vinniewinnie wrote:

According to the data provided by Flightradar24, it appears that Air France is now using the same plane to/from Kinshasa and Brazzaville.

Today for example, Air France is flying an A332 using the following triangular route: cdg-bzv-kin-cdg.

It also appears that AF has now cancelled it's Friday flight to/from Kinshasa.

So, do AF fly daily to BZV & FIH, instead of the 3/7 and 4/7 services? summer adjustment maybe?

MK and KL are going to start a joint seasonal service between: AMS-MRU in October.
MK is also restarting season flights: MRU-GVA

eastafspot wrote:

vinniewinnie wrote:

According to the data provided by Flightradar24, it appears that Air France is now using the same plane to/from Kinshasa and Brazzaville.

Today for example, Air France is flying an A332 using the following triangular route: cdg-bzv-kin-cdg.

It also appears that AF has now cancelled it's Friday flight to/from Kinshasa.

So, do AF fly daily to BZV & FIH, instead of the 3/7 and 4/7 services? summer adjustment maybe?

I would think that the poor economic state of both countries might explain the change better.

According to Jeune-Afrique (a French-African weekly magazine), Asky has stopped it's Lome - Johannesburg flight after only a few weeks. Weak demand is the reason given.

It's sad to think that despite the feed from other countries, Lomé cannot sustain such a flight...

One week after being re-elected for his third term with 98,6%, President P. Kagame at the Groundbreaking Ceremony of Kigali future Airport:

The New Bugesera International:

Launch of Bugesera International Airport | 09 August 2017 by Paul Kagame, sur Flickr

Launch of Bugesera International Airport | 09 August 2017 by Paul Kagame, sur Flickr

Launch of Bugesera International Airport | 09 August 2017 by Paul Kagame, sur Flickr

Launch of Bugesera International Airport | 09 August 2017 by Paul Kagame, sur Flickr

Launch of Bugesera International Airport | 09 August 2017 by Paul Kagame, sur Flickr

Launch of Bugesera International Airport | 09 August 2017 by Paul Kagame, sur Flickr

Launch of Bugesera International Airport | 09 August 2017 by Paul Kagame, sur Flickr

Launch of Bugesera International Airport | 09 August 2017 by Paul Kagame, sur Flickr

Launch of Bugesera International Airport | 09 August 2017 by Paul Kagame, sur Flickr

Awesome, kind of reminds me of the old Jan Smuts Airport in the 50's .

Last week, the Zimbabwean first lady Grace Mugabe attacked a South African girl in a hotel room in Johannesburg. The resulting diplomatic crisis has now grounded all flights between Zimbabwe and South Africa, two otherwise closely allied countries, politically and economically.
As of yet there are no news as to when and how this situation will be solved.

From Harare to Johannesburg, the airlines affected are British Airways (operated by Comair), South African Airways, Fastjet and Air Zimbabwe.

More information: http://m.traveller24.com/Traveller/News ... e-20170819

Pelle wrote:

Last week, the Zimbabwean first lady Grace Mugabe attacked a South African girl in a hotel room in Johannesburg. The resulting diplomatic crisis has now grounded all flights between Zimbabwe and South Africa, two otherwise closely allied countries, politically and economically.
As of yet there are no news as to when and how this situation will be solved.

From Harare to Johannesburg, the airlines affected are British Airways (operated by Comair), South African Airways, Fastjet and Air Zimbabwe.

More information: http://m.traveller24.com/Traveller/News ... e-20170819

Does this affect only JNB-HRE flights or all the routes?

Looks like Kenya Airways KQ792 had no problem earlier on and KQ793 CPT-VFA-NBO should land shortly at Victoria Falls...
Have not checked yet from Bulawayo airport or other airlines though

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/kq793
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/5y-ffa
https://fr.flightaware.com/live/flight/KQA793

Air Zimbabwe 767 in old livery was in Iran earlier this month for president's inauguration, most African leaders flew commercial on ME3 carriers.

Ethiopian is placing its first 787-9 on flights to Mumbai. Mumbai will be served twice a day with 77L + 789

berari wrote:

Ethiopian is placing its first 787-9 on flights to Mumbai. Mumbai will be served twice a day with 77L + 789

When are ET expecting the 789? Do you know the seat configuration?

