Welcome to the West African Aviation Thread 2022.

This thread is covering the following countries:

- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cabo Verde
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Republic of Congo
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea Bissau
- Liberia
- Mali
- Niger
- Nigeria
- San Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Togo

Please continue your discussion and to post your news below.

Link to previous thread:

West and Central African Aviation Thread - 2021

Air Senegal took delivery of its first A220 a few days ago. They are expecting another two next year. The A220 presence in Africa is growing with EgyptAir, Air Tanzania and Air Senegal now operating A220s. Ibom Air currently leasing two from EgyptAir will also be operating their own in the near future. I think this type will be a very popular on the continent.

https://www.ifn.news/posts/air-senegal- ... rbus-a220/

louA340 wrote:

Air Senegal took delivery of its first A220 a few days ago. They are expecting another two next year. The A220 presence in Africa is growing with EgyptAir, Air Tanzania and Air Senegal now operating A220s. Ibom Air currently leasing two from EgyptAir will also be operating their own in the near future. I think this type will be a very popular on the continent.

https://www.ifn.news/posts/air-senegal- ... rbus-a220/

I've read somewhere they want to send it to London. If so, even other European cities get bigger aircraft.

louA340 wrote:

Air Senegal took delivery of its first A220 a few days ago. They are expecting another two next year. The A220 presence in Africa is growing with EgyptAir, Air Tanzania and Air Senegal now operating A220s. Ibom Air currently leasing two from EgyptAir will also be operating their own in the near future. I think this type will be a very popular on the continent.

https://www.ifn.news/posts/air-senegal- ... rbus-a220/

I think the A220 could do wonders for African carriers because of its versatility. It can operate shorter, regional routes but it also performs well on thinner, longer routes. I believe African economies will keep on expanding (some faster than others) and with it demand for air travel will grow.

In 2018 Deloitte predicted that the continent's air travel will grow by 5.9% per year to reach 300 million passengers by 2026. Naturally they couldn't predict covid but this trend will resume once the pandemic passes and normal economic activity resumes. Will be interesting to see which airlines end up becoming the dominant player in the future.

French press announces that Air France has suspended all flights to Bamako (Malo) following ECOWAS ( Economic Community of West African States) embargo on Mali. AF currently operates two flights a day to Bamako via Banjul and depending period with terminator service to Abidjan (but i think it was replaced by the CDG-Banjul-Bamako tag service) or Monrovia (it's the case in 2022).

Mali boarders are closed, so i guess that others airlines can't land in Mali.

Air France announces the suspension of its flights to Bamako

Pursuant to the embargo decided on Sunday January 9, 2022 by the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) against Mali, Air France has suspended its flights to Bamako.

https://www-ouest--france-fr.translate. ... x_tr_hl=fr

Qatar Airways adds two more destinations in Nigeria: Kano and Port Harcourt.

QR currently serves Abuja and Lagos

Competition will be stiff with Ethiopian Airlines that has also a big network in Nigeria (4 destinations) and also the fact that Qatar Airways has code share agreements with RwandAir to Lagos and Abuja enabling more choice for Nigerians travelling to or from Asia either via Kigali or Doha (or both) Together with RwandAir / Qatar Airways: up to 3 flights a day to Lagos and up to 2 flights a day to Abuja.


Qatar Airways announces service to Kano and Port Harcourt

Doha: Qatar Airways is boosting its service to Nigeria with the launch of four weekly flights to Kano (KAN) on March 2, 2022, and three weekly flights to Port Harcourt (PHC) on March 3, 2022, both operating via the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

The airline currently operates two daily flights to Lagos and four times a week to Abuja, which will expand to a daily service in March. Kano and Port Harcourt will become the seventh and eight new African gateways launched by Qatar Airways since the start of the pandemic. Both routes will be served by the state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner, featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 in Economy Class.

https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/1 ... t-harcourt

rukundo wrote:

Qatar Airways adds two more destinations in Nigeria: Kano and Port Harcourt.

QR currently serves Abuja and Lagos

Competition will be stiff with Ethiopian Airlines that has also a big network in Nigeria (4 destinations) and also the fact that Qatar Airways has code share agreements with RwandAir to Lagos and Abuja enabling more choice for Nigerians travelling to or from Asia either via Kigali or Doha (or both) Together with RwandAir / Qatar Airways: up to 3 flights a day to Lagos and up to 2 flights a day to Abuja.


