Table des matières

Semaine 25 – du 20 au 26 juin 2011
N° 179
Table des matières
Kenya Airways set to commence flights to Ougadougou
2
Delta Starts Codeshare Flights with Air Nigeria
3
Kenya Airways Inaugural Flight to Ndjamena Takes off
4
Brussels Airlines starts scheduled flights to Bamako
4
Maersk table sur une forte croissance du commerce entre l’Asie et l’Afrique
5
African airlines - Looking east - Flying in Africa is getting easier
6
New Nigeria car imports soar as confidence recovers
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Kenya Airways set to commence flights to Ougadougou
Kenya Airways has affirmed that plans to grow its network across Africa were on course, after it
officially announced its intent to fly to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso starting July
15th.
The new route, the 55th of the airline’s global destinations, will operate via Cotonou, the capital of Benin. The airline will operate the route with a Boeing 737 – 800, twice weekly every Friday and Monday out of Nairobi.
Highlighting the airlines ambition to be the carrier of choice for Africa, Kenya Airways Chief
Executive Officer Dr. Titus Naikuni noted, “Our plans to fly to every Capital in Africa by 2013
and consolidate our route network on the continent are well on course. Ougadougou is the
2nd of the routes that we have opened this year after Ndjamena in Chad, with plans at various stages for a further 6 destinations in the course of this financial year.”
Ougadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural
and economic center of the nation. The country is landlocked with its primary economic activities being food processing and textile manufacture.
Dr. Naikuni noted that Africa is now acknowledged as the frontier for growth with the continent recording increasing economic activity and trade. He added that Kenya Airways was
seeking to diversify its route network throughout Africa in order to tap into the unique opportunities on this very diverse continent.
“Transport is an important factor in economic development because it enables movement of
people, goods and services as well as access to markets, especially for landlocked countries.
With this African expansion strategy, Kenya Airways is opening up the continent to a world of
opportunity,” he explained.
Kenya Airways has appointed a local General Sales Agent (GSA) in Ougadougou to oversee
its operations in the new market. In addition, the airline has set up its own sales and station office ahead of the July 15th inaugural flight.
To support its route expansion strategy, the airline recently announced the signing of an
agreement to take delivery of nine (9) Boeing Dreamliner aircrafts. KQ also signed a letter of
intent with Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer seeking to purchase 10 E190 jets. In addi-
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tion, Kenya Airways took delivery of a 2nd Embraer E-190 jet early this month; bring the airline’s
total current fleet to 32 aircraft. (Photo Boeing)
Delta Starts Codeshare Flights with Air Nigeria
Delta announced the start of codeshare service with Air Nigeria, one of Nigeria’s premier airlines focused on delivering excellent customer service. Initially, Air Nigeria will place its code
on Delta-operated services between Lagos and Atlanta effective 16 June as well as Abuja
and New York/JFK via Accra, Ghana effective 5 July.
“We are delighted to start codeshare services with Air Nigeria, a key partner in Africa, which
will expand travel options and increase customer choice,” said Perry Cantarutti, Delta’s senior
vice president Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Africa remains a key part of Delta’s international network strategy and the codeshare with Air Nigeria will bring increased access between destinations in West and Central Africa and the United States.”
The two airlines are also planning to start a reciprocal frequent flyer agreement that allows
customers from Delta's SkyMiles and Air Nigeria’s eagleflier® programs to earn and redeem
miles for flights. Implementation for accrual is expected to begin later this year.
“This code share arrangement is strategically important for Air Nigeria as it complements the
objective of the airline to provide seamless service for passengers flying between West Africa
and the U.S.A”, said Kinfe Kahssaye, Air Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer. He further noted that
“the cooperation will also pave the way for Nigeria to be the gate way between Africa and
USA and further develop trade and tourism between USA and Africa”.
