African Aviation Thread

SAAbaby · Thu Apr 07, 2016 11:10 am

Hi

I'm trying to find updated discussions w.r.t. African aviation. Topic search for "African Aviation Thread" shows updates/discussions on the thread last made on Part 7 in 2012....

Is there another/new/updated thread?

Thx

AF022 · Thu Apr 07, 2016 5:36 pm

Does anyone have updates on Senegal Airlines? Things seem to be problematic there although I can't find much information. I think they have cancelled their flights to Praia RAI. Their flights are X'd out from what i see.

SAAbaby · Fri Apr 08, 2016 9:36 am

Okay, seems this thread will have to do...

I also have a few question/comments wrt developments in South Africa's skies. Your comments & thoughts would be appreciated!

1. Any idea/indication when TAM will commence services between GRU and JNB? Also, what would the viability be for either SA/JJ to change some service to GIG rather than GRU?
2. I note TK now serves CPT directly, no longer through JNB, and have added DUR as well, which was an extension from JNB for a while. Is this a permanent fixture or seasonal? I'm not convinced about DUR's sustainability for direct flights from IST.
3. Also noting TK's JNB service extending to MPM. Are there any future plans to extend the JNB leg to maybe HRE or WDH?
4. QR also added DUR to their network, as an extension from JNB.
5. How is CA's service between PEK and JNB performing? Is it an improvement on SA's service that was cancelled in 2015?

Thx!

GRJGeorge · Fri Apr 08, 2016 11:00 am

Quoting SAAbaby (Reply 2):
1. Any idea/indication when TAM will commence services between GRU and JNB? Also, what would the viability be for either SA/JJ to change some service to GIG rather than GRU?
2. I note TK now serves CPT directly, no longer through JNB, and have added DUR as well, which was an extension from JNB for a while. Is this a permanent fixture or seasonal? I'm not convinced about DUR's sustainability for direct flights from IST.
3. Also noting TK's JNB service extending to MPM. Are there any future plans to extend the JNB leg to maybe HRE or WDH?
4. QR also added DUR to their network, as an extension from JNB.

1. It was announced yesterday that LATAM GRU-JNB service will open in May for flights starting 2 October. Expected to be 3 weekly with 767

2-3. IST-CPT is only NW season only, while IST-JNB was split for tag 4 weekly to DUR and 3 weekly to MPM. Now in NS season all CPT flights are 1-stop again, however as follow: 4 weekly IST-DUR-CPT and 3 weekly IST-JNB-CPT, while the other IST-JNB-MPM is now 4 weekly.
For now all will change back again for NW after October, however I believe there might still be changes. There will also be additional 3 weekly IST-JNB from July. So for now all JNB flights are tagged-on, except those 3 extras which is however a return daylight flight.

4. QR increased Southern Africa service a lot lately, now daily 788 DOH-CPT year-round, double daily DOH-JNB, of which 4 weekly tag-on to DUR, in NW the other 3 weekly of the afternoon flight was tagged-on to MPM, but now there is direct 3 weekly DOH-MPM...so possibility of QR increasing DUR tag to daily or a new tag destination (only GBE can work though in the current times)
QR will also increase capacity again for the daily dedicated DOH-JNB will switch from 788 to 77W from June.
QR also starting DOH-WDH in September, while LUN (Lusaka) early 2017

GRJGeorge · Fri Apr 08, 2016 11:14 am

Other long-haul changes expected in 2016 so far for South Africa:

Iberia starting 3 weekly MAD-JNB in August with A330-300, seems to be increasing to 4 weekly from November, with additional A330-200 flight departing MAD Tuesdays.
BA starting 3 weekly LGW-CPT in November with 777-200ER
Thomas Cook also starting 3 weekly LGW-CPT in December with A330-200
KLM gradually increasing AMS-CPT to daily year-round and will introduce 789 later in the year on the route
ETIHAD introduces 789 on AUH-JNB from November, will also operate 3 extra weekly flights for 3 months: 77W in July, A332 Aug/Sep
Singapore Airlines will switch SIN-JNB in June and SIN-JNB-CPT in July from 772 to 77W
QANTAS re-introduce 7th weekly flight SYD-JNB for December/January
EgyptAir will switch from A332 to A333 on CAI-JNB
Ethiopian will change as follow from July: Current 4 weekly ADD-GBE-CPT and 3 weekly ADD-JNB-CPT all on 738 plus 2 ADD-CPT 788 will switch to 4 weekly ADD-CPT 788 and 4 weekly ADD-JNB-CPT 788, giving CPT 8 weekly all 788 service and JNB keep the daily 77L/77W plus 4 weekly 788 which tag to CPT.
ET ADD-DUR will increase 3 to 4 weekly on 738, while ADD-GBE will be dedicated 3 weekly 738 service

GRJGeorge · Fri Apr 08, 2016 11:36 am

Regional changes recently and coming up:
FastJet started HRE-JNB in Feb, increased to 12 weekly last week. Also started 2 weekly VFA-JNB around Easter.
Lesotho based airline MalutiSky finally launched service, for now weekday service (so 5 weekly) Maseru (MSU)-JNB with CR2 leased from SA Express
TAAG switches 3 weekly LAD-CPT service to all 772 service, replacing 73G service, evening departure from. JNB-LAD departures also changed to evening, these to connect at LAD to services to GRU/GIG/LIS/OPO...guess part of EK's work there to try and add some connecting traffic at LAD
Air Botswana was suppose to start Maun (MUB)-CPT service this month, but seems plans have fallen through, as Airlink have also launched 5 weekly MUB-CPT service in March
Airlink started weekly JNB-NosyBe (NOS), Madagascar in March with ERJ
Air Seychelles have increases JNB-SEZ service from 3 to 5 weekly, now operating 2 weekly A332 and 3 weekly A320, becoming quite popular also for connecting to their India flights and even CDG.
Air Austral is to increase RUN-JNB from 2 to 3 weeky in November
FastJet are reducing JNB-DAR-ZNZ from daily to 4 weekly from July...think this is quite a loss-making route for them.
Kenya Airways have added additional 4 weekly flights on NBO-JNB with E190, making it 4 daily flights on this route for them on Sat,Sun,Mon,Tue. KQ continue to operate mix of E190,738 and 788 on the route, although seems dedicated 788 flight daily now on one of them
JNB-StHelena to launch soon, awaiting announcement (seperate thread for this)
Still awaiting Swazi Air to launch

eta unknown · Fri Apr 08, 2016 11:41 am

Quoting GRJGeorge (Reply 5):
LAD departures also changed to evening, these to connect at LAD to services to GRU/GIG/LIS/OPO...guess part of EK's work there to try and add some connecting traffic at LAD

This is also probably happening as a result of the Angolan economy tanking and seeking a possible IMF bail out. As a result, Angolan point-to-point traffic is now substantially reduced.

eastafspot · Sat Apr 09, 2016 8:08 am

Just my two cents:
Seems that it would be easier/logical to have such more local threads like:

- Northern Africa/magreb aviation thread
- West Africa
- Central Africa
- KQ/Kenya "bad news", ET developments and East Africa
- Southern Africa and Indian ocean

As far as i'm aware, there are no America, Asia or the likes post...

vinniewinnie · Sat Apr 09, 2016 10:42 am

Quoting eastafspot (Reply 7):
Just my two cents:
Seems that it would be easier/logical to have such more local threads like:

- Northern Africa/magreb aviation thread
- West Africa
- Central Africa
- KQ/Kenya "bad news", ET developments and East Africa
- Southern Africa and Indian ocean

As far as i'm aware, there are no America, Asia or the likes post...