Qatar Airways announces service to Kano and Port Harcourt

Doha: Qatar Airways is boosting its service to Nigeria with the launch of four weekly flights to Kano (KAN) on March 2, 2022, and three weekly flights to Port Harcourt (PHC) on March 3, 2022, both operating via the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

The airline currently operates two daily flights to Lagos and four times a week to Abuja, which will expand to a daily service in March. Kano and Port Harcourt will become the seventh and eight new African gateways launched by Qatar Airways since the start of the pandemic. Both routes will be served by the state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner, featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 in Economy Class.

https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/1 ... t-harcourt

Water canon salute at Port Harcourt on arrival of the inaugural flight.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1500119661677056003

mapletux wrote:

rukundo wrote:

Qatar Airways adds two more destinations in Nigeria: Kano and Port Harcourt.

QR currently serves Abuja and Lagos

Competition will be stiff with Ethiopian Airlines that has also a big network in Nigeria (4 destinations) and also the fact that Qatar Airways has code share agreements with RwandAir to Lagos and Abuja enabling more choice for Nigerians travelling to or from Asia either via Kigali or Doha (or both) Together with RwandAir / Qatar Airways: up to 3 flights a day to Lagos and up to 2 flights a day to Abuja.


Qatar Airways announces service to Kano and Port Harcourt

Doha: Qatar Airways is boosting its service to Nigeria with the launch of four weekly flights to Kano (KAN) on March 2, 2022, and three weekly flights to Port Harcourt (PHC) on March 3, 2022, both operating via the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

The airline currently operates two daily flights to Lagos and four times a week to Abuja, which will expand to a daily service in March. Kano and Port Harcourt will become the seventh and eight new African gateways launched by Qatar Airways since the start of the pandemic. Both routes will be served by the state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner, featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 in Economy Class.

https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/1 ... t-harcourt

Water canon salute at Port Harcourt on arrival of the inaugural flight.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1500119661677056003

And Qatar Airways could become the biggest foreign airline in Nigeria in 2022

As usual Nigeria gives good statistics concerning its air traffic. https://atqnews.com/travellers-award-un ... om-europe/

African airlineq which offer a network outside Africa are unfortunately behind of the most non-African airlines serving NIG, even if they are resisting and they benefit from a good network in Nigeria.

Non-African airlines have the advantage of serving the USA and Europe, 2 markets that are surely bigger than the Asia-Nigeria and Nigeria-rest of Africa market. I doudbt that they are many people doing Lagos-Kigali-London, Lagos-Addis Ababa-Frankfurt or Lagos-Nairobi-Amsterdam


With RwandAir Nigerians pass through Kigali to go to Johannesburg or Dubai, in addition to Kigali as their final destination.

With Ethiopian Airlines i would think that a lot go to Asia mainly in China and the Middle East.

West African airliners have good results


About of type of the aircraft, i think it's about the most type used by the airline to NIG

Ethiopian Airlines: 218,194 pax. Destinations: Lagos, Abuja, Enungu, Kano. Aircraft: B777-300ER

EgyptAir: 104,719 pax. Destinations: Lagos and Abuja. Aircraft: B787-9 and A330-200

RwandaAir: 51,112 pax. Destinations: Lagos and Abuja. Aircraft: A330-200

Kenya Airways: 50,800 pax. Destination: Lagos. Aircraft: B737-800

[url=https://servimg.com/view/11287103/2407][ /url]

Air Senegal is eyeing Martinique with the possibility of serving Fort de France from Dakar

The establishment of an air service between Martinique and Senegal is becoming clearer

Launched two years ago, after initial exchanges in Senegal, the project to set up an air service between Fort-de-France and Dakar could see the light of day soon.

https://la1ere-francetvinfo-fr.translat ... r_pto=wapp

In the footsteps of TAAG Angola Airlines which serves Cuba, and Air Peace (Nigeria) which serves Jamaica via Ghana, during certain periods (there were flights in 2020 and 2021)

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... ce+jamaica

The slave trade dispersed Africans all over this region. More and more people are researching their roots. In Rwanda there is a small Jamaican and Bahamian community..

It mainly concerns African Americans. It is difficult to know the number if there is a market ( I have doubt for the moment). The African Diaspora is so fragmented.

Maybe we will have to wait for the continent to develop more before seeing this kind of routes carrying mainly black people who return to the Continent and black people wanted to maje memorial tourism. Many African countries are trying to attract these people


--------------------------



TACV will lease a B737-700 from Angola Airlines. It is planned to fly to Lisbon tomorrow. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/d2-tbf


https://inforpress.cv/taag-plane-made-a ... pK8JzU100E

rukundo wrote:

Air Senegal is eyeing Martinique with the possibility of serving Fort de France from Dakar

The establishment of an air service between Martinique and Senegal is becoming clearer

Launched two years ago, after initial exchanges in Senegal, the project to set up an air service between Fort-de-France and Dakar could see the light of day soon.

https://la1ere-francetvinfo-fr.translat ... r_pto=wapp

In the footsteps of TAAG Angola Airlines which serves Cuba, and Air Peace (Nigeria) which serves Jamaica via Ghana, during certain periods (there were flights in 2020 and 2021)

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... ce+jamaica

The slave trade dispersed Africans all over this region. More and more people are researching their roots. In Rwanda there is a small Jamaican and Bahamian community..