MoKa777 wrote:

berari wrote:

Ethiopian is placing its first 787-9 on flights to Mumbai. Mumbai will be served twice a day with 77L + 789

When are ET expecting the 789? Do you know the seat configuration?

I see 3-3-3 in economy with a total 287 seats.

I see 2-3-2 in business with a total 28 seats

Total is 315 seats

This compares with the following seat configs for other aircraft:
787-8: 271
77L: 321
77W: 399
350: 348

berari wrote:

MoKa777 wrote:

berari wrote:

Ethiopian is placing its first 787-9 on flights to Mumbai. Mumbai will be served twice a day with 77L + 789

When are ET expecting the 789? Do you know the seat configuration?

I see 3-3-3 in economy with a total 287 seats.

I see 2-3-2 in business with a total 28 seats

Total is 315 seats

This compares with the following seat configs for other aircraft:
787-8: 271
77L: 321
77W: 399
350: 348

2-3-2 in Business!

I hope that is a mistake on ET's side. That would be super tight for Business.

berari wrote:

MoKa777 wrote:

berari wrote:

Ethiopian is placing its first 787-9 on flights to Mumbai. Mumbai will be served twice a day with 77L + 789

When are ET expecting the 789? Do you know the seat configuration?

I see 3-3-3 in economy with a total 287 seats.

I see 2-3-2 in business with a total 28 seats

Total is 315 seats

This compares with the following seat configs for other aircraft:
787-8: 271
77L: 321
77W: 399
350: 348

Their B787-8s are 2-2-2 in business so this is a little bit of a surprise, unless they're using a different seat?

evanb wrote:

berari wrote:

MoKa777 wrote:

When are ET expecting the 789? Do you know the seat configuration?

I see 3-3-3 in economy with a total 287 seats.

I see 2-3-2 in business with a total 28 seats

Total is 315 seats

This compares with the following seat configs for other aircraft:
787-8: 271
77L: 321
77W: 399
350: 348

Their B787-8s are 2-2-2 in business so this is a little bit of a surprise, unless they're using a different seat?

Yes I was also surprised to see that. I got it from a booking session on their website. Looking at Nov 11 from ADD-BOM ET640.

What I am also noticing is that the seat map is very similar to their 77Ls, and at this point I'm inclined to think that the seat map loaded on the RES system for the 789 is incorrect.

vinniewinnie wrote:

According to Jeune-Afrique (a French-African weekly magazine), Asky has stopped it's Lome - Johannesburg flight after only a few weeks. Weak demand is the reason given.

It's sad to think that despite the feed from other countries, Lomé cannot sustain such a flight...

That also tells me that Ethiopian, unlike a lot of African carriers, really seeks profitability, although I do feel that ET has too many wide-body planes when much of their network could be serviced with narrow-body planes. The A321neo would be perfect for their African network and maybe to India as well, while the wide bodies would go to Bangkok and further east, as well as the Americas.

Separate from that, I'm surprised that AT doesn't fly to JNB, although they'd likely need at least one more wide-body to be able to do so. That is the biggest gap in their network.

aemoreira1981 wrote:

That also tells me that Ethiopian, unlike a lot of African carriers, really seeks profitability, although I do feel that ET has too many wide-body planes when much of their network could be serviced with narrow-body planes. The A321neo would be perfect for their African network and maybe to India as well, while the wide bodies would go to Bangkok and further east, as well as the Americas.

They have 44 narrow-bodies, and 35 more on order. One what basis do you say that they have too many wide-bodies?

aemoreira1981 wrote:

Separate from that, I'm surprised that AT doesn't fly to JNB, although they'd likely need at least one more wide-body to be able to do so. That is the biggest gap in their network.

I'm not sure what the business case would be. O&D and VFR opportunities would be very slim, and the connecting traffic to Europe would end up being particularly low-yielding.

aemoreira1981 wrote:

vinniewinnie wrote:

According to Jeune-Afrique (a French-African weekly magazine), Asky has stopped it's Lome - Johannesburg flight after only a few weeks. Weak demand is the reason given.

