Niger drones aims high
Lifetime aerospace enthusiast, Abdoulaziz Kountché, runs Drone Africa Service, providing vital missions for NGOs and also for Niger’s companies and authorities, writes Vincent Chappard.
Features
in Features Prognosis that can cut red tape and save lives
Posted 15 September 2021
West Africa does not have many companies dedicated to providing aeromedical emergency services and those that do have had to contend with new challenges since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
in Features Caverton chalks up African training ‘first’
Posted 13 September 2021
Caverton Helicopters has chosen the Thales Reality H full-flight simulator (FFS) for AW139 pilot training at its facility in Lagos.
in General Aviation / Features African ‘first’ as Caverton operates the Helibus
Posted 9 September 2021
The first Sikorsky S-92 Helibus to be operated by a wholly locally owned African company is now working in Nigeria, writes Jon Lake.
in Air Transport / Features Propping up a challenging market
Posted 8 September 2021
Turboprops own the niche of short, low-density sectors into small or challenging airfields – a common enough description of domestic air travel in Africa. But is it a viable market?
in Features / Airports Improving, from the ground up
Posted 6 September 2021
Jonathan Lewis, managing director at NAC2000, Zambia’s largest independent ground-handler, tells Keith Mwanalushi about how the pandemic not only created unique challenges, but also pockets of opportunity.
in Defence / Features Time for Africa to switch on the lights
Posted 3 September 2021
John Lake assesses the light-attack aircraft situation on the African continent.
in Air Transport / Features Berniq launches with a mission to unify
Posted 2 September 2021
Captain Abdelhadi Mansur, general manager of Benghazi-based Berniq Airways, talks to Martin Rivers about his plans for the Libyan start-up.
in Features / Airports NAHCO moves back to the future
Posted 1 September 2021
Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) CEO, Olatokunbo Fagbemi, has big plans for the company, as she explains to Chukwu Emeke.
in General Aviation / Features Botswana boosts police helicopter capability
Posted 31 August 2021
Botswana’s police force has acquired increased capabilities in fighting everything from burglars to wild game poachers with a new batch of rotary-wing equipment.
in Air Transport / Features Inverted Comair
Posted 26 August 2021
South Africa’s Comair had its worst ever year in 2020 – and Covid-19 was just the half of it. Martin Rivers talked to chief executive, Glenn Orsmond, about the beleaguered airline’s recovery plan.
in Business Aviation / Features Aeromedical puts Krimson in the pink
Posted 25 August 2021
Since the start of the pandemic, business aviation in Ethiopia, and Africa as a whole, has been quiet. However, as Dawit Lemma, founder of Krimson Aviation, tells Marcelle Nethersole, things are changing for his company.
in Air Transport / Features Title challenge
Posted 24 August 2021
South Africa’s beleaguered state-owned airline, SAA, has appointed Thomas Kgokolo as interim chief executive officer. His task is to prepare the airline for the relaunch of flight operations – now provisionally expected in the third quarter of 2021. Guy Leitch asked how his
in Training / Features Class act at the heart of Africa
Posted 1 July 2021
The future of aviation in Africa is bright, according to Andrew Lucas, president and CEO of FlightPath International.
in Features Ethiopian backs home-grown market to bear fruit...
Posted 28 June 2021
Ethiopian Airlines Catering (ET Catering) is working on a growth plan to transform it into the biggest catering centre in Africa and one of the best in-flight service providers in the region. But first, it is taking the local approach.
in Features / Airports El-Houry: CEO with a license to grow
Posted 24 June 2021
Hassan El-Houry, head of Kuwait-based National Aviation Services (NAS), wants to make up for lost time and resume the growth story of this privately owned airport services group. Mark Pilling met him.
in Features Tunisia beaming with boosted radar coverage
Posted 22 June 2021
The installation of a new monopulse secondary surveillance radar (MSSR) at Akouda, near Sousse, represents a significant enhancement of radar coverage over and around Tunisia. Alan Dron reports.