It mainly concerns African Americans. It is difficult to know the number if there is a market ( I have doubt for the moment). The African Diaspora is so fragmented.

Maybe we will have to wait for the continent to develop more before seeing this kind of routes carrying mainly black people who return to the Continent and black people wanted to maje memorial tourism. Many African countries are trying to attract these people


--------------------------



TACV will lease a B737-700 from Angola Airlines. It is planned to fly to Lisbon tomorrow. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/d2-tbf


https://inforpress.cv/taag-plane-made-a ... pK8JzU100E

Routes between the Caribbean and Africa will more interest Africans who live in the Caribbean. There are thousands (maybe even tens of thousands) of Ghanaian and Nigerian professionals living in the Caribbean. As of now they must return home via either the USA or the UK. Once these routes are viable there might be some heritage type of tourism generated out of the Caribbean, especially to Ghana, which actively promotes this.

The big constraint though will be the need for seamless connections or else people will continue to fly though LON or NYC.

caribny wrote:

rukundo wrote:

Air Senegal is eyeing Martinique with the possibility of serving Fort de France from Dakar

The establishment of an air service between Martinique and Senegal is becoming clearer

Launched two years ago, after initial exchanges in Senegal, the project to set up an air service between Fort-de-France and Dakar could see the light of day soon.

https://la1ere-francetvinfo-fr.translat ... r_pto=wapp

In the footsteps of TAAG Angola Airlines which serves Cuba, and Air Peace (Nigeria) which serves Jamaica via Ghana, during certain periods (there were flights in 2020 and 2021)

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... ce+jamaica

The slave trade dispersed Africans all over this region. More and more people are researching their roots. In Rwanda there is a small Jamaican and Bahamian community..

It mainly concerns African Americans. It is difficult to know the number if there is a market ( I have doubt for the moment). The African Diaspora is so fragmented.

Maybe we will have to wait for the continent to develop more before seeing this kind of routes carrying mainly black people who return to the Continent and black people wanted to maje memorial tourism. Many African countries are trying to attract these people


--------------------------



TACV will lease a B737-700 from Angola Airlines. It is planned to fly to Lisbon tomorrow. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/d2-tbf


https://inforpress.cv/taag-plane-made-a ... pK8JzU100E

Routes between the Caribbean and Africa will more interest Africans who live in the Caribbean. There are thousands (maybe even tens of thousands) of Ghanaian and Nigerian professionals living in the Caribbean. As of now they must return home via either the USA or the UK. Once these routes are viable there might be some heritage type of tourism generated out of the Caribbean, especially to Ghana, which actively promotes this.

The big constraint though will be the need for seamless connections or else people will continue to fly though LON or NYC.

Interesting. In deed i think that there can be a market in the future. I remmember also that some Nigerians were also planning to serve Brazil.

Part 1 of Air Senegal Summer 2022 capacity expansion has now been opened for sale

DSS-CMN from 5 to 6 weekly eff 28Mar

DSS-COO-DLA-LBV from 4 to 5 weekly eff 29Apr

DSS-JFK-BWI from 2 to 3 weekly eff 14Jun

behramjee wrote:

Part 1 of Air Senegal Summer 2022 capacity expansion has now been opened for sale

DSS-CMN from 5 to 6 weekly eff 28Mar

DSS-COO-DLA-LBV from 4 to 5 weekly eff 29Apr

DSS-JFK-BWI from 2 to 3 weekly eff 14Jun

Any infos about the loads on Air Senegal US services ?



DRC: the leasing contract between Congo Airways and Kenya Airways will not be renewed, the Kenyan company recovers its planes

The leasing contract between Kenya Airways and Congo Airways will not be renewed. It was for a period of six months, reports the Congolese company. This wait was six months renewable and concerned two Embraer E190 aircraft. It updated the Memorandum of Understanding between Kenya Airways and Congo Airways signed in April 2021 in Kinshasa and attested by the President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta and the President of the DRC Félix Tshisekedi.

Congo Airways evokes "strictly operational reasons" to explain the withdrawal of Kenya Airways planes.