It's sad to think that despite the feed from other countries, Lomé cannot sustain such a flight...

That also tells me that Ethiopian, unlike a lot of African carriers, really seeks profitability, although I do feel that ET has too many wide-body planes when much of their network could be serviced with narrow-body planes. The A321neo would be perfect for their African network and maybe to India as well, while the wide bodies would go to Bangkok and further east, as well as the Americas.

Separate from that, I'm surprised that AT doesn't fly to JNB, although they'd likely need at least one more wide-body to be able to do so. That is the biggest gap in their network.

If you have even seen an ET check-in counter in CAN or BOM, you would understand why they operate widebodies on so many of their regional routes. A narrowbody could not handle all the cargo and excess passenger baggage they carry- it quite the sight to behold - and almost all of it is connecting in ADD to West/Central/Southern Africa.

usflyer msp wrote:

aemoreira1981 wrote:

vinniewinnie wrote:

According to Jeune-Afrique (a French-African weekly magazine), Asky has stopped it's Lome - Johannesburg flight after only a few weeks. Weak demand is the reason given.

It's sad to think that despite the feed from other countries, Lomé cannot sustain such a flight...

That also tells me that Ethiopian, unlike a lot of African carriers, really seeks profitability, although I do feel that ET has too many wide-body planes when much of their network could be serviced with narrow-body planes. The A321neo would be perfect for their African network and maybe to India as well, while the wide bodies would go to Bangkok and further east, as well as the Americas.

Separate from that, I'm surprised that AT doesn't fly to JNB, although they'd likely need at least one more wide-body to be able to do so. That is the biggest gap in their network.

If you have even seen an ET check-in counter in CAN or BOM, you would understand why they operate widebodies on so many of their regional routes. A narrowbody could not handle all the cargo and excess passenger baggage they carry- it quite the sight to behold - and almost all of it is connecting in ADD to West/Central/Southern Africa.

usflyer msp you might have a point. I recently travelled central Africa, DLA, LBV, BZV, and PNR. These airports seem to have "quasi" daily ET flights on 788, and of course with tag on to nearby cities like FIH. Also my mom and brother recently flew ADD-PNR and ADD-LBV separately, I was told those legs were not full. I had the same thoughts aemoreira1981 had. Perhaps someone could share rough PDEW for Central and Western Africa service?

ubeema wrote:

usflyer msp wrote:

aemoreira1981 wrote:

That also tells me that Ethiopian, unlike a lot of African carriers, really seeks profitability, although I do feel that ET has too many wide-body planes when much of their network could be serviced with narrow-body planes. The A321neo would be perfect for their African network and maybe to India as well, while the wide bodies would go to Bangkok and further east, as well as the Americas.

Separate from that, I'm surprised that AT doesn't fly to JNB, although they'd likely need at least one more wide-body to be able to do so. That is the biggest gap in their network.

If you have even seen an ET check-in counter in CAN or BOM, you would understand why they operate widebodies on so many of their regional routes. A narrowbody could not handle all the cargo and excess passenger baggage they carry- it quite the sight to behold - and almost all of it is connecting in ADD to West/Central/Southern Africa.

usflyer msp you might have a point. I recently travelled central Africa, DLA, LBV, BZV, and PNR. These airports seem to have "quasi" daily ET flights on 788, and of course with tag on to nearby cities like FIH. Also my mom and brother recently flew ADD-PNR and ADD-LBV separately, I was told those legs were not full. I had the same thoughts aemoreira1981 had. Perhaps someone could share rough PDEW for Central and Western Africa service?

If ET was to only use its widebodies to far flung places like far east and Europe, those same aircraft would sit around ADD for the next bank of narrow bodies that would make roundtrips to African destinations. That translates to undesirable aircraft utilization. Furthermore, with cargo and belly hold being big business for ET, aircraft like the 737 and 320 will not handle its lift requirements.

