More regional flights are coming to the African continent, and here, Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, one of eTurboNews’ Africa correspondents, provides timely updates on the comings and goings on aircraft over Africa.

SOUTH SUPREME LAUNCHES JUBA – KHARTOUM FLIGHTS

South Sudan’s South Supreme Airlines on Sunday launched their first commercial flight between the South Sudan capital Juba and the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, reportedly using an Antonov A26 for the service.

The flights became possible following the establishment in end February of the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority, which has since licensed SSA and granted them their air operator certificate before giving them designated carrier status for flights to Khartoum.

South Supreme, according to information received from Juba, seeks to lease B737-300 aircraft for the flights to Khartoum and other destinations in East Africa, probably cognizant of the fact that Antonov aircraft do not enjoy the best of reputation in the region.

Meanwhile hangs the fate of the proposed national airline for South Sudan in the balance as a key partners, Turkey’s AtlasJet, apparently pulled out of the joint venture talks, leaving yet another airline project in South Sudan in limbo.

After a period of mutual isolation spurred by hostile acts from Khartoum which included threats to block the crucial oil pipeline for South Sudan’s oil exports, have the two sides apparently eased their positions following a bilateral meeting last week between the two presidents.

RWANDAIR FINALISES JUBA LAUNCH

Come September 21, RwandAir will launch their nonstop flights to Juba, three times a week. Originally planned to route as an extension of the flights to Entebbe, the Rwandan national airline ran into objections over 5th freedom rights between Entebbe and Juba, which while giving passengers a third daily flight option were clearly not going down too well with and Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority and the airline already on the route.

RwandAir will use their new CRJ900NextGen jet for the flights providing both business and economy class options for passengers, and fares, according to the Senior Manager Sales Mrs. Alice Katiti, will start at US Dollar 350 return, all taxes and fees included.

The airline, ahead of the launch, expressed their confidence that the new route will be accepted by travelers from both cities, with in particular the Southern Sudanese now being able to connect from Juba, via Kigali, to the entire East Africa, to Johannesburg and Dubai but also to Brazzaville, Libreville, Lagos and Accra, with Douala and Abidjan coming on line soon, too.

MANGO READY TO LAUNCH SECOND FLIGHT TO ZANZIBAR

Mango, one of South Africa’s low cost carriers, will be adding a second weekly flight from Johannesburg to Zanzibar, it was just learned. Mango will in fact be moving from their present format of a charter operation to scheduled operations, effective September 21.

Announced here at the time that Mango was launching flights from South Africa to the Spice Island of Zanzibar, this latest development is good news for the Zanzibar tourism sector, which has of late been wrestling with some negative publicity and been working hard to promote holidays to the island, where a number of new resorts have been opened or are going to open soon, adding more beds to the market.

It is understood from a reliable source in Tanzania that the TCAA has in fact granted traffic rights to Mango for as many as three scheduled flights a week between South Africa and Tanzania, and plans are already afoot, subject to satisfactory load factors for the two flights, to add a third one over the upcoming end of year high season, for at least December and January.

The source also confirmed that Mango was granted additional traffic rights to commence at some point in the future flights to Kilimanjaro, though at this moment in time no concrete plans could be ascertained to begin operations any time soon.