“Furthermore, the company reassures its kind customers that this fact will have no impact on the continuity of its services. Your national airline also informs you that its fleet will be reinforced by the imminent return of its Airbus A320 aircraft located in Morocco for maintenance as well as a leased A319 capable of carrying 150 passengers”, tries to reassure Congo Airways.

https://actualite-cd.translate.goog/202 ... r_pto=wapp

Air Peace Launches Niamey, Set For London, China, US Routes

Air Peace airline has announced the commencement of three weekly flights into Niamey, Niger Republic, as a historic and decisive step in the economic integration of the African region.

The airline, it was also gathered, was set to commence operations into London, Houston, Mumbai and Guangzhou.

https://leadership.ng/air-peace-launche ... us-routes/

A sad article but unfortunately quite realistic. The poor infrastructure in Africa which has an impact on air traffic.

Air France which will stop its route on Monrovia (Liberia), at the end of April 2022. One reason is the economic situation of the country, but there is a focus about the state of the infrastructures. On several occasions, Air France flights had to be diverted to Cote d'Ivoire or Sierra Leone due to power cuts.

We have also the example of a Royal Air Maroc flight which in February 2022 circled around Monrovia for several hours, before going to Freetown, due to power failure. In addition to power outages

The article says that Air France spent 459,000 eu on repairs in 2012 on several of its planes that were damaged in Monrovia runway. We can think that Royal Air Maroc and Air France are not the only airlines in this case. Airlines don't communicate on this.

European or Middle Eastern airlines have huge financials resources and can compensate "huge charges" with the large volume of pax from or to destinations in Africa which travel through Dubai, Brussels, Amsterdam, Istanbul,...but for African airlines which do not have the same financial capacities, it's harder. Lomé is not London, Ouagadougou is not Amsterdam. The biggest losers are the African airlines.

But there is hope with Ghana, Namibia, South Africa, Rwanda and other African countries which are upgrading their airports.


Why Africa is home to the world's 'worst airports'

Air France is suspending operations in Liberia citing poor profits and geopolitics. But a DW in-depth look at African airports found a range of issues such as lack of infrastructure and unsatisfactory customer care.

https://www.dw.com/en/why-africa-is-hom ... a-61433710


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After the non-renewal of the lease of 2 ERJ 190s from Kenya Airways and in full restructuring, Congo Airways plans to cancel its order for E2 and to order A220s. An E2 is already stored in Brazil, awaiting delivery

Congo Airways Considering the Airbus A220 Over Embraer E2 to Expand its Fleet

Congo Airways is on the hunt for new aircraft. With its current fleet comprised of Airbus A320 and Dash 8 turboprop, reports have it that the state-owned carrier may be on the verge of canceling its Embraer E2 order preferring the Airbus A220 aircraft.

https://airspace-africa.com/2022/04/11/ ... its-fleet/

Like in 2014-2015, Air France still has problems in Mauritania for the same reasons. The largest private security company in the country is experiencing internal problems.

Air France in the turbulent zone in Mauritania (article for subscribers)

The Air France security cell will organize an emergency meeting on the morning of April 14 at the headquarters of the French national company. According to information from Financial Afrik, the objective of this meeting is to take stock of the situation and the context prevailing in Mauritania at a time when the Mauritanian Private Security (MSP) is experiencing internal turmoil.

https://www-financialafrik-com.translat ... r_pto=wapp

In 2014-15, AF suspended its flights for several months.

Air France: Nouakchott stop suspended due to "technical difficulties" https://www-deplacementspros-com.transl ... r_pto=wapp

In a few months, AF has had a lot of problemin West Africas (and certainly not the only one, Asky has also pbs in Mali https://www-jeuneafrique-com.translate. ... r_pto=wapp).

Mali (Air France was able to resume flights), Liberia and now Mauritania.

Ethiopian ADD-Dakar-Addis Ababa daily flight no longer stops in Bamako, but in Abuja

Corsair will resume its service to Mali, from June 2022. Their second destination West Africa, after Abidjan.

Corsair back in Bamako this summer

The company will operate three flights a week from Paris-Orly between June and September.

Corsair knows Mali well. The airline indeed connected Paris-Orly to Bamako between January 2018 and September 2019. Here it is back on this service, at a time of year when demand is particularly strong: it will operate three frequencies per week from June 16 until next September 18 (departures from Paris on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 6.10 p.m., return from Bamako on the same days at 11.55 p.m. for an arrival the next day at 7.40 a.m.). It should be noted that the flights will be operated by A330-300 capable of accommodating 352 passengers, configured three-class, i.e. 12 in Business, 12 in Premium and 328 in Economy. It should also be noted that this Paris-Orly/Bamako will be offered from €726 including tax/person (with baggage in the hold).

https://www-deplacementspros-com.transl ... r_pto=wapp

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Luxair now serves Dakar

Inaugural flight: “Luxair” will now serve Dakar, less than a month after the inauguration of the Riu hotel.


https://www.dakaractu.com/Vol-inaugural ... 17356.html

Interesting, the links between Luxembourg and Africa are not big and focus mainly on the financial sector.

