Aviation News Africa for African Airlines ,Airline News,Bussiness Aviation,Aviation sports

Aviation has become very vital in the bussiness world bussiness  especially connecting  the entire world  within  hours and making bussiness deals  sealed within a short time without worying  the distance.

The aviation industry for the past years has been trying to find ways to make air transport more cheaper and affortable by trying to manufacturer low cost  aircrafts  like the Deamliner  787 which will cut down costs to 20% which will be passed on to consumers and  by also reducing the cost per seat by creating almost double  seating capacity of the aircraft.

AFRICAN AIRLINES

KENYA

Good news the opening of ORLY AIRPARK  in  Nairobi ,Kenya for recreation,sports and pilot training  by the Chairman Aero Club  and the Executive Officer Kenya AIR operator  Col  (Rd) Waithaka this week ending. It will also decongest the Wilson Airport which is one of the busiest Airport in Africa for both Commercial  flights into National Parks & Reserves in East Africa and private charters to Major Cities in Africa.Infact most of the flying schools like Kenya School of Flying have already moved its pilot training school and maintenance to Orly Airpark and they shareholders and are putting up a boarding flying school.Orly Airpark is owned with almost 25 shareholders who either own private charter companies in Kenya or hotels.It is situated in Kajiado district,Isinya,Olooitikosk,Kiserian  coordinates S01degrees34.52  E  036degrees 48.66  Elevation  5500 ft Runnway lenghth  1200 murram,Runnway heading  10/28,15/1200 caution keep listening on 118.2 & Nairobi Radar 122.3 becoz there may be skydiving ,glidding and ballooning in progress.

TAAG  FLIES INTO LISBON

TAAG Angola Airline has relauched its flights between Luanda and Lisbo exactly two years after all flights were suspended by the Safety Commission of the European Commission.The bans are imposed on those carriers that the Commission feels ddo not have satisfactory safety standards. Ameeting of Portugals National Civil Aviation Institute (INAC) held in July recommended that Angolas national airline be removed from the blacklist in order ro relaunch flights between the two countries.

The College of Commissioners accepted  this recommendations and August 1,A BOEING 777-200ER took off from Angolan capital enroute to Lisbon.According  to astatement issued by INAC it will also have to present reports to the Safety Commission "with a view to removing all Angolan airlines from the so called blacklist"

The Safety Committee is a consulting  group of the Commission that evaluates the safety of air transport in different countries throughout the world.At the time it was banned TAAG carried out six flights per week between Lisbon and Luanda.In April the Commission noted "significant progresss" had been made by the airline but opting, however , to keep  the ban on the Angolan airline.INAC also said that its involvement was "important " for gaining authorization for TAAG to fly to Lisbon,specifically via its cooperation protocol with its counterpart in Angola,Invac.TAAG  Angola Airlines (Linhas Aereas de Angola) is the national flag carrier of Angola.Based in Luanda,the airline has alarge domestic network and flights to other parts of Africa and South  America.Like Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways ,TAAG has been one of ythe  few profitable sub-saharan African carriers and one of the few to recently purchase newly built aircraft as opposed to second-hand aircraft. It is 100% state owned by the Angolan government and itself owns 100% subsidiary Angola Air Charter.

ZAMBIAN  CARRIERS  STILL BANNED

Zambian carriers have also been identified  as problematic but according to local airline, Proflight Zambia ,the main reason for this is that within Zambia ,the licensing process ( and so the system of overseeing) is done by the Ministry of Transport whereas the world norm is for licensing to be done by Civil Aviation Authority.

According  to a spokesman for Proflight the way the blacklisting has been reported ,including by the British Foreign Office Advisory for Travel, implies that Zambian aviation as an  industry is unsafe.Proflight is working with the UK Government to address the problem of the FOAs wording.

DELTA STOPS  ANGOLA  FLIGHTS

Delta Air Lines has indefinitely postponed  its flights between Atlanta and Luanda ,Angola,just nine months after first announcing its plans to operate to Luanda Via Sal Island,Cape Verde. This follows the suspension of its Cape Town service and the postponement of its Kenya service in July.

KENYA AIRWINGS EXPANDS FLIGHTS

Kenya Airways launched  direct flights to Ndola-Second largest city in Copper-rich Zambia - on 19 September,just two weeks after launching flights to Gaborone.

The twice weekly  flights will depart from Nairobi every Thursday and Saturday.Ndola becomes the 36th African Destination in the KQ  network with recent additions being to  CONGO-Brazaville and Lebreville: launched in March  and June this year respectively.This makes Kenya Airways 'schedule to the Southern Africa region,a very robust one as it currently operates three daily frequencies into Johannesburg, and double dailies to Lusaka,10 flights a week to Lilongwe ,Malawi and Harare , andd three weekly flights to Maputo.

