Ethiopian Airlines To Buy 5 More DreamLiner Airplanes from Boeing

CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde Gebre-Mariam, disclosed that in line with the airlines major expansion activities it is talking with Boeing management to purchase 5 787-8 Dream liners, according to the Reporter.

Ethiopian Airlines ordered 10 Dream liners in 2005 making it the first amongst African airlines to purchase the latest of Boeing airplanes

On Sunday, December 11, Capitan Desta Zeru took the Dream liner on an inaugural flights around the city of Addis Ababa twice and landed in Bole international airport in view of a large crowd including representatives of media, Ethiopian Airlines staff and government officials. The celebratory event hosted by Ethiopian Airlines gathered guests together for a press release which was held in the expansive quarters of the Dream Liner where there was a surprise visit by the country's First lady Azeb Mesfin.

South African Airways to fly non-stop to Beijing

South African Airways (SAA) will start flying non-stop from Johannesburg to Beijing, China, from January next year, in line with the carrier's strategy to expand its network to Asia.

The inaugural flight is scheduled to leave Johannesburg' OR Tambo International Airport on 31 January 2012, and is set to arrive in Beijing on 1 February. Travellers can already book for the flights through the SAA website and travel agents.

SAA will operate the route non-stop three times a week with its Airbus A340-600 long-haul aircraft, while flyers will be able to make use of the Air China Lounges in Beijing.

"SAA is most pleased to introduce non-stop flights to Beijing, China," said airline chief executive Siza Mzimela in a statement this week. "This new route is in line with SAA's strategy to expand its network to Asia, the fastest growing market in the world."

Comprehensive strategic partnership

China and South Africa established a comprehensive strategic partnership in August last year, entering into bilateral agreements for cooperation on in infrastructure construction, transportation, water resources utilisation, housing, health and education.

The introduction of non-stop flights between the two destinations promises to facilitate business and leisure travel between the two countries.

"Introducing direct flights between China and South Africa will promote tourism and trade, not only to South Africa, but also to all the Southern African Development Community and other African countries," said Mzimela.

"South Africa and neighbouring destinations such as Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe are already popular destinations for Chinese tourists."

Star Alliance partner

Beijing Capital International Airport is the main international airport serving Beijing, and is one of the busiest airports in the world. It is located 32 kilometres northeast of Beijing's city centre.

There are three terminals at the airport and SAA will operate in and out of terminal three, which is also the designated terminal for Star Alliance partners. SAA's operations at the Beijing airport will be handled by Air China, which like SAA, also belongs to the Star Alliance.

"Air China will also be code-sharing on the flight between Johannesburg and Beijing. SAA in turn will code share with Air China to and from Shanghai, with further destinations in China to follow in the near future," the statement added.

Air Zimbabwe to resume flights

AN Air Zimbabwe plane that has been holed in London after a US company threatened to auction it over a US$1,2 million debt is now expected in the country on Tuesday.

On Monday, General American Supplies impounded Air Zimbabwe’s Boeing 767-200 at Gatwick International Airport and threatened to auction it to recover money owed by the troubled airline.

Government intervened to save the plane from going under the hammer. Innocent Mavhunga, the airline’s acting group CEO told The Standard the plane would now leave London tomorrow evening and arrive on Tuesday.

He said the airline had paid the US$1,2 million debt plus the legal fees. Mavhunga said that flights to South Africa would resume any day this week. “We hope to have resolved the matter between Monday and Tuesday,” he said adding that the parent ministry continues sourcing funding for the airline.

Last week, Air Zimbabwe suspended flights to South Africa fearing that creditors would pounce on the airline once it landed at OR Tambo International Airport.

The troubled airline has debts of over US$100 million which it has failed to service owing to low revenue streams and antiquated equipment which has increased the cost of running the business.

Analysts say government has to move out of the airline to stop the financial haemorrhage but are unanimous that doing so now would mean the airline would be sold for a song.