The airline is already present in North Africa and Cape Verde yes for tourism but. The Cape Verdeans being one of the largest communities in Luxembourg. To see if they will target The Gambia.


Cargolux also has a big presence in Africa (Nairobi is a big stopover) and Ethiopian Cargo used LUX as one of its main bases a few years ago

Luxembourg catchement aera includes Metz and Nancy and thus Lorraine region (over 2 millions of habitants). Ii's one of reason that that Metz Airport is struggling since the end of Paris and many domestic flights with Air Liberte / Air Lib collapse.

B747-437B
Posts: 8960
Joined: 20 years ago

#86

11 months ago
Sentra Airways, a British start-up airline, intends to commence 6x weekly flights from Manchester to Accra from September 2021.

http://sentraairways.com/

TAKING OFF WINTER 2022

Based at MANCHESTER Airport UK.

Launch destination Accra, Ghana

“Sentra Airways, Your Best Value Airline”

(Accra is the unofficial, official gateway to West Africa especially to Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Niger, Senegal, Gambia and Southern Africa.)


http://sentraairways.com/

New startup airline Sentra Airways plans flights to Africa

A Manchester-based startup airline, Sentra Airways, will try to conquer the skies starting with their first flights to West Africa.

The new airline announced plans to launch long-haul flights between Manchester and Accra, Ghana by the end of 2022. After the launch to West Africa, the airline also has plans to expand its long-haul network to the United States.

Sentra Airways will begin operations with an Airbus A330-200 aircraft from US-based lessor Air Lease Corporation (ALC) in April 2022. The new aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in summer 2022.

https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/3076 ... -in-the-uk

rukundo wrote:

https://www.dw.com/en/why-africa-is-hom ... a-61433710

This might be the most badly researched, outdated and factually inaccurate article about African aviation that I have ever read (and that is a very low bar already). It's like the authors googled 10 year old newspaper articles and used that as the basis for their comments.

Senegal: faced with the shortage of kerosene, the airlines organize themselves

In less than 24 hours, planes landing at Blaise-Diagne International Airport will no longer be able to refuel there. An earthquake for the twenty airlines concerned (Air France, Air Côte d'Ivoire, Asky, etc.).

https://www-jeuneafrique-com.translate. ... r_pto=wapp

B747-437B wrote:

rukundo wrote:

https://www.dw.com/en/why-africa-is-hom ... a-61433710

This might be the most badly researched, outdated and factually inaccurate article about African aviation that I have ever read (and that is a very low bar already). It's like the authors googled 10 year old newspaper articles and used that as the basis for their comments.

Yes, you can always tell when they cannot check their spelling for accuracy that their journalistic standards are lacking. Kotoka airport is shown as Kotoko airport. Very amusing mistake - the latter is a porcupine and the name of a football club.

Asky returns to JNB from 01May on a daily basis

3 weekly LFW FIH BZV JNB
2 weekly LFW LOS LBV JNB
2 weekly LFW LOS DLA JNB

Don’t expect it to get many USA Pax feeding ET.

https://www.timesaerospace.aero/feature ... hiopian-jv

Any news on this hypothetical new DRC flag carrier and if it will start any time soon? Seems interesting, Ethiopian is going to have like a 49% stake. And as seen with others like ASKY, Ethiopian has some success in this kind of thing, so any chance that it actually takes off?

And if this airline really wants the DRC to become more connected internationally, I'd imagine that FIH might have to go through some rennovations, including tearing down the old F100s, DC-8s, and other aircraft that have been sitting there for years. Just my opinion though.

https://www.logupdateafrica.com/aviatio ... ys-1345326

Africa World Airlines and Kenya Airways have entered into a partnership to connect passengers over AWA's hub in Accra.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61361686

All domestic flights in Nigeria will be suspended indefinitely effective Monday 9th May 2022 due to issues with Jet Fuel prices.

https://www.afritraveller.com/post/afri ... y-to-abuja

Africa World Airlines is adding a 5th weekly service between Accra and Abuja.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, AWA operated this route 11 times weekly so this route is recovering very slowly relative to the domestic market in Ghana which already exceeded 2019 totals in 2021 and is on track for an all-time record again this year.

