The founder and chairman of West African carrier ASKY Airlines, Gervais Djondo has dismissed recent speculation that South African Airways (SAA) was to open talks to acquire a stake in the Togolese carrier.
Air Namibia has been permitted to continue flight operations despite a ongoing threat by the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA) to revoke its Air Operators Certificate (AOC) over concerns over safety and operational procedures following recent inspections.
The Johannesburg-based carrier, already an operator of the type, will likely utilise three aircraft on its domestic routes from OR Tambo International Airport to Margate, Plettenberg Bay and Cape Town, while five others will be placed on contract perations outside the country.
The hosting of Routes Africa, the largest route development forum in the region, is a clear endorsement of the ambitions of the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe to attract new airlines into the country and improve connectivity in a continent in desperate need of better air links both internally and into other parts of the world.
Victoria Falls Airport is Zimbabwe’s gateway to the Falls, and handled more than 220,000 passengers in 2013. The Falls’ stunning views, adventure activities and nearby wildlife parks are prime drawcards for tourists, yet a major overhaul of Zimbabwe’s aviation and tourism sectors aims to broaden the region’s appeal further.
The new route will launch from July 28, 2014 and will be flown on a five times weekly basis using a two-class Airbus A330-200 configured with 30 Premier Business Class seats and 187 Economy Class seats.
IATA’s director general and chief executive officer, Tony Tyler, likens aviation taxes to “killing the goose that lays the golden egg,” warning that eight million jobs in Africa depend on aviation, an industry that also delivers an $80.5 billion contribution to the African economy.
Afriqiyah Airways and Libyan Airlines have suspended plans for a merger as the two flag carriers' home market struggles to contain a simmering civil war as worsening violence across the North African country steadily encroaches into the aviation sector in 2014.
The confirmation of the Boeing order is part of the Mozambique flag-carrier and the country's Ministry of Transport and Communication's long-term strategy to increase flight frequency and provide greater route flexibility to and from the southern African nation.
In its latest annual results the carrier posted a net profit of €7.3 million, while the wider Air Mauritius Group posted a €8.5 million profit. The positive results mark the return to profit of the national airline over a full financial year after two consecutive loss making years.
