Africa

The airline has agreed to initially acquire five E-Jets - three E170s and two E190s, from ECC Leasing, a wholly-owned Embraer subsidiary. It will start to receive the aircraft in the first half of this year with a further eight E190s joining the Airlink fleet subject to formalisation of lease deals.

Djibouti's Daallo Airlines has wet-leased a Fokker 50 from Kenyan ACMI/charter specialist Fanjet Express, reports ch-aviation.

Airways College, a pilot training school located in France, has signed a framework contract with Institut National Polytechnique Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB), Ivory Coast.

Nearly 600 participants attended yesterday the Official Launch of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017.

Nextant Aerospace, builders of the 400XTi, has announced that its chairman, Kenneth C. “Kenn” Ricci, will receive the Lifetime Aviation Entrepreneur Award at the Living Legends of Aviation 14th Annual Awards, to be held in Beverly Hills, California, on Friday, January 20, 2017.

Japan's optical and precision electronics manufacturer Olympus Corporation will later this month open a regional HQ, for the Middle East and Africa, complete with a training centre, in Dubai.

Kenyan no frills airline, Jambojet has leased a brand-new Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 next generation aircraft from Abu Dhabi Aviation in a bid to improve its network-wide operations.

Emirates will introduce a third daily flight between Dubai and Kenya's capital Nairobi from June 1, 2017.

Demand for international tourism remained robust in 2016 despite challenges. International tourist arrivals grew by 3.9% to reach a total of 1,235 million, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Some 46 million more tourists (overnight visitors) travelled internationally last year compared to 2015.

Aviation Africa, which takes place in Kigali, Rwanda on 22-23 February 2017, has announced the first aircraft to be displayed at the event will be a Gulfstream G280 from Savannah-based Gulfstream Aerospace.

Bombardier Business Aircraft has announced its Service Centre Network has completed over 200 96-month heavy inspections on Challenger business jets.

Ethiopian Airlines will launch seven new destinations within five months during the 2017 calendar year.

Ali Ahmed Alnaqbi, founding chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA), has been elected Vice Chairman of the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) Governing Board.

Tunisia's Express Air Cargo has taken delivery of its maiden aircraft, reports ch-aviation.

AlSat Nano - a joint Algerian Space Agency and UK Space Agency nanosatellite mission - has captured and downloaded its first full colour image.

Egypt has suffered a decline in tourism for the last few years. But a network planning expert is predicting a resurgence in 2017.

A LAM Mozambique Airlines is believed to have been hit by a drone while landing at Tete Matundo Airport.

Comoros' Int'Air Îles will tentatively commence its Dzaoudzi to La Réunion via Moroni Int'l service from January 23, reports ch-aviation.

FlightPath International has received, Approved Maintenance Training Organization status from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Airbus' commercial aircraft deliveries in 2016 were up for the fourteenth year in a row, reaching a new company record of 688 aircraft delivered to 82 customers.

Global Jet Centre has launched its new and improved website.

Gabon's Afrijet will wet-lease a B737-300 from WOL - Wings of Lebanon for the duration of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) football tournament which kicks off in Gabon this weekend, reports ch-aviation.

Ethiopian Airlines will add Antananarivo, Madagascar to its network as of 28 March 2017.

Royal Air Maroc is planning to move its Moscow operations from Moscow Sheremetyevo to Moscow Domodedovo by the end of March 2018, reports ch-aviation.

Airbus SE reported nine-month 2017 financial results and confirmed its guidance for the full year.