in Features Caverton Helicopters lands air force deal
Posted 17 June 2021
The Nigerian Air Force has announced that it is going to partner with Caverton Helicopters for the maintenance of rotary-wing aircraft, as well as training of air crews.
in Features Bullish airlines buck the global trend
Posted 15 June 2021
Two start-up airlines are taking to the skies and several incumbents – including Air Peace, Azman Air and Dana Air – are growing their fleets.
in Air Transport / Features Dakar MRO centre boosts emerging Senegal plan
Posted 11 June 2021
Air Senegal and Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) have jointly signed an agreement to open a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centre in Dakar.
in Features Leasing has ‘enormous growth potential’ in Africa
Posted 9 June 2021
ACIA Aero Leasing Group CEO, Mick Mooney, believes that now is the perfect time for airlines across the continent to grasp the opportunities presenting themselves in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
in Features / Airports Government to invest in power of 10 new airports
Posted 7 June 2021
Nigeria has announced plans to significantly increase airport facilities throughout the country. Alan Dron reports.
in Air Transport / Features Ghana national airline takes another step forward
Posted 4 June 2021
EgyptAir’s help has been enlisted to help dream become a reality. Alan Dron reports.
in Features / Airports Ghana on the runway to recovery
Posted 2 June 2021
Ghana Airports Company Ltd (GACL) has set forth a recovery plan and created new health measures in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
in Features Business aviation bursting to bubble
Posted 28 May 2021
The green shoots of recovery are starting to show through in Nigeria’s business aviation sector.
in Air Transport / Features CVA growth may hinge on intercontinental gateway
Posted 26 May 2021
Linking four continents through its hub offshore from west Africa remains Cabo Verde Airlines’ target as it emerges from Covid-19 shutdown.
in Features / Airports Capital investment boosts Dodoma links
Posted 24 May 2021
Tanzania’s capital is in line for a new airport that will dramatically improve the city’s connectivity. Alan Dron reports.
in Features Out of the blue - maritime security gets a boost
Posted 20 May 2021
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and navy (NN) are receiving new aircraft to enhance maritime security as part of the national security and waterways protection infrastructure, better known as the ‘deep blue’ project.
in Air Transport / Features Tunisair in turmoil
Posted 17 May 2021
Tunisair is in crisis. Its latest CEO, appointed in January, lasted just seven weeks before she was sacked. The country’s minister of transport has admitted the airline is “in great financial difficulty”, salaries are not being paid, union members are up in arms, and debts
in Defence / Features Locust fighting force plagued by lack of cash
Posted 14 May 2021
A huge crisis is looming in east Africa as vital funding for the aircraft operations tackling huge swarms of locusts is drying up. Oscar Nkala reports.
in Maintenance / Features Aerospace maintains ambition for growth
Posted 12 May 2021
Ambitious plans to create an MRO centre of excellence, plus a first for aircraft leasing in Africa, are taking shape in Nigeria. It could be a pivotal moment for aviation in west and central Africa.
in Air Transport / Features Miles ahead
Posted 10 May 2021
Looking over the ‘bloodbath’ of domestic competition, South African carrier, CemAir, is preparing to add its first narrow-body aircraft and branch out into regional flights. Victoria Moores talks to CEO, Miles van der Molen, about the opportunities.
in Features / Airports Why growing is a pain at Khartoum
Posted 31 March 2021
Khartoum needs a new airport. But, with that project at a standstill, a study has recommended far-reaching improvements to the existing facility in the Sudanese capital.
in Air Transport / Features Uganda Airlines in it for the long haul
Posted 29 March 2021
While the rest of the world grapples with the Covid-19 traffic downturn, Uganda Airlines will branch out into long-haul operations in early 2021 after receiving its first Airbus A330-800neo.
