Air Transport in Africa Outlook - 2024

[Homo Aeroportus]

Transavia flights Lille-Dakar as from 30OCT24.

LIL>DSS on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
DSS-LIL on Tuesdays and Fridays, hence probably triangular with Sal (Espargos) Cape Verde.

Return fare starting at 270€.

H.A.

[fcw]

Transavia flights Lille-Dakar as from 30OCT24.

LIL>DSS on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
DSS-LIL on Tuesdays and Fridays, hence probably triangular with Sal (Espargos) Cape Verde.

Nonstop in both directions!

[Homo Aeroportus]

Transavia flights Lille-Dakar as from 30OCT24.

LIL>DSS on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
DSS-LIL on Tuesdays and Fridays, hence probably triangular with Sal (Espargos) Cape Verde.

Nonstop in both directions!

Thanks for the info.

So TO8070 leaves LIL on Saturday at 0855, arriving DSS at 1410.
The aircraft then stays in Dakar until Tuesday for the return flight to Lille. Is this what you mean?

H.A.

[fcw]

Transavia flights Lille-Dakar as from 30OCT24.

LIL>DSS on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
DSS-LIL on Tuesdays and Fridays, hence probably triangular with Sal (Espargos) Cape Verde.

Nonstop in both directions!

Thanks for the info.

So TO8070 leaves LIL on Saturday at 0855, arriving DSS at 1410.
The aircraft then stays in Dakar until Tuesday for the return flight to Lille. Is this what you mean?

H.A.

No, the aircraft doesn’t stay overnight in Dakar but returns to another destination in France.
Eg: Monday: MRS-DSS-BOD Tuesday: BOD-DSS-LIL, Wednesday: LIL-DSS-LYS, …

[sn26567]

AIRPLANE Africa Limited (AAL), based in Morogoro, has launched the Skyleader 600, the first ultralight aircraft manufactured in Tanzania. AAL’s Director, David Grolig, announced the successful production of three Skyleader 600 planes, which have now commenced operations after their maiden landing at Julius Nyerere International Airport.

https://www.aviation24.be/manufacturers ... facturing/

[fcw]

AIRPLANE Africa Limited (AAL), based in Morogoro, has launched the Skyleader 600, the first ultralight aircraft manufactured in Tanzania. AAL’s Director, David Grolig, announced the successful production of three Skyleader 600 planes, which have now commenced operations after their maiden landing at Julius Nyerere International Airport.

https://www.aviation24.be/manufacturers ... facturing/

I doubt it’s manufactured in Tanzania, rather assembled.
By the way it’s a pilotless aircraft according the copy/pasted ad. It says 2 passengers, but there only 2 seats…

[rwandan-flyer]

Source : Kenya Association of Travel Agents

Over 30 Airlines Seek Regulator Nod for Kenya’s Airspace

Posted on September 30, 2024

Saudi Arabian Airlines, Bluebird Aviation, Jetways and the African Express Airways are among airlines seeking licenses and from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) for either domestic or international air-services.

The Authority says it has received over 30 applications from companies seeking to tap into the airline business with some airlines seeking to add new aircraft model to their fleet.

If granted a license, Bluebird Aviation will operate international scheduled air service for passengers, cargo and mail services on Arusha, Mogadishu, Entebbe, Kigali and Zanzibar routes via either Wilson or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. https://katakenya.org/over-30-airlines- ... -airspace/

A newcomer in the East African sky? The Kenyan company BlueBird Aviation which operates Dash Q100 / Q400 and Fokker 50 has filed a request with the Kenyan authorities to launch regular flights. For the moment it only does charter flights either cargo or pax.

At the moment we do not know if it will be from Wilson (Nairobi's secondary airport near the city center) or from Jomo Kenyatta

The destinations (point-to-point traffic to and from Nairobi in 2023) that will be served if the company gets the green light from the Kenyan authorities:

Not easy to get all informations (probably some mistakes about flights frequencies and airlines)

Entebbe (Uganda): 213,965 pax and up to 8 flights per day (Kenya Airways, Uganda Airlines)

Kigali (Rwanda): 99,091 pax and up to 8 flights per day currently (Kenya Airways, RwandAir)

Zanzibar (Tanzania): 56,827 pax and about ten flights per day from Wilson and Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya Airways, Precision Air, Safarilink Aviation)

Mogadishu (Somalia): 47,570 pax and up to 5 flights per day (no flights on Fridays?) with Freedom Air Express, African Express Airways, Daallo Airlines and Kenya Airways.