B747-437B wrote:

https://www.afritraveller.com/post/africa-world-airlines-increases-flight-frequency-to-abuja

Africa World Airlines is adding a 5th weekly service between Accra and Abuja.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, AWA operated this route 11 times weekly so this route is recovering very slowly relative to the domestic market in Ghana which already exceeded 2019 totals in 2021 and is on track for an all-time record again this year.

I'm surprised it's taken this long to ramp it up. Recent flights I've taken have always been full both ways. Ticket prices are also astronomical for the route these days.

louA340 wrote:

I'm surprised it's taken this long to ramp it up. Recent flights I've taken have always been full both ways. Ticket prices are also astronomical for the route these days.

Remember that it is impossible to remit any forex for tickets sold in Nigeria at present. IATA estimates over $300m tied up there for various member airlines. Adding flights to Nigeria may appear to be profitable on paper, but they can be a serious drain on cash flow as that revenue just sits in Nigerian banks indefinitely while the Naira loses value.

CAA/Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation (DR Congo) took delivery of its 2nd A330 this month. A330-300 9H-AJNN ex China Airlines B-18351

https://scontent-cdg2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=62988291

I noticed Air Senegal is operating DSS-JFK-BWI with a leased A343, what’s up with 6V-ANB (A339)? It appears to be parked for some reason.

https://www.afritraveller.com/post/afri ... -and-abuja

Africa World Airlines will increase service from 5x weekly to daily on the Accra-Abuja route effective this week.

ikolkyo wrote:

I noticed Air Senegal is operating DSS-JFK-BWI with a leased A343, what’s up with 6V-ANB (A339)? It appears to be parked for some reason.

Senegal is not an FAA Category 1 state so aircraft registered in Senegal are not permitted to operate to the United States. Air Senegal's operating authority only permits this service using wet-leased aircraft.

B747-437B wrote:

ikolkyo wrote:

I noticed Air Senegal is operating DSS-JFK-BWI with a leased A343, what’s up with 6V-ANB (A339)? It appears to be parked for some reason.

Senegal is not an FAA Category 1 state so aircraft registered in Senegal are not permitted to operate to the United States. Air Senegal's operating authority only permits this service using wet-leased aircraft.

Ah, that would make sense. Thanks

Air Senegal has opened for sale new 4 weekly Dakar-Accra services effective 02Sep using an A319. Flights will connect both ways via DSS to JFK BWI MXP and CMN.

The A330s are back on USA as one airplane was away on scheduled maintenance check hence the wet leased A343 was being used.

https://twitter.com/flyafricaworld/stat ... 0398246912

Africa World Airlines increases service between Accra and Lagos to 4x daily effective today.

Pre-COVID, they used to operate this route up to 6x daily.

French carrier Corsair should start Paris Orly-Cotonou (Benin) service from November 2022, 3 times a week. Currently Air France operates a 5 weekly service from Paris Cdg.

It will be their 3rd destinations in the region after Bamako and Abidjan

https://french-peopledaily-com-cn.trans ... r_pto=wapp

Air Peace of Nigeria has made an unsolicited offer to acquire 75% of LIAT based in Antigua, an offer that has been rejected by the Government of Antigua.

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news ... d-for-liat

Sorry if it was ever mentioned anywhere else, but Dana Air ceased ops
https://www.cnbcafrica.com/media/6309811928112/

B747-437B wrote:

Air Peace of Nigeria has made an unsolicited offer to acquire 75% of LIAT based in Antigua, an offer that has been rejected by the Government of Antigua.

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news ... d-for-liat

What? I wouldn't have predicted this in my wildest dreams.

Air Peace suspends flights to South Africa over Aviation Fuel, visa delay https://dailytrust.com/just-in-air-peac ... visa-delay

China Flight: Passengers commend Air Peace, call for continuity https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/07/chi ... ontinuity/

Chadia Airlines, it's over https://www-financialafrik-com.translat ... r_pto=wapp


Emirates Cuts Flight to Lagos Due to $85m Trapped Revenue https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2 ... d-revenue/

Top 100 busiest airports in Africa

UPDATED 2022-08-09

This is a list of the 100 busiest airports in Africa measured by scheduled departures daily (and not number of passengers). Note that we have only accounted for scheduled passenger flights and not freighters or chartered flights. The numbers are the daily avarage from next week.

https://www.flightsfrom.com/top-100-airports-in-africa

https://twitter.com/ACI_Africa/status/1 ... 3921166337 & https://twitter.com/ACI_Africa/status/1 ... 2665310209

rukundo wrote:

Air Peace suspends flights to South Africa over Aviation Fuel, visa delay https://dailytrust.com/just-in-air-peac ... visa-delay