in Technology / Features Dragonfly aims to be out of this world
Posted 26 March 2021
South Africa’s little-heralded but substantial expertise in satellites and their sensors is being resurrected by a new entrant.
in Defence / Features France offers light relief to combat terror
Posted 24 March 2021
The French Government is to assist west African nations in the fight against Jihadist insurgents and terrorists by supplying more Tétras CS and CSM light intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, writes Jon Lake.
in Air Transport / Features Aberdairing to do…
Posted 22 March 2021
While many African aviation businesses were grounded during the pandemic outbreak, one Kenyan airline was taking time out to restructure and revise its strategy for growth. It has now come out of the blocks with action rather than words, as Alan Peaford discovers.
in Defence / Features Senegal set for first CN23MPA
Posted 19 March 2021
Senegal’s first CN235 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) has been ceremonially rolled out.
in Features What a relief!
Posted 16 March 2021
The need to move Covid-19 relief supplies around Africa has shone a spotlight on the humanitarian missions carried out by two Kenyan airlines.
in Features / Airports Wild eyes...
Posted 12 March 2021
Whether it’s birds, mammals or reptiles, wildlife populations in and around an airport pose a significant threat to operations. Chloë Greenbank finds out how one specialist company is helping African airports to mitigate this risk.
in Defence / Features Herculean task for Marshall in Cameroon
Posted 10 March 2021
The five-year contract for the UK’s Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group to maintain the Cameroon Air Force’s Lockheed Martin C-130H tactical transport aircraft has now been ratified.
in Air Transport / Features Safari tracks a new flightpath
Posted 8 March 2021
International tourism dropped by 72% between January and October 2020, compared with the same period in 2019, according to Kenya’s Tourism Research Institute. It was a body blow for the airlines that focus on supporting the industry.
in Features The golden Hind
Posted 4 March 2021
It is almost 50 years since the Mil Mi-24 assault helicopter entered service. Today, as David Oliver reports, the Hind is being used in both the Libyan civil war and by Algeria against jihadist militants.
in Defence / Features Drones over the desert
Posted 2 March 2021
Unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) are becoming a key enabler for African military and security forces in combatting terrorism and armed militancy. The expansion in UAV fleets across the continent has not escaped the Sahel, where the Niger National Guard (GNN) is growing its
in Air Transport / Features Zambia banks on a long-term strategy
Posted 26 February 2021
Keith Mwanalushi assesses the airline scene in Zambia, looking at latest developments and the challenges of the past year.
in Maintenance / Features Time for Africa to repair its safety standards...
Posted 24 February 2021
Safety issues, many tied to MRO, have long plagued African aviation. Could this now be changing across the continent?
in Features Hip replacement?
Posted 22 February 2021
The search for an aircraft to replace the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3/C-47 Dakota has become something of a quest. The Dakota’s mix of rugged simplicity, ability to operate from short, primitive, grass or dirt airstrips, 1,200nm range, 21-32 seat capacity, and close to six-tonne
in Defence / Features Albatross Czechs in… eventually
Posted 19 February 2021
Prague-based Aero Vodochody recently received three Nigerian Air Force (NAF) L-39ZAs for overhaul and upgrade. Normally, this would have been straightforward but, as Alan Warnes explains, nothing is simple when Covid-19 is involved.
in Air Transport / Features IATA’s new leaders face a turbulent introduction
Posted 16 February 2021
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is undergoing changing leadership globally and regionally. Alan Peaford reports on developments that will affect Africa.
in Technology / Features Hi-tech way to keep Africa’s skies safe
Posted 5 January 2021
The Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) is an air traffic control organisation based in Dakar, Senegal. It came into being more than 60 years ago and manages 16.1 million square kilometres of airspace. Vincent
in Maintenance / Features MROs winging it in hunt for winning formula
Posted 22 December 2020
Covid-19 has shone a light – as if it were needed – on problems in Africa’s MRO sector. There are many strategies but no easy answers.