I don't have for Arusha

About Kigali and Entebbe there are flights from Nairobi Wilson but we are on charter flights for Tour Operators including Yellow Wings Air Services and Governors' Aviation operated in Cessna 208B. And rarer the Dash 7 of Air Kenya.

[Matterginn]

Looks like Dakar’s having fuel issues again, so airlines are being told to fuel up enough to handle their next leg without relying on refueling there.

[rwandan-flyer]

FlyNas spreads its wings to Africa: Djibouti and Entebbe will be served from Riyadh from 8JAN25. https://www.flynas.com/en-eu/media-cent ... h-djibouti

Paradoxically, JIB was to be a destination served by Saudia with 4 flights per week: http://dpfza.gov.dj/saudia-airlines-pla ... nd-djeddah

For Entebbe, Saudia had launched flights but had suspended its flights. The A330 seemed a bit big to me. Uganda Airlines had announced flights to Saudi Arabia, but with such a limited fleet it seems hard to me. The A330s fly to Abuja, Lagos, Mumbai and Dubai. And the A320 to Lagos, Abuja and Johannesburg. No chance to see CRJs to serve Saudia Arabia.

Point-to-point traffic is good due to religious tourism, but also due to the presence of a large diaspora in Saudi Arabia (many work as domestic workers).Then there are the possibilities of connections to Dubai and India.

Now is FlyNas has its sights set on Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam (Saudia has apparently closed its route) ? Low-cost flights between the Middle East and East Africa have been developing for several years. FlyDubai and Air Arabia have a good network in the region. Jazeera Airways and FlyNas, they are starting to expand their wings

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

Despite the fact that Cape Verde has a huge diaspora and a strong tourist potential. Its companies have always struggled to exist. Icelendair's attempt to transform TACV into a sort of West African Icelendair (hub Americas / West Africa and Europe / West Africa) failed.

On the domestic side it's no better. By withdrawing its ATRs at the end of the 2010s, TACV stopped operating domestic flights and Haylcon Air with 2 ATRs closed after 8 years of operations in 2013. Leaving Cabo Verde Express and Binter CV (former subsidiary of Binter Canarias which became Bestfly Cabo Verde) operating flights. But Bestfly Cabo Verde suspended its flights since April 2024. Some accuse the government of Cape Verde of not making efforts to allow airlines to operate in a favorable environment on the domestic (see link below)

A newcomer will launch flights: TransVerde Airlines. Former executives of Binter, Qatar Airways and US Airways in the organization chart. The boss is a pilot (or was) a pilot at United Airlines and he is president of the group that owns the company: TransVerde Group.

Edit : it seems that TACV has resumed domestic flights. Their website shows : domestic flights available now https://www.caboverdeairlines.com/

3 ATRs should be leased

https://www.timesaerospace.aero/news/ai ... cabo-verde

https://www.flytva.com/

[Homo Aeroportus]

Air Asia opening KUL-NBO-KUL.

https://newsroom.airasia.com/news/airas ... #gsc.tab=0

Quote :
AAX will be flying to Nairobi with four weekly flights, offering more than 156,000 seats annually with fares starting from RM699 or USD199 all-in* one-way. The promotional fares are available for booking starting 1 Dec until 14 Dec 2024 for the travel period between now and 30 June 2025 on airasia.com and the AirAsia MOVE app.
*The promotional all-in fares quoted are for one-way travel inclusive of taxes, fuel surcharge, and other relevant fees. Other terms and conditions apply.
End Quote.

H.A.

[Homo Aeroportus]

FMMI Antananarivo Madagascar currently closed.

Bush fire on RWY strip calling for all ARFF resources.

A1663/24 NOTAMN Q) FMMM/QFFCG/IV/NBO/A/000/999/1848S04729E005
A) FMMI B) 2411190927 C) 2411191010
E) RFFS PROTECTION LVL DOWNGRADED TO ZERO (0).

A1666/24 NOTAMN Q) FMMM/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/1848S04729E005
A) FMMI B) 2411191014 C) 2411191040
E) RWY 11/29 CLSD DUE TO FIRE NEAR RWY STRIP.

Arriving flights holding.

Local contact mentioning large flames but situation about to be under control.

H.A.