That wouldn't work as African aviation is not a huge topic of conversation generally speaking

I noticed Air France changing some flight patterns:

AF CDG - NIM - OUA - NIM - CDG appears to have been cancelled in favor of CDG-NIM-LFW-NIM-CDG and CDG-OUA-ABJ-OUA-CDG on certain days. Can anyone confirm?

dkny · Sat Apr 09, 2016 12:00 pm

http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Kenya-A...1056/3151884/-/q18hve/-/index.html
Kenya Airways giving some of its 777 pilots to Ethiopian

SAAbaby · Mon Apr 11, 2016 12:26 pm

Thank you for your responses and insights...

Another question - JNB might not be the world's largest and bussiest airport, but it does get a fair spread of aircraft types used by airlines that serve JNB. From BA and AF's A380's, LH's B748 and QR's 787's.

Which airline is most likely to be the first to use the A350 to JNB?

GRJGeorge · Mon Apr 11, 2016 1:56 pm

True, JNB has a wide variety of aircraft types on scheduled services. JNB recently surpassed the 20million pax mark on rolling year basis.
From the A380 and 748 mentioned to B1900 and J-41 still regular visitors.
However interestingly there's a few common aircraft which is found around the world that JNB don't see:
No 767-300 scheduled services, only 762 now and then of AirZimbabwe, TAM said to start with 763 later in the year.
No 757
No A321
No 739
Very few 737-700, only Rwandair, KQ and LAM now and then
No ERJ170

A350 could be anyone from Qatar, Singapore or maybe TAM eventually. My guess would be that Ethiopian might be sending the A350 on few flights at first like they did at the beginning with the 787.
It's already been mentioned that Lufthansa is likely to use A350 on MUC-CPT, which might be first A350 to South Africa.

Avionics09 · Mon Apr 11, 2016 2:06 pm

Quoting eastafspot (Reply 7):

Just my two cents:
Seems that it would be easier/logical to have such more local threads like:

- Northern Africa/magreb aviation thread
- West Africa
- Central Africa
- KQ/Kenya "bad news", ET developments and East Africa
- Southern Africa and Indian ocean

As far as i'm aware, there are no America, Asia or the likes post..

I agree! The posts on this thread have so far mainly covered south African aviation. It may be 1 continent but the carriers on each end of the continent have basically nil commonalities, be it the markets they serve or their entire business model. It's like putting Japan Airlines and Emirates in the same category for being both based in Asia. It's true that African aviation is not as developed as in other regions (just yet) but an outcome could be to merge the regions into the following:

> Maghreb Aviation Thread (+ Egypt since they are also part of the Middle East and could also be discussed in ME aviation threads)
> West & Central African Aviation Thread
> East & Southern African Aviation Thread

GRJGeorge · Tue Apr 19, 2016 4:37 pm

Kenya Airways starting NBO-LVI-CPT from July, linking two of Africa's (and the world's) favourite tourist destinations...Cape Town and Victoria Falls.
3 x weekly, on E190...6hour trip for the NBO-CPT leg...

SAAbaby · Thu Apr 21, 2016 1:44 pm

ICUMI. QR strarting WDH service

Qatar Airways Start Serving Windhoek (by PM Apr 21 2016 in Civil Aviation)

GRJGeorge · Wed May 04, 2016 9:44 am

CPT just keeps getting more and more, will be a big year for CPT's international growth...

EK announcing 3rd daily flight DXB-CPT, starting 4 July. This brings EK service to 8 daily flights to South Africa (4 JNB, 3 CPT, 1 DUR)
FlyBlueCrane announced to start CPT-Windhoek service from this month as well, competing with Air Namibia and Airlink on the route.

Today Air Mauritius starts weekly service to Maputo (MPM), Mozambique...in triangle service with DUR, increase DUR-MRU to 3 weekly.
MK also starting Dar es Salaam (DAR), Tanzania this week with 1 weekly service, also triangle with NBO.
Part of MK's vision to provide more services to mainland Africa destinations connecting at MRU with Asia and PER services.

SAAbaby · Wed May 04, 2016 10:28 am

8x daily EK flights to South Africa seems a bit of an overkill, or is it EK's strategy to throttle SAA slowly but surely?