in Features Freight takes the load as Ethiopian battles through the virus
Posted 18 December 2020
Africa’s largest carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, has more than trebled its cargo fleet as it battles to navigate through the economic storms created by the Covid-19 pandemic. Kaleyesus Bekele reports.
in Air Transport / Features Gambia launch is no gamble
Posted 16 December 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic could prove to be an opportunity for aviation entrepreneurs and one company in The Gambia has firm plans in place.
in Air Transport / Features / ATM & Regulatory Safety management key factor in recovery, says expert
Posted 15 December 2020
Dr Kwasi Adjekum, Assistant Professor of Aviation at the University of North Dakota, USA, has more than 22 years of military and civil flying experience. A native of Ghana, he is an ICAO designated subject-matter expert in flight
in Features / Airports Erie journey out of lockdown
Posted 14 December 2020
Normally around 11 million passengers per year transit through Cape Town International Airport, making it the third largest in Africa. Now, as Guy Leitch reports, the airport has been brought to an almost complete standstill.
in Air Transport / Features Sky Mali launches into stormy skies
Posted 11 December 2020
West African start-up, Sky Mali, was planning to launch domestic scheduled flights as African Aerospace was going to press.
in Features Air Senegal seeks support and revival
Posted 9 December 2020
Senegal’s national airline – Air Senegal – began 2020 with a well-defined strategy and now, despite the ravages of Covid-19, it’s looking to revive its fortunes.
in Features / Airports Tamale is hotting up
Posted 7 December 2020
Construction of a new terminal at Tamale Airport in northern Ghana, is under way, while the country's main hub at Accra has become a critical hub for supplies to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
in Defence / Features When the pilot is just one option
Posted 3 December 2020
Efforts to allow unmanned aircraft to fly safely in unsegregated airspace have taken a step forward with the aid of South African company S-Plane Automation.
in Air Transport / Features Smart Bom
Posted 1 December 2020
Ibom Air is setting a new flightpath for Nigeria’s chronically under-performing civil aviation sector.
in Air Transport / Business Aviation / Features Africa prepares for second wave of Covid - Osprey
Posted 28 November 2020
Africa is now steeling itself for a second wave of Covid-19 while it is still responding to the first wave. Aviation advisory service Osprey monitors the effect on different countries and today issue a stark analysis of the current
in Features / Airports Unions come out fighting over Nigeria airport privatisation plans
Posted 26 November 2020
A row has broken over Nigeria’s plans to hand over major international airport terminals to private operators.
in Defence / Features AHRLAC back to business
Posted 24 November 2020
Production of Paramount Aerospace Industries’ ground-breaking AHRLAC is about to be ramped up as the company prepares to emerge from the final stages of South Africa’s business rescue process.
in Air Transport / Features Cam and buy me...!
Posted 23 November 2020
Cameroon’s president has ordered that national airline, Camair-Co, should be prepared for privatisation. Alan Dron looks at how attractive the debt-laden carrier might be to external investors.
in Defence / Features Fighting fit - air arms continue to power up
Posted 19 November 2020
A number of African air forces are making significant improvements to their fighter and other capabilities.
in Air Transport / Features Carreira's path...
Posted 17 November 2020
Former Angolan Air Force fighter pilot, Rui Carreira, became CEO of TAAG Angola in autumn 2018. No stranger to fast-paced mission-critical decisions, he is now reformulating the 80-year-old airline’s strategy as it battles against Covid-19.
in Features Morocco begins to rethink its future
Posted 18 September 2020
Before the Covid-19 outbreak, the Moroccan aeronautical and space industry had recorded a growth of more than 20% over the last two years. Now the Group of Moroccan Aeronautics and Space Industries (GIMAS) has launched a debate on the future in the
in Air Transport / Features Flight of the Navigator
Posted 14 September 2020
Sky Navigator, South Sudan’s newest airline, is helping to open a new chapter in the country’s short but troubled history.