China Flight: Passengers commend Air Peace, call for continuity https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/07/chi ... ontinuity/

Chadia Airlines, it's over https://www-financialafrik-com.translat ... r_pto=wapp


Emirates Cuts Flight to Lagos Due to $85m Trapped Revenue https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2 ... d-revenue/

Top 100 busiest airports in Africa

UPDATED 2022-08-09

This is a list of the 100 busiest airports in Africa measured by scheduled departures daily (and not number of passengers). Note that we have only accounted for scheduled passenger flights and not freighters or chartered flights. The numbers are the daily avarage from next week.

https://www.flightsfrom.com/top-100-airports-in-africa

https://twitter.com/ACI_Africa/status/1 ... 3921166337 & https://twitter.com/ACI_Africa/status/1 ... 2665310209

Thank you for providing this summary.
Is this something you are able to do regularly in future? That would be awesome.

mapletux wrote:

rukundo wrote:

Air Peace suspends flights to South Africa over Aviation Fuel, visa delay https://dailytrust.com/just-in-air-peac ... visa-delay

China Flight: Passengers commend Air Peace, call for continuity https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/07/chi ... ontinuity/

Chadia Airlines, it's over https://www-financialafrik-com.translat ... r_pto=wapp


Emirates Cuts Flight to Lagos Due to $85m Trapped Revenue https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2 ... d-revenue/

Top 100 busiest airports in Africa

UPDATED 2022-08-09

This is a list of the 100 busiest airports in Africa measured by scheduled departures daily (and not number of passengers). Note that we have only accounted for scheduled passenger flights and not freighters or chartered flights. The numbers are the daily avarage from next week.

https://www.flightsfrom.com/top-100-airports-in-africa

https://twitter.com/ACI_Africa/status/1 ... 3921166337 & https://twitter.com/ACI_Africa/status/1 ... 2665310209

Thank you for providing this summary.
Is this something you are able to do regularly in future? That would be awesome.

Thanks. I try to do it the most otften, either there or on Europeans Aviation Forums. African aviation lacks of coverage, while it happens many thing daily.

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Emirates to suspend Nigeria flights from September over trapped funds

Dubai's Emirates will suspend flights to Nigeria from next month over an inability to repatriate funds from Africa's most populous nation, the airline said on Thursday.

[...]

The International Air Transport Association said in June Nigeria was withholding $450 million in revenue that international carriers operating in the country had earned

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/em ... 022-08-18/

rukundo wrote:

Emirates to suspend Nigeria flights from September over trapped funds

Dubai's Emirates will suspend flights to Nigeria from next month over an inability to repatriate funds from Africa's most populous nation, the airline said on Thursday.

This is a more complicated situation than usual in Nigeria. You could previously mitigate forex crunches there (which are extremely regular occurrances) by spending in Naira -- you could pay your airport taxes, government taxes, fuel bill, ground handling, catering, etc.. in Naira so you would at least spend a chunk of your local earnings that way.

However today the requirement is that foreign airlines have to pay EVERYTHING in hard currency - so you have to collect fares and taxes from passengers in Naira at an unrealistic "official" rate, but then you have to pay bills and remit those taxes to the government in USD at much higher market rates. This is simply unsustainable.

Basically its not even that you cant get your money out, but you also have to keep pouring in good money after bad just to keep operating.

Add to this the fact that the current aviation minister seems to have a longstanding grudge against Emirates (no idea why), and I can understand why they have decided to temporarily pull the plug on Nigeria until after the presidential elections scheduled for next February. Depending who comes to power (they almost certainly will not retain Sirika in the Aviation Ministry regardless), there will be a clean slate to at least resume discussions in good faith again - something that is simply impossible in the silly season just 6 months out from the polls.

B747-437B wrote:

rukundo wrote:

Emirates to suspend Nigeria flights from September over trapped funds

Dubai's Emirates will suspend flights to Nigeria from next month over an inability to repatriate funds from Africa's most populous nation, the airline said on Thursday.

This is a more complicated situation than usual in Nigeria. You could previously mitigate forex crunches there (which are extremely regular occurrances) by spending in Naira -- you could pay your airport taxes, government taxes, fuel bill, ground handling, catering, etc.. in Naira so you would at least spend a chunk of your local earnings that way.

However today the requirement is that foreign airlines have to pay EVERYTHING in hard currency - so you have to collect fares and taxes from passengers in Naira at an unrealistic "official" rate, but then you have to pay bills and remit those taxes to the government in USD at much higher market rates. This is simply unsustainable.

Basically its not even that you cant get your money out, but you also have to keep pouring in good money after bad just to keep operating.

