identical to those flown by US carriers cut no ice. For many routes,- and US airports that would have meant zero long haul international flights. Americans and foreigners alike would have to go back to hubbing over the major US international airports and connecting at the other end to any points (ie most of the world) not served by a US carrier. There will now be hopes among the big three that a protectionist Trump will be more sympathetic to them, disruptive though it would be business and leisure travel.<br />
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The brighter reality is that lobbying against this would be Boeing, especially with its hub busting 787 and new 777x aircraft to sell, and the US airports who would lose their prized direct international links to the world. There would also be significant American job losses and local economic downturns, things the new President would find politically difficult. It was after all the historic destruction of blue collar jobs that swung a lot of votes for him.<br />
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It is not all over for the current fairly liberal traffic rights regime. Panic,-and celebrations by the big three,- can be delayed. Wakeful watching and well targeted and argued lobbying focusing on the benefits for ALL of America will be the key battlegrounds.<br />
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Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-34631319621851877182016-11-08T16:35:00.001+00:002016-11-08T16:35:49.247+00:00 Flying kites of doom muddy Brexit.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Politicians, business people with vested interests, media pundits and others catching the mood of the moment are flying more speculative kites about possible effects of Brexit than there are aircraft in the European skies.<br />
<br />
The latest bit of alarmism comes in doom laden warnings that with the end of the European open sky air services between the UK and Europe could collapse. The Times relates " outside of open skies Britain would have to negotiate new complicated bilateral arrangements in which UK airlines can fly to Europe and vice versa. Complicated?.Really? Bilateral air service agreements are the general norm worldwide. They were in place between the UK and European countries for years before open skies and largely worked well, despite some inbuilt protectionist tendencies. No agreements? Back to pre World War 2 and the ferries? We really don't think so. Routes to the UK and London in particular are the most profitable in most EU airlines' shorthaul portfolios They aren't going to let their governments sever the links in a game of political fisticuffs. New point to point bilaterals between the UK and European countries if kept simple should be easy enough to establish in days or at most weeks, not months. The UK for its part could ,- and should,-just declare open skies.<br />
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There could be a problem for British airlines which fly within the EU but solving the legality of that should not be difficult either by the establishment of European subsidiaries or by reciprocal agreements. Easyjet is the big British player in this market and will have the most furrowed brows. IAG, whose cash cow BA is already a Spanish registered company despite its Head Office being in the UK, only flies intra European services with its Spanish based Vueling brand. To keep BA's UK rights legal IAG may have to spin it off again as a UK company but again that should be manageable without taking it totally out of the group.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile a certain ardently Europhile Irishman, was yesterday lamenting the possible complications of Brexit and calling the whole affair "a shambles". That's easy enough to say especially as these are very early days in a two+ year process. It gets the headlines but the time might be better spent for all businesses, especially airlines and the tourism industry, to stop wailing about disaster scenarios and get on with plans to extract the best from what is after all only a return to the status quo ante. Let's not forget that the UK already had Europe's strongest and most diverse airline industry well before it joined the EU on January 1st 1973. Time for calm on the boardroom flight decks.</div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-75317911224005944272016-10-25T12:57:00.000+01:002016-10-25T12:59:32.961+01:00 More on the Kenya Airways fleet....and future.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Further to our latest African Roundup's coverage of ongoing goings on in Kenya Airways the airline's excellent in-flight magazine Msafari gives more clarity on the current fleet plus the leasing out of the midlife 777-200s and brand new leased-300s declared surplus to requirements.<br />