in Air Transport / Features Dana patches up its strategy
Posted 11 September 2020
Dana Air COO, Obi Mbanuzuo, is no stranger to Nigerian aviation. Over the past two decades he has also held senior roles with Air Nigeria and Virgin Nigeria. Against the backdrop of Covid-19, Mbanuzuo revealed to Victoria Moores how the airline’s strategic plans
in Air Transport / Features Mendis confident in the post-virus World
Posted 7 September 2020
Ghanaian carrier, Africa World Airlines, is looking to consolidate Accra as a regional hub for west Africa once the Covid-19 crisis has abated.
in Air Transport / Features Nile's tide is on the turn
Posted 2 September 2020
Even before the current Covid-19 crisis, which has seen airlines all over the world seriously affected, Egyptian airline, Nile Air, had paused its expansion. Managing director, Yossrey Abdel Wahab, explained why to Martin Rivers.
in Features / Airports Qatari boost for Rwanda’s new airport
Posted 27 August 2020
The future of Rwanda’s new international airport has been given a significant boost by the involvement of Qatar Airways.
in Air Transport / Features Baptism of fire for Precision’s chief
Posted 25 August 2020
Das es Salaam-based Precision Air’s roots date back to 1987, when a former East Africa Airways pilot set up a crop-spraying operation. In 1993, the airline took on its current name and started operating ATRs. Group managing director and CEO, Patrick
in Defence / Features Virus adds new twist to Denel survival fight
Posted 20 August 2020
South Africa’s Denel is in the midst of a transformation programme to restructure itself into a profitable company after years of shrinking defence budgets and alleged corruption – and the coronavirus pandemic certainly hasn’t helped.
in Air Transport / Features Blow by blow - Comair in crisis
Posted 17 August 2020
Wrenelle Stander became co-CEO of South Africa’s Comair in July 2019 and was promoted to group CEO in December that year, succeeding industry veteran Erik Venter. She took the helm at a turbulent time, with a series of exceptional events taking a harsh toll on
in Maintenance / Features Africa’s fight is on to maintain operations
Posted 12 August 2020
The impact of Covid-19 on African civil aviation has laid bare the weakness of regional maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities, where encouraging signs in one arena are counterbalanced by stumbling performance elsewhere.
in Features / Airports Madagascar builds for the future
Posted 10 August 2020
Air connections are vital if Madagascar is going to attract foreign investment and develop its trade and tourism industry. Now, as Vincent Chappard reports, many airport regeneration programmes are taking place.
in Defence / Features Tons of problems for the SAAF
Posted 5 August 2020
The South African Air Force has (quietly) celebrated its centenary against backdrop of worries that it is in “dire straits”.
in Features Time to take aim at shootdowns
Posted 31 July 2020
Times Aerospace correspondent - Martin Rivers - wants the air transport industry to be worried about shootdowns before – not after – they happen.
in Business Aviation / Features Marrakesh FBO makes history
Posted 28 July 2020
An enhanced experience awaits business aviation passengers at Marrakesh Menara International Airport.
in Air Transport / Features Resilience and recovery: Aviation in Africa
Posted 27 July 2020
Mikail Houari – President Airbus Africa Middle East gives his thoughts on the next steps for African aviation.
in Air Transport / Features Africa could rise stronger from the Covid crisis
Posted 24 July 2020
Africa was late to start feeling the effects of the Covid 19 virus – but a number of its most populated nations were hit with a vengeance. As the continent reels from the pandemic, Alan Peaford argues that emerging from the lockdowns and crisis
in Defence / Features Massive boost for Moroccan armed forces
Posted 12 June 2020
The Moroccan Government is expected to procure transport aircraft, helicopters, multirole fighters, submarines, missile defence systems, frigates, and armoured vehicles, as the country’s 2020 finance bill increases the kingdom’s national
in Air Transport / Features Maouloud takes on the challenge at Mauritania
Posted 11 June 2020
The new CEO of Mauritania Airlines, Amal Maouloud, firmly believes in the success and sustainability of the company.
in Technology / Features Mauritian tech company expanding around the world
Posted 9 June 2020
Maureva, a Mauritius-based company that specialises in the provision of software and follow-up services to airlines, continues to grow internationally with the opening of offices in the Canadian city of Montreal and a further
in Features The lost world - we're on the case!