Add to this the fact that the current aviation minister seems to have a longstanding grudge against Emirates (no idea why), and I can understand why they have decided to temporarily pull the plug on Nigeria until after the presidential elections scheduled for next February. Depending who comes to power (they almost certainly will not retain Sirika in the Aviation Ministry regardless), there will be a clean slate to at least resume discussions in good faith again - something that is simply impossible in the silly season just 6 months out from the polls.

Emirates can't be the only one to be impacted ... what others are taking action, and what do you foresee here?

Also, do these rules apply to Nigerian carriers such as Air Peace?

berari wrote:

Emirates can't be the only one to be impacted ... what others are taking action, and what do you foresee here?

Also, do these rules apply to Nigerian carriers such as Air Peace?

Everyone is similarly impacted right now. Most of the airlines are either reducing frequencies significantly or else restricting sales in Nigeria to higher RBDs only.

The Nigerian carriers are the worst affected. Air Peace for example has nearly half of its fleet grounded again due to the inability to access forex for maintenance and spare parts. One of the brand new E195-E2s has also supposedly been "scrapped" for parts to keep some of the others flying.

B747-437B wrote:

rukundo wrote:

Emirates to suspend Nigeria flights from September over trapped funds

Dubai's Emirates will suspend flights to Nigeria from next month over an inability to repatriate funds from Africa's most populous nation, the airline said on Thursday.

This is a more complicated situation than usual in Nigeria. You could previously mitigate forex crunches there (which are extremely regular occurrances) by spending in Naira -- you could pay your airport taxes, government taxes, fuel bill, ground handling, catering, etc.. in Naira so you would at least spend a chunk of your local earnings that way.

However today the requirement is that foreign airlines have to pay EVERYTHING in hard currency - so you have to collect fares and taxes from passengers in Naira at an unrealistic "official" rate, but then you have to pay bills and remit those taxes to the government in USD at much higher market rates. This is simply unsustainable.

Basically its not even that you cant get your money out, but you also have to keep pouring in good money after bad just to keep operating.

Add to this the fact that the current aviation minister seems to have a longstanding grudge against Emirates (no idea why), and I can understand why they have decided to temporarily pull the plug on Nigeria until after the presidential elections scheduled for next February. Depending who comes to power (they almost certainly will not retain Sirika in the Aviation Ministry regardless), there will be a clean slate to at least resume discussions in good faith again - something that is simply impossible in the silly season just 6 months out from the polls.

Thanks for the update. This situation sounds really bad and
like could possibly lead to the suspension of a few other carriers. Government interference seems to constantly hurt Nigerian aviation.

B747-437B wrote:

berari wrote:

Emirates can't be the only one to be impacted ... what others are taking action, and what do you foresee here?

Also, do these rules apply to Nigerian carriers such as Air Peace?

Everyone is similarly impacted right now. Most of the airlines are either reducing frequencies significantly or else restricting sales in Nigeria to higher RBDs only.

The Nigerian carriers are the worst affected. Air Peace for example has nearly half of its fleet grounded again due to the inability to access forex for maintenance and spare parts. One of the brand new E195-E2s has also supposedly been "scrapped" for parts to keep some of the others flying.

i have noticed that Air France has reduced flights to Lagos and Abuja from CDG, since few weeks. LOS is now served 5 times a week, while at the begining of the summer holidays it was a daily flight. ABV is now served 4 times a week

At the begining, i though it was because due to lack of staff or something like that.

rukundo wrote:

Is there any chance of seeing a US carrier serve Cairo again (possibly United, with EgyptAir a member of Star)?

flyfresno wrote:

rukundo wrote:

Is there any chance of seeing a US carrier serve Cairo again (possibly United, with EgyptAir a member of Star)?

Good question, i remmember that DL served Cairo in the past. But it seems that UA has not plan to serve some Star Alliance hub in Africa. Before the SAA suspension they didn't serve JNB. And they don't serve ADD and CAI. I guess they prefer to use FRA, BRU in UE and IAD & EWR in USA to provide connecting to and from Africa.

American Airlines planned to serve Casablanca from PHL before covid when RAM has joined Oneworld. Late 2000s, Delta planned to serve Nairobi. It's Kenya Airways that operates flights from Nairobi to USA.

It seems that US Airlines are not really interested to serve alliance hubs in Africa.

rukundo wrote:

It seems that US Airlines are not really interested to serve alliance hubs in Africa.

Quite simply they have entered into anti-trust immunized agreements with other alliance carriers that basically carves up African traffic via the European hubs on a revenue sharing basis not dissimilar to colonial times.