Delta is the only airline to fly direct to the U.S. from two Nigerian Cities, Lagos and Abuja, offering nine* weekly services. Since launching service in Lagos in December 2007 Delta has carried 425,000 passengers to and from Nigeria. Delta operates direct flights from the U.S. to six
African cities in five countries and launched its first African services in December 2006.
Air Nigeria has a strong domestic and regional presence in the West and Central African region to complement Delta Air Lines network. (Photo Javier Rodriguez)
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Kenya Airways Inaugural Flight to Ndjamena Takes off
Kenya Airways has now commenced flights to its 54th destination, N’djamena in Chad. The
new route which will operate via Cotonou, the capital of Benin, will see Kenya Airways strengthen its presence in Central Africa, a landlocked geographical territory that depends largely
on imports.
The airline will operate the route with a Boeing 737–800, twice a week every Sunday and
Wednesday out of Nairobi.
“We are seeking to consolidate our presence in the African market by flying from every Capital in Africa by 2013. Our objective this year is to open 8 new destinations including
N’djamena,” said Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer Dr. Titus Naikuni.
Dr. Naikuni added that Kenya Airways was seeking to diversify its route network throughout
Africa in order to tap into the unique opportunities in this very diverse continent. “Most countries in Central Africa including Chad are landlocked and thus have limited import-export opportunities. However, they represent an important trade corridor to the lucrative West African
market where Kenya Airways already has a strong presence,” said Dr. Naikuni.
Dr. Naikuni noted that the aviation experts had singled out the African market as ripe for
growth citing the need for fast, reliable and safe transport in the context of infrastructure challenges facing many of them.
Kenya Airways has also announced plans to increase frequency of flights to Juba, Southern
Sudan. Effective 1st July, the airline will fly twice daily to the Juba to meet the growing demand for business travel to the region.
The carrier is in advanced stages of preparation to commence flights to the West African city
of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. “We are opening up Africa to a world of opportunity. Other
markets around the world are already saturated and more airlines are increasing their presence in Africa as it is the new business frontier,” concluded Naikuni.
Brussels Airlines starts scheduled flights to Bamako
From September onwards Brussels Airlines will operate two weekly flights between Brussels Airport and Bamako, Mali. Following the opening of four additional destinations last year, the airline is now further extending its African network. Brussels Airlines now offers a total of 21 destinations on the African continent.
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Brussels Airlines enters into Mali with the start-up of a scheduled service to Bamako. This vast
West-African country will be connected to the Brussels Airlines homebase, Brussels Airport,
twice a week (on Wednesdays and Sundays) through a direct and non-stop flight.
Apart from the export of a range of agricultural produce and raw materials, Mali is also known
for its World Heritage sites, reason why The Lonely Planet refers to the country as “Jewel in West
Africa s Crown”. Along the ancient Caravan Trail lies the legendary city of Timbuktu. Also the
incomparable mosque of Djenné – the largest mud-built structure in the world- and the impressive „Falaise de Bandiagara
attract many tourists.
“We are very happy to add Mali to the growing African network of Brussels Airlines”, says Brussels Airlines CO CEO Bernard Gustin. “After the four new destinations of last year, we can now
include three more African destinations in our offer : Bamako, Marrakech and Agadir.”
Schedule (in local time LT) Wednesday and Sunday SN 273 departure Brussels 10u40 (LT) arrival
Bamako 16u40 (LT) SN 274 departure Bamako 20u40 (LT) arrival Brussels 05u25 (LT)
Thanks to the excellent schedule the Brussels Airlines flights to and from France ( Paris, Lyon,
Marseille, Toulouse), UK, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Scandinavia and multiple other countries
smoothly connect onto this new long-haul flight. Flights to Bamako will depart from the Brussels
Airlines Africa terminal right next to the Schengen terminal, which allows for swift transfers.
This new scheduled service will be operated by an Airbus A 330-300 in Business and Economy
Class configuration, offering ample cargo capacity.