Chinese airline, Hainan, has been linked to Air Zimbabwe but despite the suggestions and meetings with officials by President Robert Mugabe last month, nothing has moved along that front, with the airline further sinking in the abyss.

In the meantime, regional airlines like South African Airways, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines are feasting on the problems of Air Zimbabwe, getting the traffic to and from Zimbabwe on a silver platter.

Ethiopian Airlines plans to increase the number of its aircraft

A team from Airbus led by Mr. Francois Cognard, Vice President for sales, Middle East and North Africa, said to be promoting the Airbus A330 aircraft to Ethiopian Airlines, the flag carrier of Ethiopia, according to sources.

Aircraft manufacturers hold discussions with carriers as a matter of course said Cognard declining to comment on any ongoing negotiations between Airbus and Ethiopian Airlines.

Ethiopian Airlines plans to increase the number of its aircraft form 47 to 112 according to its Vision 2025 strategy. The airline will need to acquire a number of wide body aircraft including the Dreamliner aircraft that have been on order since 2005 according to an independent aviation analyst.

Managing different fleets of aircraft may be a challenging task but Ethiopian Airlinesis considering the Airbus A330 as an option explained sources.

It is to be remembered that Ethiopian Airlines and the Boeing management are in discussions for the purchase of 5 more 787 Dreamliner aircraft according to Tewolde Gebre Mariam CEO of the airlines.

The move is part of Ethiopian Airlines’ expansion project he said. Ethiopian Airlines ordered 10 Dreamliner aircraft in 2005 and is expecting delivery of the first lot in June of this month after repeated delays.

The Boeing the 'Dream Tour' organized by Boeing to promote the Dreamliner aircraft made a stop in Addis last Sunday.
Capitan Desta Zeru flew the Dreamliner twice around Addis Ababa and landed at Bole International Airport. The Dreamliner was welcomed by government officials, Ethiopian Airlines staff, media representatives and invited guests.

South Africa a no-go zone for Air Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's state-owned airline has suspended flights to South Africa over fears its planes could be seized for outstanding debts, a senior airline official told state media.

Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive Innocent Mavhunga said the corporation, which is struggling to pay off debts of over $140 million, had decided to temporarily stop its daily flights to Johannesburg to avoid creditors there.

“We are not flying into South Africa. We are trying to secure funding to pay our debts in South Africa,” he was reported as saying.

Mavhunga however was unavailable on Friday to explain why Air Zimbabwe was not worried about continuing flights to other foreign destinations, Lusaka in Zambia and Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Earlier this week, Air Zimbabwe scrambled for days for money to save a Boeing 767-200 which had been impounded on landing at London's Gatwick Airport after a U.S. firm, American General Supplies, got a court order for $1.2 million owed for aircraft spares.

Last week, a South African airport support services company, Bid Air, forced Air Zimbabwe to ground a plane in Johannesburg as it pressed for payment of a $500,000 debt.

Economic analysts say Air Zimbabwe is on the verge of collapse after years of mismanagement and poor funding by President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.

The suspension does not cut the Harare-Johannesburg route since South African Airways has three flights daily and British Airways' Comair also has a daily flight.

Top Five Most Visited Cities in Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. Africa is a very diverse continent, with each country, or even each part of a country having its own unique culture. While it is common for people in the West to refer to Africa as if it was a single country, one should remember the sheer size of the continent, and that Africa is not one country but 54 different countries, meaning that it is impossible to make generalizations of Africa as a whole.

Most Visited cities and top five tourist destination in Africa are Accra, Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, Douala, and Lusaka.

Accra, Ghana

Accra Travelis gradually getting easier and more convenient for international tourists. Accra, the capital, is the main entrance to Ghana. Located in western Africa, Ghana is one of the most economically flourished countries in Africa. Being the capital, Accra has a very good transportation system as well as several other modern facilities for recreation and amusements. Therefore, you will find Accra Travel enjoyable.