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Firstly the in-service fleet , 35 aircraft, now consists of:<br />
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7 B787-8 Configuration 30J/204Y. Total 234<br />
8 B737-800 Configuration 16J/129Y. Total 145<br />
2 B737-700 Configuration 16J/100 Y. Total 116<br />
15 EMB 190 Configuration 12J/84Y Total 96<br />
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This leaves aside the 2 leased out B787-8s, 2 sold and 2 parked (?) B 777-200s and 3 leased out B777-300s.<br />
<br />
Of these :<br />
<br />
2 B787-8s are leased to Oman Air for 3 years, returning in 2019.<br />
2 B 777-200s have been sold to Omni Air so are off Kenya Airways' books for ever.<br />
2 B 777-200s do not appear to have been disposed of so are presumably parked awaiting a customer ,in which case they continue to rack up lease charges.<br />
3 B777-300s have been leased to Turkish for 3-4 years so should return in 2019 or 2020.<br />
<br />
The airline claims a saving of US$ 7 million a month from the leases but while reducing the cash flow pressure it is not clear whether that gives an overall profit or a loss on the deals. If it's a loss Kenya Airways will of course have to make up the difference to the headline lessors each month. That's called financial drag.<br />
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Looking further ahead the airline now has no more aircraft on order. That means the return of the 2 B 787s in 2019 should be welcome and easily absorbed in renewed growth. Painlessly reabsorbing the much bigger and then still only 5 years old B 777-300s means that the airline must by then develop a few of its key routes to keep them busy and full. With London, Amsterdam and Far Eastern points already on the network that shouldn't on the face of it be too difficult. However if it is the airline will not be well placed to get the best deals for new leases or extensions to the existing ones. Potential customers would be in a strong position to drive down rates on offer. There should be plenty of alternatives available. These are already beginning to appear with Emirates and others rolling over the longest serving members of their fleets. That all gives Kenya Airways strategists, marketing and finance people something to keep before them for the end of the decade. In the meantime the $ 7 million a month ( an unimaginable figure in Kenya's own currency, highest denomination the shilling which needs 100 to buy a dollar or 125 for a UK pound) saving in outgoings will at least relieve the headaches for a while and give some space for the Pride of Africa to get itself together again,- if Kenya's politicians, unhelpful unions and others let it.<br />
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Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-9608360422662169752016-10-17T19:29:00.002+01:002016-10-17T19:35:15.538+01:00African Roundup August September 2106<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">There’s a
lot of turbulence about. Many managements must feel as if they are having the
fly through the ITZ several times a day, 365 days a year. Those clear blue
skies days of euphoria just don’t seem to come any closer. It’s always a rainy
season afternoon with towering cumulus stretching in all directions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Four
airlines are having unhappy times and grappling with plans to achieve profitable
futures: Fastjet, Air Tanzania, SAA and Kenya Airways. Some new Boards have
been appointed with new Chairs, plus new CEOs. The search is on for “competent”
senior management teams. Where do you
look for people who understand what has to be done and are tough enough and
have the support to do it? Life at the top of many African carriers, for
nationals and imported foreigners alike, tends to be short and too many
appointments end in acrimony. History is not in these airlines’ favour. Think
Air Senegal, Cameroon Airlines, Virgin Nigeria and Air Afrique.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Fastjet, privately-owned
and launched in 2012, is making its first attempt at a reinvention. At its original launch the vision was of a fast
growing Pan-African low cost carrier with a fleet of five A319s rapidly rising
LCC style to 35 aircraft. Four years on it hasn’t happened. Profitability has
been elusive and cash continues to evaporate.
New CEO, Nico Bezeidenhout, formerly with SAA’s low cost subsidiary,
Mango, has decided to move Head Office from Gatwick to Johannesburg. Good up to
a point and at least a move in the right direction,- south. It was always
absurd to headquarter what was meant to be an African airline 4,000 miles from
its target markets. Blending with the landscape is important on the continent.