Posted 8 June 2020
Lost luggage is the bane of air travel. Chloe Wilson reports on why a comprehensive IT backbone and community-wide collaboration is key for African airports in tackling the issue of mishandled baggage.
in Defence / Features Tunisian National Guard forms air unit
Posted 5 June 2020
The Tunisian National Guard has formed an air unit equipped with three Bell 429 GlobalRanger helicopters, and this has now been declared operational, writes Jon Lake.
in Maintenance / Features Building a continent’s competence
Posted 4 June 2020
The African Federation of Non-Destructive Testing (AFNDT) takes a leading role in the expansion of NDT competence on the continent, mainly through training and certification.
in Training / Features FSI simulator deal is right on Q
Posted 3 June 2020
Demand for simulators across Africa is growing. Keith Mwanalushi looks at a recent initiative to support Q400 pilot training in Kenya.
in Defence / Features Victims of the battle for Tripoli
Posted 2 June 2020
The no-fly zone over Libya has already claimed victims, writes Jon Lake.
in Air Transport / Features Triple targets as Tunisair turns to plan B
Posted 1 June 2020
Three years after taking on the top job at Tunisair, Ilyes Mnakbi tells Martin Rivers the flag-carrier is still struggling to turn the corner.
in Business & Finance / Features A new life of lease?
Posted 29 May 2020
One of the challenges for African airlines is gaining access to suitable aircraft. Now, as Victoria Moores reports, leasing-support company, Six West, has an idea that could help.
in Features Speed and safety, the twin goals for NAS
Posted 27 May 2020
Akue Come Adovi, director of operations, National Aviation Services (NAS), the ground-handling company operating in Cote D’Ivoire, explains his company’s twin goals of hitting tough targets while maintaining an emphasis on safety.
in Air Transport / Features US/EU bans stunt Sudan's regeneration
Posted 26 May 2020
Three years after America lifted most sanctions against Sudan, local carriers like Tarco Aviation are still in a fight for survival. Bushra Abushora, the airline’s strategic planning director, told Martin Rivers how the sector is coping.
in Features / Airports Maun trips the light fantastic…
Posted 22 May 2020
Many people will never have heard of it, yet Maun Airport is one of the busiest in southern Africa. And now, as Alan Dron reports, it is receiving much-needed improvements to cope with growing numbers of travellers.
in Defence / Features Tactical Texans fit Tunisia to a T
Posted 21 May 2020
The announcement by US State Department that it has approved a possible $234 million foreign military sale (FMS) of 12 Textron Aviation Beechcraft T-6C Texan II trainers to Tunisia will undoubtedly lead to an improved relationship between the two
in Technology / Features Why $40m investment makes Ethiopian so appy
Posted 20 May 2020
Ethiopian Airlines is investing heavily in information and communications technology (ICT) development to boost its sales revenue. Kaleyesus Bekele reports.
in Technology / Features / People Start ups flock to Airbus African initiative
Posted 19 May 2020
More than 200 start-up companies from across some 28 countries in Africa applied for a place on the Africa4Future initiative run by Airbus.
in Air Transport / Features Air Djibouti reveals expansion plans
Posted 19 May 2020
Having re-started commercial services in 2015, after more than a dozen years in the airline wilderness, Air Djibouti is embarking on ambitious plans to expand both freight and passenger services regionally and internationally.
in Features Getting to grips with teamwork
Posted 18 May 2020
The founding general assembly of west African ground-handling companies took place in Togo late last year. Chukwu Emeke was in Lomé to report on this historic event.