AF022 · Wed May 04, 2016 2:15 pm

I see that Ethiopian has changed their nonstop ADD-GRU flight to again operate via Lomé. I wonder what happened. They did this before, then switched to nonstop, now back to via Lomé.

GRJGeorge · Fri May 13, 2016 9:24 am

BA starting 30 October will introduce A380 on 3 more weekly flights on LHR-JNB route, bringing total of 10 of the 14 weekly flights on the route being A380.
JNB will receive 2 BA A380 on Tue,Thu,Sun.

BA really growing on routes to South Africa, this co-inciding with the launch of 3 weekly LGW-CPT as well.

AF022 · Fri May 13, 2016 8:37 pm

http://www.cameroon-info.net/stories...vendiquent-deux-mois-de-salai.html

CAMAIR-CO seems to be suffering. I wonder how much longer they can hold on. Do you think the gouvernment will shut them down? They must be losing much money.

rukundo · Sat May 14, 2016 5:40 pm

Quoting AF022 (Reply 19):
CAMAIR-CO seems to be suffering. I wonder how much longer they can hold on. Do you think the gouvernment will shut them down? They must be losing much money.

It's probably the best solution, but if they make again same errors, with the next airlines, it will be a lost of time and a waste of money.

Quoting GRJGeorge (Reply 13):
Kenya Airways starting NBO-LVI-CPT from July, linking two of Africa's (and the world's) favourite tourist destinations...Cape Town and Victoria Falls.
3 x weekly, on E190...6hour trip for the NBO-CPT leg...

Ethiopian sends a Dreamliner most of time, since some weeks, replacing the 737-800.

chiki · Sat May 14, 2016 7:06 pm

LAM has changed its order from 737-700 to 800
http://www.africanaerospace.aero/lam...ozambique-amends-boeing-order.html
Not sure how the 800 will perform on short runways in POL and APL. though the 700 was suitable

boeingrulz · Sat May 14, 2016 7:33 pm

Airline Routes reporting that Iberia is ending twice weekly service MAD-LAD effective 30 May. No reason given.

http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/...s-angola-service-in-late-may-2016/

AF022 · Sat May 14, 2016 11:03 pm

Quoting boeingrulz (Reply 22):
Airline Routes reporting that Iberia is ending twice weekly service MAD-LAD effective 30 May. No reason given

Economy of Angola suffering with fall in oil price.

boeingrulz · Sun May 15, 2016 2:55 am

Rede Angola is reporting that TAAG has received its third 777-300, named Iona, after a national park in Namibe province. The plane will be used to augment flights to Portugal. They plan to increase flying between the two countries to 14 flights a week. The inaugural flight was between LAD and MSZ (ex Moçâmedes, now Namibe city) in celebration of the aircraft's name.

Peter Hill, president and CEO of TAAG, spoke about the company's plan to fly between LAD and London and Paris starting next year if the economic situation improves sufficiently.

http://www.redeangola.info/baptismo-de-voo-do-iona/

rukundo · Sun May 15, 2016 7:27 am

Quoting boeingrulz (Reply 24):
Peter Hill, president and CEO of TAAG, spoke about the company's plan to fly between LAD and London and Paris starting next year if the economic situation improves sufficiently.

About Paris, they will resume their service stopped in 2006, after that UE banned TAAG.

Quoting chiki (Reply 21):
Not sure how the 800 will perform on short runways in POL and APL. though the 700 was suitable

They still have one B737-700. Probably LAM plans to add more destinations in the region and the 800 is probably better.

andz · Sun May 15, 2016 2:32 pm

What is the logic of the KQ 788 to JNB? I flew JNB-NBO on the 788 on Wednesday and I had the last 6 rows to myself.