Ask tribesmen how they avoid predators. Not by taking them head on other than
as a last resort. Location shows commitment for a start. Johannesburg, very
much in Bezeidenhout’s recent comfort zone, isn’t the answer though. Africa
north of the Limpopo views South Africa warily. To many it’s a very different
country which hasn’t quite “got” the real world of sub Saharan Africa. Nairobi,
so far the toughest nut for the Airline to crack, would have been a better bet.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">The
shrinkage of the fleet and the size of aircraft are hardly a dramatic breakout
back into the original dream. So where now? Using EMB190s in lieu of the A319s,
plus trimming the network and employee numbers are fine but the current stall
in volume growth, falling load factors and rising disaffection amongst
passengers,– 25% now say they would not recommend the airline to others,- is a
serious concern. Recent poor punctuality and reliability are to blame. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Smallest of
the four and very different is state-owned </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Air
Tanzania. For several years the
operating fleet has been a single Bombardier Dash8-300 serving a small number
of domestic points, probably kept alive by government as an insurance against foreign
owned Fastjet or PrecisionAir leaving the scene. Competing against these two its continued
existence has <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>otherwise been an anomaly. In the private
sector it would have long since disappeared. The arrival of 2 new,
Government-owned, Q400s does reinforce it though and promises an expansion of
their domestic network and increased frequencies. The new Chairman and CEO have
been given 6 months to deliver positive results but reality is probably that
the operation will continue for the same reasons as before even if it does need
ongoing financial “supplements”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">SAA’s revival provides the biggest challenge. Government, as owner, has yet again stepped
in with a financial lifeline. Technically bankrupt it has been awarded a
further US$350m in guarantees. Yet another new Board has been appointed. Controversially the previous CEO, Dudu Myeni,
has been appointed as Chair. A new senior management team is to be formed with a
“clear role” for day-to-day running of the business in an attempt to limit
interference from the Board. Installing
a new management team will not be easy. “Competent
talent” is unlikely to be attracted to a business in such dire straits. Almost a dozen previous incumbents have resigned
in the past year. Meanwhile the airline pushing to reduce its flight deck costs.
This could be interesting to eager recruiters from the Gulf in particular.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Then there’s Kenya Airways. Like Fastjet it’s visions
of ever rolling expansion to make it into Africa’s international hub airline of
choice have come to a juddering halt. “The Pride of Africa “ is looking a bit
deflated. The 777s have gone. The four -200s were the right size and successful.
The recently acquired -300s were far too large. Why were they ordered? Now a
couple of the ideally sized 787-8 haves been leased out, leaving the airline
with a wide bodied fleet around the same size it was ten years ago. Kenya’s
parliamentarians talk excitedly of “wrestling back control “ from 27 %
shareholder KLM who’ve always exhibited a remarkable lack of control of it
anyway. Also under attack are KLM’s allegedly unsatisfactory commercial
agreements which appear to govern some aspects of pricing on Kenya Airways
European routes (Amsterdam, Paris, London). Beyond that there has always almost
inexplicably been little sign of KQ/KL codeshares which could have put the KL
designator on routes radiating out of Nairobi. Similarly, other than on the
Nairobi route, KLM’s own direct African operations have never carried KQ codes.
Some, an increasing number, compete head on with Kenya Airways hubbing
operations over Nairobi. Now the MP’s are demanding a full review of how the
airline, initially consistently profitable its privatization after has come to
its recent loss making state. Fingers are pointed at the previous management
who no doubt can now expect a few unwelcome phone calls and maybe public
appearances. MPs are reported as being about to block any further rescue funds
for the airline until CEO Mbuvi Ngunzi and some other senior officials have
been removed. All very well, but who is going to, or even want to, replace
them? There is no news of what Deloittes’ 1,000 page report on their forensic
audit says or what fruit McKinsey’s, about £ 1.7 million, six month consultancy
may have borne or where it points to retrieve the situation and return to a
growth agenda. Meanwhile another $50 million of losses have been racked up over
the first six months of this year and in a further unraveling of its network
hub synergies and ambitions Gaberone and Abuja are to be withdrawn in November.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">But there are some brighter spots. Rwandair continues
to grow and has taken delivery of the first of two new A330s. Ethiopian is
raising its African destination total to 53 with the launch of Windhoek and ASky
is to establish a new MRO in Lome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">From the archives … 90 years ago, in 1926, a London
conference reported on a future ‘System of Imperial Air Communications’. It recognised that, in just 6 years since
1920, ‘the commercial aeroplane has proved itself a practical instrument’. But it firmly believed too that ‘the large
airship is required for long distance transport’ once the ‘trying conditions of
the tropics’ amongst other unknowns had been overcome. By 1926 France had linked French Equatorial
Africa to Paris and in the Congo SABENA had linked Leopoldville with
Elizabethville (Kinshasa and Lumumbashi). For the British an experimental
service linked East Africa with Khartoum – but all with rudimentary aircraft,
not airships. The idea of a UK-South
Africa route was proposed by combining British and South African developments.
