INCREASED SCHEDULED SERVICES
Lagos – Arik Air, Nigeria’s largest airline, has expanded its extensive regional services with the launch of flights between Abuja and Accra (Ghana), Banjul (Gambia) and Dakar (Senegal). The new ser vices are Arik Air ’s first from Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, to points in West Africa and will operate twice weekly with four weekly non-stop services between Abuja and Accra using Boeing 737-700 aircraft.
In addition, Arik Air has launched further regional services between Lagos and Cotonou (Benin) and Dakar (Senegal) including new non-stops services between Lagos and Dakar. A Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft operate the routes, one of the four CRJ900s in the airline’s fleet.
ETHIOPEAN ORDER
Seattle – Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines have announced an order for 10 Next-Generation 737-800s. The order is valued at $767-million at list prices. Based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines last year became the first African carrier to order and operate the ultra-long-range 777-200LR.
Ethiopian also was the first African carrier to order the 787 Dreamliner, ordering 10 in 2005.
BOEING SELECTED
Reunion – Air Austral has placed an order for a pair of Boeing 737-800s to replace its current B737-300 and -500 fleet.
BOEING LEASE
Abidjan – The national airline of the Cote d’Ivoire, Air Ivoire, has leased three Boeing 737-500s from Apollo Aviation.
AIR MALTA AID
Valletta – The Maltese Government has started talks with the European Commission on support for Air Malta within state aid rules after the airline made a loss of €31-million in its last financial year. The airline made its €31 million loss owing to high fuel prices and the weak pound sterling. Fuel alone cost Air Malta losses of €18- million and losses would have reached €27-million had oil purchases not been hedged. Sterling ’s decline cost Air Malta further losses of €12,8-million since the majority of its passengers were British. The government is looking into drawing up a restructuring plan for the company. It is also considering recapitalisation of the airline.
ADDITIONAL WIDE-BODY
Nairobi – Kenya Airways has leased an additional Boeing 767-300ER from ILFC for an 18- month period.
CRJ LEASE
Nairobi – Jetlink Express has leased an additional Bombardier CRJ, bringing its fleet to three.
COLOURFUL KULULA
Johannesburg – Low cost carrier kulula.com has leased a second Boeing 737-800. The aircraft was delivered to South Africa in late January having been painted in a bright livery at Shannon in Ireland.
EQUIPMENT CHANGE
Cape Town – KLM will operate Boeing 777- 300ER equipment on its Amsterdam – Cape Town route in future.
NEW SAX VENTURE
Johannesburg – SA Express has launched a new airline venture in the DRC – Congo Express, – in partnership with BizAfrika which holds a 51% share. The airline will operate seven days a week between Lubumbashi and Kinshasa, and four times a week between Lubumbashi and Mbuji Mayi. It aims to grow the domestic routes to serve other airports in the DRC, followed by an extension of services beyond the borders of the country.
SERVICE RESUMPTION
Kigali – RwandAir has again introduced direct scheduled ser vices linking the Rwandan capital of Kigali with Johannesburg. RwandAir last month also introduced flights to the Tanzanian port city of Dar es Salaam via Bujumbura and flights to Goma and Kinshasa in the DRC will follow by the end of this month. In addition to the carrier’s two recently acquired Bombardier CRJ regional jets, it also plans to add one each Boeing 767 and a Boeing 737-800 later this month.
OPERATIONS START
Lomé – ASKY, a new Togolese carrier started operations recently with two wet-leased 737- 700s from Ethiopian Airlines, and began operations as Ethiopian’s West African hub.