Much nicer than the 190 of course and it was my first 787 flight but such light loads are not good for airline finances.

eastafspot · Sun May 15, 2016 3:40 pm

Quoting andz (Reply 26):

Asian (and DXB) flights arrive early in the morning and depart late in the evening, so instead of standing idle all day, it's better (for airline and... pax) to use the 788.

andz · Sun May 15, 2016 5:03 pm

Quoting eastafspot (Reply 27):
Asian (and DXB) flights arrive early in the morning and depart late in the evening, so instead of standing idle all day, it's better (for airline and... pax) to use the 788.

Arrive early where? I know about JNB day layovers, I have lived near the airport for more than 40 years.

The inbound 788 to JNB arrives at 10:50 and departs again at noon so there's standing idle down here. Maybe I am missing something.

GRJGeorge · Mon May 16, 2016 8:43 am

Quoting rukundo (Reply 20):
Ethiopian sends a Dreamliner most of time, since some weeks, replacing the 737-800.

At the moment the 2 x weekly 787 flights on ADD-CPT is additional flights started in February, while the other 7 weekly flights via GBE/JNB are still with 738.
From July all flights to CPT changes to 787/763 mix, later on all 788, 4 weekly nonstop ADD-CPT and 4 weekly ADD-JNB-CPT.

Quoting andz (Reply 28):
Arrive early where? I know about JNB day layovers, I have lived near the airport for more than 40 years.

The inbound 788 to JNB arrives at 10:50 and departs again at noon so there's standing idle down here. Maybe I am missing something.

Obviously regarding standing idle in NBO. There's surely reasonable good reason for KQ to be flying NBO-JNB up to 4 x daily, so capacity is needed, thus the 788 used at least on one daily flight, think this is the one connecting to more major connections. Besides that there's also the fact of cargo, while the 738 and E190 might be more constrained for some cargo. Quite a lot of fresh produce (fruit, vegetables, flowers) gets imported from Kenya to South Africa (especially the last year with drought conditions in some parts of South Africa)

GRJGeorge · Tue May 24, 2016 10:05 am

Seems like Lufthansa is also now adding more flights to Cape Town for peak season, from 3 December re-introducing CPT-FRA with 3 weekly A340-300...this in addition to daily CPT-MUC A340-600

ETinCaribe · Wed May 25, 2016 1:15 am

Quoting andz (Reply 26):
What is the logic of the KQ 788 to JNB? I flew JNB-NBO on the 788 on Wednesday and I had the last 6 rows to myself.

Much nicer than the 190 of course and it was my first 787 flight but such light loads are not good for airline finances.

As mentioned by GRJGeorge as well, ET does similarly use the 787 on short routes, I guess due to additional capacity needs. Your flight might have been light but maybe the return flight was more packed, and that is without considering cargo needs. KQ has some financial challenges now but their JNB route should be pretty solid, I would think.

In the case of ET, they will at least not overuse their 788s on short distances once they get the terrible teens from Boeing starting this summer.

SAAbaby · Thu May 26, 2016 6:50 am

SQ To Serve JNB With A350 Equipment (by KarelXWB May 25 2016 in Civil Aviation)

Asked, and answered....

SAAbaby · Thu May 26, 2016 6:58 am

Quoting GRJGeorge (Reply 29):

I note that ET also has direct flights to DUR. It is quite interesting how many carriers have started/increased direct services to DUR and CPT, and no longer via JNB. Will SQ ever consider a non-stop between SIN and CPT?

GRJGeorge · Thu May 26, 2016 10:15 am

Yes correct ET started serving DUR again from December, with 738 however, to increase to 4 weekly from July.
Both QR and TK have services going via JNB, TK currently is nonstop IST-DUR but which carries on to CPT 4 weekly, so not only relying on DUR, while from next season will revert to going via JNB again 5 weekly.
SQ have done a nonstop SIN-CPT a few years ago for 2 or 3 seasons, was only seasonally though. Perhaps now with all the new increased services and predictions of high tourist growth they might consider it again at some stage...but connections to Asia and even Australasia via increased services from connecting carriers to CPT (EK, QR, TK, ET, KQ, MK) might hamper this a bit though.