One proposal was to offload UK sea mails at Walvis Bay and fly them to Johannesburg
and other towns thus speeding delivery by several days. But despite the
conference’s clear preference for the airship its entry into regular service
never happened. Perhaps the early
catastrophes too deeply affected public perception and the confidence of
constructors. And within a handful of years the USA was working on the
development of the Boeing 314 transatlantic airliner and the trans-continental
and short haul DC 2 and Lockheed Electra derivatives which with their
developments were to revolutionise the whole airliner scene and global route
maps. Notwithstanding periodic and even now current attempts in the UK to
revive the concept, the airship’s brief bright future flickered and stalled as
did some early hopes raised by luxurious flying boats which finally died in any
credible form circa 1950 when DC4s, Constellations and Handley Page Hermes 4s
took over the African routes, thereby winning the battle for landplanes for
ever. Not only that but the first jet age, pioneered from 1952-4 by the Comet
1, was about to dawn, starting with the London-Johannesburg route, followed by
Air France from Paris to Dakar. When metal fatigue brought all that to a quick
halt in April 1954 it was still only 3 years until the Britannia, the world’s
first long haul turboprop, was launched into service in February 1957. Again
not to the USA but from London to Johannesburg. African routes led the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">1.
EAST AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">AB Aviation</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Comoros) has added a leased
B737-200 to its fleet of 2 Emb120s, to be used initially on the
Hahaya-Antananarivo route. Founded in
2013 the privately owned carrier links Hahaya with Tanzania, Madagascar, Mozambique
and Mayotte. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Djibouti</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is planning a September launch of
Djibouti-Addis Ababa services with a B737-400 leased from Cardiff Aviation. Two BAe146-300s and a B767-200 are to be
added before year-end. Djibouti-London
is to be the first longhaul route.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air
Tanzania</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> The Minister of Transport has sacked the CEO and Director of
Operations on a charge of sending an unqualified pilot for training on the 2
new Q400s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Meanwhile the first of 2 new Q400s has arrived followed by
the second a few days later. Both aircraft are owned by the Tanzanian Government
and leased to the airline.</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Ethiopian Airlines</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is launching twice weekly services to Windhoek
via Gaberone on 4<sup>th</sup> October. Moroni will also come back on-line in November,
thrice weekly, via Dar es Salaam. B737-800s
will be deployed on both. Windhoek will be Ethiopian’s 53<sup>rd</sup> African
destination.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> In October the Guangzhou frequency will rise
from 7 to 10 weekly and Chengdu is planned
to join the network in summer 2017. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> With an eye to strengthening its position in
Africa, Ethiopian is talking to the governments of Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and
Ghana regarding assistance in launching new national carriers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Fastjet Plc</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> new CEO Nico
Bezuidenhout has chosen Emb190s to replace A319s. Three leased A319s are to be returned plus 2
to be sub-leased, by October when the first of 3 wet-leased Emb190s are due.