But Ethiopian is making it work, and profiting at that. It is sending (in some cases upgrading) aircraft like A350s to Abuja, Accra, Kinshasa, Johannesburg without tag-ons, while 77Ws go to Lagos, and many others are served with the 787 and 77Ls. Some destinations like Harare and Lusaka, and Douala and Malabo are on a triangle route using a widebody. Destinations like Kinshasa used to be on a triangle route as well until they developed to be served with some of the larger aircraft the airline has. We have seen recently the tiny island of Comoros getting a dedicated nonstop 787 flight multiple times a week after having started as a tag on flight with Dar es Salaam.

ET has plenty destinations that are served by narrowbodies, which makes a good case for their outstanding order of 20+ 737s; not only are they usually opening up new African routes with this example, they are also using it to increase frequency to regional routes like Nairobi, Khartoum, Mombasa etc.

Africans flying on ET are so spoiled. I live in the US and I still have not stepped in A350 or 787. Can't wait for Xmas flying DFW-CDG on 789

Interesting article on the NYC-LOS market: https://blueswandaily.com/delta-air-lin ... of-africa/

Sorry for the size of the images btw....

For one DL is obviously the largest operator between USA and Africa


Also demand went up significantly last year


Finally, Delta Air Lines has for much of the decade been the largest airline for indirect O&D passenger flows between Lagos and New York. However, as you can see the Gulf carriers and TK have made significant strides, while BA and UA have fallen off...

Has anyone ever heard of Pan-Afrique Airways? Planning to fly in 2020 from Accra to BWI and IAH with a 777.

Not another start up airline considering flying from Ghana where will it end.

So we have

Global Ghana Airways
Goldstar
Pan-Afrique Airways

I wish the situation calmed itself down and the Ghanaian government would consider the resurrection of the national airline Ghana Airways.

Cunard wrote:

Not another start up airline considering flying from Ghana where will it end.

So we have

Global Ghana Airways
Goldstar
Pan-Afrique Airways

I wish the situation calmed itself down and the Ghanaian government would consider the resurrection of the national airline Ghana Airways.

Ghana has two perfectly fine private domestic/regional carriers in Starbow and Africa World. The Ghanaian government would do much better supporting their growth and development than creating another doomed-to-fail national carrier or supporting any of these pie-in-the-sky projects.

Anyone have any knowledge of if KQ will be taking wetleased and subleased fleets of 787 and 777 from Oman and Turkish respectively?

usflyer msp wrote:

Cunard wrote:

Not another start up airline considering flying from Ghana where will it end.

So we have

Global Ghana Airways
Goldstar
Pan-Afrique Airways

I wish the situation calmed itself down and the Ghanaian government would consider the resurrection of the national airline Ghana Airways.

Ghana has two perfectly fine private domestic/regional carriers in Starbow and Africa World. The Ghanaian government would do much better supporting their growth and development than creating another doomed-to-fail national carrier or supporting any of these pie-in-the-sky projects.

This is a disease that still hasnt’t been eradicated in Africa! (like many other real ones)

In DRC, the government pretty much killed CAA in order to help Congo Airways, an airline it financially backs.

Any update on Ghana planned startup Smile Air?

I forgot about Smile Air (ridiculous name BTW) we can add that airline to the list of Ghanaian startups!

An SA Airlink plane flying from Harare to Johannesburg had to make an emergency landing. An uncontained turbine failure to the #2 engine damaged the #1 engine, resulting in both engines being shut down. The crew assessed the damage and continued flying to Johannesburg where they made an emergency landing. No one was injured.

Harare International Airport has been renamed Robert Mugabe International Airport, US$500k used for renaming ceremony

http://nehandaradio.com/2017/11/09/rena ... bles-500k/

Balerit wrote:

An SA Airlink plane flying from Harare to Johannesburg had to make an emergency landing. An uncontained turbine failure to the #2 engine damaged the #1 engine, resulting in both engines being shut down. The crew assessed the damage and continued flying to Johannesburg where they made an emergency landing. No one was injured.

Not good i think Airlink need to replace these asap never like flying the their E190 is very comfy

chiki wrote:

Not good i think Airlink need to replace these asap never like flying the their E190 is very comfy

Already on the way. The first five 190s and first 170 have already arrived at Airlink, and two more 170s arriving very soon.