SAAbaby · Thu May 26, 2016 10:51 am

http://www.africanaerospace.aero/air...irline-s-first-787-dreamliner.html

View Large View Medium
Click here for bigger photo!

alyusuph · Fri May 27, 2016 3:33 am

Air Tanzania may fly Russian built aircraft
http://www.africanaerospace.aero/air...jet-100-says-russian-minister.html

SAAbaby · Mon May 30, 2016 8:27 am

Hi there

Can anyone help...

Flightradar24 tracked an Air Canada B777 from JNB to BGI on Saturday evening, Code AC7007, Reg No C-FIUA.

Any idea what this flight was for?

GRJGeorge · Mon May 30, 2016 9:30 am

Think there is a thread for this.
AC sent the 77L to pick up 200+ firefighters to help fight the blazes in Alberta. Arrived from YYZ Saturday morning, departed Sunday morning JNB-BGI-YEG?

SAAbaby · Mon May 30, 2016 9:43 am

Quoting GRJGeorge (Reply 38):

Thx!

Didn't see the thread

eastafspot · Mon Jun 13, 2016 8:12 am

Is the Air Zim A320 indefinitly grounded in JNB (opposite to the domestic terminal) or, as it's written on their timetable, it is flown to HRE/BUQ sometime?

tommy212 · Mon Jun 13, 2016 10:14 am

Quoting eastafspot (Reply 40):

it doesn't fly, been grounded for a while now and they're still paying for it every month. UM send the 737, 767 and the sole remaining A320 to JNB.

AF022 · Mon Jun 13, 2016 11:37 pm

I have heard that ASKY has taken delivery of a 737-800.

viasa · Wed Jun 15, 2016 6:39 am

AF022 wrote:
I have heard that ASKY has taken delivery of a 737-800.

Correct, one will be former Shanghai B-2168 (now ET-ATU) and the other will be ET-AOA. The 738s will be used on the flights KP 28 /29 and KP52/53

picture: https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=580F6B5A

GRJGeorge · Wed Jun 15, 2016 7:52 am

FlySafair have opened bookings for flights launching 1 August from Johannesburg's second airport, Lanseria.
Will operate 2 daily flights HLA-CPT, competing against the other two LCC carriers operating from HLA (Kulula and Mango).
Also 2 weekly HLA-GRJ (George), daily in peak summer season, being the only operator on this route and marking the first other destination from HLA besided CPT and DUR.
All with 737-800

rukundo · Wed Jun 15, 2016 10:42 am

According to some Congolese News Papers (mainly from opposition), ECAir is on the verge to collapse:

"After placing Equatorial Congo Airlines bankrupt, its leaders want to bleed again public finances without having previously made accountable for their mismanagement".

http://lesechos-congobrazza.com/economi ... n-faillite

One of their B737-700 was badly burned, in a maintenance hangar at Prague, last week

AF022 · Fri Jun 17, 2016 6:35 pm

Airliners have posted that EK will reduce LOS frequencies to one per day from two per day. I believe airlines are having trouble getting their cash out from Nigeria. This maybe the reason.

ETinCaribe · Fri Jun 17, 2016 9:54 pm

AF022 wrote:
Airliners have posted that EK will reduce LOS frequencies to one per day from two per day. I believe airlines are having trouble getting their cash out from Nigeria. This maybe the reason.

Nigeria will float the Niara starting on Monday, a vast devaluation is expected, so looks like many of the airlines will lose at least half of the value of their cash in Nigeria when they take it out of the country in hard currency.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36538379

Anyone has the list of airlines that have either stopped or reduced frequency to Nigeria?

AF022 · Sat Jun 18, 2016 9:41 pm

United is exiting IAH-LOS.
Iberia i believed already dropped MAD-LOS.
EK as shown above is cutting capacity by 50%.
others?

AF022 · Sun Jun 19, 2016 4:00 am

https://www.facebook.com/ECAir-Equatori ... 4/?fref=nf

ECAIR announces on their page Facebook that they will suspend services BZV-PNR because damaged 737

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