The trimmed Winter 2016-17 flight programme will be flown by the smaller fleet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Precision Air</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> launched 3 weekly ATRs to Hahaya (Comores)on 27<sup>th</sup>
September. The route was dropped in 2014.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Rwandair</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> launched a long distance turboprop
route between Kigali and Cotonou with a Q400 on 2<sup>nd</sup> September.
Abidjan will follow. The delivery of the first of 2 A330s in September marks a
new era for the company,- and higher expenditure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">2.
SOUTH / CENTRAL AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Botswana</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> has a new Board but has yet to
appoint a new substantive General Manager – 12 months overdue. The renewal of
the aging mainly ATR 42-500 fleet is pressing. Unserviceability is growing. A
search continues for partners to help fund US$220m for 7 new aircraft while t</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">he 2014-15
operating loss was US$ 15.6m.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Namibia</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is to launching a ERJ135
Windhoek-Gaborone-Durban route on 30<sup>th</sup> October and dropping Maun from the network.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Congo Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (DRC) has gained its AOC enabling
international operations and possible IATA membership subject to IOSA
achievement. Launch of Kinshasa –
Johannesburg, Luanda and Pointe Noire routes are targeted for November. Douala and Libreville are to follow in 2017. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Congo Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (DRC) Less than 12 months after
start-up the airline has set about reducing staff numbers from 400 to 200. Current fleet: 2 A320s and 2 Q400s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">LAM</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> has suspended an order
for 3 B737-700s placed in March 2014.
First delivery was to have been in November. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">SAA </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Board member Ms Yakhe Kwinana, head of the Audit and Risk
Committee has resigned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Hong Kong’s regulator has threatened withdrawal of operating
rights if financial statements are not submitted by 6<sup>th</sup>,
subsequently extended to 30<sup>th,</sup>September.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">State President Zuma’s Cabinet on 31 August appointed a new
Board complete with re-appointment of controversial CEO Dudu Myeni as
Chairperson. The alternative
recommendations of Finance Minister Gordhan were over-ridden. He is to meet
with all appointees to “provide direction from a shareholder perspective”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The South African government is facing legal action from the
Democratic Alliance Party claiming that current CEO Dudi Myeni is an “unfit and
inappropriate” appointment to be the new Board Chairperson. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">SAA </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">To keep the airline flying it has received a US$ 350 million ‘going concern’ guarantee
from Finance Minister Gordhan following his pre-condition to agreeing to the appointment of a new
Board. A new CEO and senior management
team is to be appointed with a “clear role” to run the business day to day, The
Board is to set a “clear deadline” for a return to profitability. 2014-15 loss was
US$407m and 2015-16 loss US$125m. It’s mounting up so repayment day gets
further and further away.Any sign of SAA being allowed to go under? None at
all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">SA Expres</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> launched a B737 route linking
Johannesburg and Lumumbashi on 26<sup>th</sup> September. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">3.
WEST AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Aero Contractors</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) suspended flying on 1<sup>st</sup>
September. In February, 60% state
shareholder Asset Management Co (AMCON) initiated a forensic financial audit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Air Annobon</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Eq Guinea) plans to relaunch as an
LCC and is seeking partners to provide aircraft. Current only a single route, Malabo – Bata is
flown using a solo BAe RJ85. With more of these robust and capable aircraft
becoming available as they are replaced by EMB and shortly Bombardier C-Jets we
can expect to see more find homes in Africa. BAe are happy to provide support
packages or guarantees for a further ten years at least.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Arik Air</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> suspended operations pending renewal of
aircraft insurance. Flights resumed the following day.</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">ASKY </span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">(Togo) has announced plans to create
an MRO and training facility in Lome alongside shareholder Ethiopian Airlines. This
mirrors Ethiopian’s on-going developments in Addis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Camair-Co</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">
(Cameroon) Despite CEO Jean-Paul Sando revealing operating losses of US$2.6
million a month and $ 52 million of accumulated debt he talks of possible launch
of Brussels and Dubai flights before the end of the year. These will replace
the sensibly axed Paris operations which must have struggled against Air France
competition.</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">First Nation Airways</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Nigeria) temporarily suspended all
operations between 1<sup>st</sup> and 18<sup>th</sup> September to resolve
unspecified fleet maintenance difficulties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Fly Sao Tome </span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">is a proposed start up with a single
SAAB 340 and maybe F28-100s. Regional
destinations are quoted as being Principe, Douala and Libreville. Flying
one-off fleets a long way from other operators or manufacturers spares holdings
can mean low lease costs but some support difficulties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Mauritania Airlines
International</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> has ordered a new B737-800 from Boeing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">4.