Johannesburg, South Africa

Johannesburg is one of the most favored Tourist Destinations in South Africa. Places of attraction include the Mandela Museum, the Apartheid Museum and the Hector Pieter son Museum, Johannesburg Zoo, the Lion Park, Soweto, the Sun City Tour, Lifestyle Garden Center, Lesedi Cultural Village, Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve and the South African Lipizzaners.

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

The Victoria Falls is one of the greatest natural wonders in the world and is a world heritage site. It is the largest falling curtain of water on earth, almost 2 kilometers wide that fall 300 meters into the gorge below. To view the falls is simply breathtaking. With spectacular scenery, sun-downer cruises, nearby game lodges and its close proximity to some of Africa's best game parks, it's no wonder that the Victoria Falls is one of Southern Africa's top visited destinations.

Douala, Cameroon

Douala is Cameroon's largest city and is also a West African port. This place is diverse and offers different landscapes to the visitors. Beaches, volcanic mountains and green pastures dominate the scene in Douala. It is famous for its local markets and nightlife.

Lusaka, Zambia

Lusaka is a beautiful and a charming city in Zambia. It is one of the most visited cities in Africa. Lusaka Tours offers a great number of attractions to all its tourists. There is a lot to do and much to see in the city. Both tourists and locals can indulge in the different Lusaka Tours to explore the city. Sightseeing is one of the most favored attractions of Lusaka Tours. There are many places of attraction in the city.

When to Visit

Late October to February is a great time to visit the Sahara and arid Central Africa (although be prepared for cold nights) and you can also enjoy the warm summer days of southern Africa or beachcomb along the West African coast.

By around January or February, East African wildlife is concentrated around diminishing water sources and is therefore easier to spot. In contrast, the usually arid lands of North Africa spring into life between March and May.

Getting There

The bulk of air traffic with Africa is to and from Europe, but there are a handful of direct flights between Africa and North America, the Middle East and Asia. A few flights link Australia with Africa, and there are flights between South Africa and Brazil, Chile and Argentina. Many North American travellers pass through a European ‘hub' (airports located in London, Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt for example) en route to Africa. For Australasian travellers it's often cheaper to pass through a Middle Eastern and/or Asian hub before arriving, but these flights too often pass through a European hub as well.

For more details or booking cheap flights to African destinations please call our reservation experts on 02079936219 or visit our website http://www.flightsmaster.co.uk. 

Air Zimbabwe passengers stranded as airline runs out of money

More than 70 passengers have been stranded at Gatwick International Airport for nearly a week because Air Zimbabwe’s only long haul aircraft was grouned because the airline couldn't pay nearly £1m in bills.

Air Zimbabwe’s 767-200, named Victoria Falls, was seized by American General Supplies when it landed from Harare at Gatwick International Airport early on Monday.

That evening about 100 mostly Zimbabwean passengers checked in and then learned their flight was delayed. Some were given camp beds on which to sleep at Gatwick and next morning they learned the aircraft was seized via a US court injunction by American General Supplies for unpaid debt for spares of £966 000.

“We demanded proof that the debt had been paid and saw documentation suggesting a transfer of US$1 million (£644 000) was made which is less than the American company is claiming,” one passenger said on Thursday. “Departure is now supposed to be Monday night which is disgraceful,” said a Harare resident whose wife is stuck at Gatwick.

Air Zimbabwe’s London manager, David Mwenga had to flee Gatwick earlier this week as fuming Zimbabweans chased him when he was unable to provide a firm departure date.

Acting Air Zimbabwe chief executive, Innocent Mavhunga, meanwhile announced the airline had now suspended daily flights to Johannesburg.

"We are not flying into South Africa. We are trying to secure funding to pay our debts there,” he said.
Last week, a South African airport support services company, Bid Air, forced Air Zimbabwe to ground a plane in Johannesburg as it pressed for payment of a £320,000 debt.
Zimbabwe's economy has virtually collapsed in the years following the forced seizure of white-owned farms by President Robert Mugabe. The policy led to sharp falls in prodcution, rampant inflation and food and fuel shortages.