[rwandan-flyer]

Air Uganda will lease another A320 from DAT Danish Air Transport to replace the A320 leased from South Africa. The one leased from a South African company required authorization from the South African authorities to be operated on the Johannesburg Entebbe route. This authorization arrived quite late. The airline was only able to operate a few flights. Most often the plane flies to Lagos or Nairobi.

The Johannesburg route is still operated by CRJ 900 which is a big disadvantage for cargo in particular. The company confirms the order for 4 A320Neo and 787 which should not arrive before 2030. 2 A320Neo should arrive on lease in 2025. It seems strange to me that they can get Neo so quickly. I think it is Ceo?.

Gatwick should open in March 2025.

https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/147163 ... ca-setback
https://www.timesaerospace.aero/news/ai ... es-in-2025

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

I had talked about the Low Cost based in the Middle East which are increasingly present in East Africa, sometimes supported by a point-to-point demand mainly on Dubai and Saudi Arabia, but also a strong demand on India (most having a large network on India).

Here is the only low cost based in Oman: SalamAir. The company will open a line on Mogadishu and Nairobi, in A321Neo mid-January 2025 2 flights per week. https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/241120-ov1q25ea. Note that the Muscat Oman line was operated by Oman Air just before the covid. And Kenya Airways operated the line for the last time in the 2010s.

The bulk of the point-to-point demand is mainly on Tanzania which benefits from non-stop flights, but also because of history (the kingdom of the Sultanate of Oman). However, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda have also been part of the story. But point-to-point demand is much lower

To correct myself with more recent data: Nairobi (5,088 pax in 2023), Entebbe (4,245 pax in 2023) and Kigali (2,100 pax in 2023)

Note that SalamAir had charter flights to Uganda and a flight to Rwanda in 2022.

In an interview in early 2024, the company's CEO said he wanted to target Asia-Africa traffic with Zanzibar, Dar Es Salaam, Alexandria, Cairo, Addis Ababa and Nairobi as possible destinations, but not Mogadishiu https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/69489- ... it-traffic

Note that for Zanzibar, Dar Es Salaam there is already Oman Air and for Addis Ababa there is Ethiopian. It remains to be seen whether the air agreements should not be updated https://www.omanobserver.om/article/546 ... cat-as-hub
-------------------------------------------------------

[rwandan-flyer]

Kenya Airways is in the process of transforming its fleet. Indeed, the airline is considering removing planes, but also adding some. But the task will not be easy.

The podcast (but there is the transcript) https://aviationweek.com/podcasts/windo ... ya-airways

An article only for subscribers https://aviationweek.com/special-topics ... eet-revamp

Current fleet

ERJ 190:

The ERJs should be retired by the end of 2025. It will be the end of more than 15 years of presence. Kenya Airways has first operated the ERJ 170 but not ordered from Embraer, from the end of the 2000s. The ERJ 190 will be replaced initially by B737-800. 3 should arrive in 2025 on lease. For the moment there are no plans to replace them with regional aircraft of the A220 or E2 type.

" The main reason we want to do that is because Embraer, at the moment, is a good route opener. But once a route has matured, you need a bigger sized aircraft, especially for our continent, which carry a lot of luggage."

B737-800:

The arrival of 3 new B737-800s will increase the fleet of B737-800NGs from 8 to 11 B737-800s. But the medium-haul fleet will reduce with the retirement of ERJs during a period

B787-8:

The CEO of the company would like to increase the size of its long-haul fleet. For him the 787-9 would have been more suitable. The 787-9 interests the company, but the delivery times are far too long

Future fleet with the start of discussions with Airbus

Medium haul:

For the moment in the short term the airline will keep operating the B737-800. However, the airline is evaluating the possibility of either ordering 737Max or A320Neo or adding A320Ceo second hand probably to ensure a smooth transition to Airbus.

Long haul

KQ is considering several types of aircraft. There is obviously 787. But also A350. And a little more surprising (probably due to possible delivery delays), reintegrating 777s into its fleet. For your information, the B777-300ER did not stay long at Kenya Airways. They went to Turkish Airlines who lease them. But for a B777-300ER the lease ends in 2026. About the 777-200ER they left when the 787-8 arrived.

A lot of interesting things. But the CEO of the company insists on several:

The objective is to have a mono fleet, therefore with the same manufacturer.
Delivery delays must be taken into account.
And of course the fleet must be adapted to Kenya Airways' ambitions, by avoiding to make the same mistake with the B777-300ER 10 years ago.