NORTH AFRICA</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Tunisair</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> has switched its order for an A330 and 4 A320s to one for 5 A320neo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">5.
NON-AFRICAN AIRLINES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Emirates</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> has
rescheduled its Abuja-Dubai services via Accra for re-fuelling due to Nigeria’s
fuel shortages. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Mahan Air</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> (Iran) has applied for
a Scheduled Foreign Operator Permit to enable twice weekly Teheran –
Johannesburg services.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Qatar Airways</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> is launching the
Doha-Windhoek route on 4<sup>th</sup> October.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">TAP</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> The delayed launch of Lisbon-Guinea Bissau flights is
now scheduled for December. The 2014
Ebola outbreak disrupted earlier plans. Frequencies are also to be increased to
Dakar, Praia and Sao Tome. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Turkish Airlines</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> plans upping frequencies
to double-daily on Khartoum, Addis and Mogadishu plus starting Harare services
in late 2016 / early 2017. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">6.
MISCELLANEOUS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Nigeria</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> Two problems dominate. The jet fuel shortage
continues to bite forcing some carriers to refuel abroad, eg, Ethiopian and
Emirates’ use of Accra, plus the freezing of trapped sales revenue remittances. The weakness of the Naira is the linked cause
of both. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Rwanda’s </span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"> government has now signed for the construction
of new Bugusera Airport, 25kms from Kigali, to begin in mid-2017. </span><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Portuguese company <i>'’</i><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Mota Engineering and Construction Africa</span></em><i>'</i> will procure finance, construct and
operate the airport for 25 years with a further 15 year option. China missed
that one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Finally, Tanzania’s Government has taken a step backwards in
the development of regional tourism by withdrawing from the common East African
visa scheme. This means more cost,- and hassle,- in travelling between Kenya
and Tanzania, renewing a protectionist wrangle that has been going on since the
collapse of the original East African Community in the 1970s when all but three
or four road border crossings between Tanzania and Kenya were closed. Prime
target was the direct road linking the Mara and the Serengeti , converting a
journey of a few hundred yards into one of several hundred miles. Tanzania has
always felt that it was short changed by tour groups tending to enter the area
via Kenya rather than flying direct into Dar es Salaam or Kilimanjaro. The resentment
runs deep. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">John Williams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.9pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6625271808192562912.post-31405697308882842802016-08-23T15:09:00.000+01:002016-08-23T15:09:15.365+01:00The power of a brand -2.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
When Exeter based Jersey European were looking to re-brand in 2000 they did a survey on market perceptions of current airline performance. Among the the usual suspects they inserted British European, a name that morphed into British Airways from the the early days of BEA's 1971 merger with BOAC. Despite the fact that the name hadn't operated or existed since its last remnant BEA Airtours became British Airtours in 1974, British European came out as an excellent performer. That clinched the decision. Jersey European became British European on 1st April 2000 and the old BE flight designator was soon also acquired. 2002 then saw a complete relaunch and image change. FlyBE was born.<br />
<br />
Footnote: There were no legal obstacles to Jersey European adopting the British European title. Although British Airways had retained the registration of the British European Airways name it had taken out no protection for British European on its own.</div>
Air 'N Therehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15875925438795813018noreply@blogger.com0