With a population of over 774000,Ndola is the inddustrial,commercial,administrative and distribution hub of the copperbelt,Zambias copper-mining region and has one of the three internationals airports, others being Livingstone and Lusaka.Kenya Airways has increased its frequency to Sychelles three times a week on Tuesdays,Wednesdays and Thursdays.Unfortunately the airline suspended its daily  flights to Kisumu as from September 7 ,2009.Thism is due to the renovation and repairs at Kisumu Airport By Kenya Airports Authority and the repairs are expected to be completed by end of November this year.Kenya Airways first received IOSA certification in 2005 and subsequently had the certification newedd in 2007.

BUSSINESS  AVIATION

China is to get its first private jet airport as Shanghais Hongqiao Airport,and it should be ready in time for the World Expo next year ,according to reports in a Chinese newspaper.

The plans make provision for a 3000sq meter terminal with its own inspections,quarantine and customs areas as well as agarage with space for three bussiness aircraft. Up to 4000 business flights are expected to arrive in Shanghai during the  World  Expo and up to 6000 private flights a year by 2015 .Presently some 2000 private  flights operate in China unnually.

CESSNA DELIVERS FIRST  CITATION X RETROFITTED WITH WINGLETS

On August 31 2009 Cessna Aircraft Company announced the delivery of the first Cessna Citation X to be fitted with Elliptical Winglets. The Winglets were installed at the Wichita Cessna Service Centre under Winglets Technologys US Federal Aviation  Administration-  approved Supplemental Type Certificate.Cessna Winglets Technology,LLC,collobarated to develop the latters patented Elliptical Winglet for retrofit on Cessnas Citation X  bussiness jet.The patented Elliptical Winglet shape ensures the lift distribution closely matches optimum lift distribution  a long the span of the wing , which reduces the induced drag of the aircraft .The resulting drag reduction enhances operational perfomamce for the Citation X  including decreased fuel consumption,increased speed andd increased range,Winglet Technology received FAA approval of the Elliptical  Winglet installation on the Citation X in June and delivered the first  FAA approved retrofit kit to the Wichita Cessna Service Centre .The retrofit kit includes flight and operations manual supplements along with an updated version  of CESSNAV for customers who have purchased that subscription service from Cessna.In addition to the installation of the Elliptical Winglets, the retrfit kit includes the replacement of the existing ant-collission and position light system with LED versions.Plans are underway to offer installation of the Elliptical Winglets STC on the Citation X  at  all nine Cessna Service Centres located throughout the US and  in Europe.Cessna parts Distribution will be providing spares support for Catation Xs with the Elliptical Winglet STC  installed.Thye Citation X  is then worlds  fastest non-military aircraft with a top speed 0f .92 mach,just under the speedd of sound.The Citation X  is the top of Cessnas line of light andd midsize bussiness jet.

AIRSHOW  IN NORTH WEST PROVINCE (SOUTH AFRICA) POTCHEFSTROOM

The  City  of Potchefstroom plays host to this years annual North West Province Air Show in October  2009.The Nations flag  Carrier ,South African Airways and South African Air Force are tremendous supporters of  North West Province aviation.

The city is well known as being ann academic centre and is one of  two university cities in the province, the other being Mafikeng. It is located 145 miles to the Soth West of Johannesburg on the main artiel N12  route andd occupies an important place on the main railway line between Gautang and the Northen and Western Cape.

A medium sized city with a population of around 250,000 the city is managed by the Tlokwe city council. Potcefstroom is however,niot just a university lovcation.Enjoying maximum temperatures of just over 29 degreess centigrade,the climate is hot and dry during summer and mild in winter.Average annual rainfall is 767mm.

Thwe airfield ,once a busy South African Air Force air base, is becoming an increasingly popular link to the rest of the country.Although  still used on occasion by military flights-often to support nearby army firing ranges, the base is home to an extensive motor vechicle servicing unit.The SAAF withdrew in 1994  and its resident squadron moved to Pretoria.Today,the airfield is managed by the city council and has been identified by the North West Province Department of Transport,Roads,andn Safety as offering a unique facility for a number of key purposes.To encourage community participation as well as expanding the provinces energetic and leading approach to aviation,MEC,Mahlakeng  Mahlakeng,decided to focus their annual air show resources at Potchefstroom this year.

As well as anumber of corporate aviation users,recreational aspects  are taken care by tthe airfields Gliding Club.Around 30 members are active and they come from all walks of life,including bussiness and university students. The club has five aircrafts and they are seen regularly at weekends,when members are active.The air show will feature the famous North West Eagles aerobatic team and their two high perfomance EXTRA 300 aircraft flown by Nigel  Hopkins and Larry Beamish. Both Larry and Nigel are highly experience professional pilots who devote their spare time to performing in theri aerobatic aircraft. Nigel is a South African Airways Pilot andd Larry flies a jet for Pick 'n Pay retail group.

With its hugely successful strategy of bringing aviation to the people,the North West Provincial governments Premier ,Maureen Modiselle  and Transport ,Roads and Safety MEC are at the forefront of providing their citizens  with another spectacle that secure an ongoing lead in effective community management.

From all these news you can be able to evaluate and monitor your investments and put your strategic plans in place  especiallym if your business do involve aviation direct or indirectly as this news are very crucial in your contgency planning.