Maersk table sur une forte croissance du commerce
entre l’Asie et l’Afrique
Le trafic Asie-Afrique contribuera à compenser le ralentissement sur les autres lignes
Le danois Maersk Line, leader mondial dans le transport maritime de conteneurs envisage une
croissance à deux chiffres cette année pour ses expéditions d’huile de palme, de sucre et de
riz d’Asie vers Afrique suite à une forte croissance de la demande de produits alimentaires sur
le continent. ”L’Afrique est très, très forte, surtout pour les commodities. Nous constatons une
hausse des chargements à destination de toute l’Afrique, Afrique orientale, Afrique du Sud et
Afrique de l’Ouest», affirme Thomas Knudsen, chef des opérations de Maersk Line en Asie.
Le trafic sur l’Afrique permet de compenser un ralentissement des activités sur les autres routes
commerciales, comme celles entre l’Asie et l’Europe, qui sont toujours sous pression avec des
capacités excédentaires et le ralentissement économique en Europe de l’Ouest.
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Interrogé sur un possible ralentissement en Chine, Thomas Knudsen constate que les opérations de Maerks Line en Chine demeurent fortes et ne perçoit immédiatement aucun signe de
ralentissement de la demande de fret en dépit de la politique monétaire restrictive de
l’Empire du Milieu. ”Ce que nous avons vu est la migration du courant d’affaires de la partie
sud de la Chine vers l’est et le nord, donc peut-être un peu de changement dans les modèles
de sourcing.” indique t’il. En outre, il constate une reprise de l’activité au Japon avec un retour à des niveaux proches d’avant le séisme.
Maerks Line anticipe une hausse de la demande de fret entre 6 et 8% cette année, contre
11% en 2010
African airlines - Looking east - Flying in Africa is getting
easier
ADDIS ABABA AND NAIROBI | from the print edition
Your baggage-handler awaits
RUNNING Air Zimbabwe is not easy. When President Robert Mugabe wants to go somewhere,
he simply kicks the passengers off one of your jets and takes it. This is not good for customer relations, or profits. Last month the airline was suspended from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) booking system for non-payment of debts. But in the rest of Africa, the skies
are busier than ever before and the airlines more efficient. The best African carriers can compete with the old colonial giants, British Airways and Air France. New routes open monthly.
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Several companies stand out for being profitable, international and growing. Of these the
largest are EgyptAir, South African Airways (SAA) and Royal Air Maroc (RAM). All three operate
from corners of the continent: RAM in the north-west, EgyptAir in the north-east and SAA in the
south. But the future may lie with the slightly smaller but fast-growing airlines in the middle. Kenya Airways (“The Pride of Africa”) flies to 42 non-domestic African cities, up from 16 in 2000.
Ethiopian Airlines (“The New Spirit of Africa”) serves 35 African cities outside Ethiopia, up from
22.
Ethiopian is state-owned and some analysts doubt that it is as profitable as it claims. Last year
the airline says it earned a $118m profit on revenue of $1.3 billion. Its passenger numbers,
which no one doubts, have grown by 20% a year for the past decade. Its bosses predict that
its revenues and passenger numbers will increase sixfold by 2025. It has ordered three dozen
new Boeing and Airbus airliners.
Kenya Airways is 23%-owned by the Kenyan government; KLM, a Dutch airline, has 26%. Its
strategy is to spread its wings throughout Africa, with a new fleet of Brazilian Embraer jets. This
month it announced a 74% increase in after-tax profits: $45m on revenue of $1.1 billion. It was
a tough year, the airline says, thanks to political unrest in Côte d’Ivoire and elsewhere. Most of
the profit came from successfully hedging fuel costs. The firm expects to do better this year. A
share offering due in the autumn should fund further expansion.
A flight from east Africa to west Africa typically used to require a tedious detour via Paris or
London. Now the continent increasingly faces east. West African traders are rushing to and
from China. That helps Ethiopian and Kenya Airways, since their hubs (Addis Ababa and Nairobi) make convenient stopping-points en route to Asia.
Not everyone thinks there is enough growth in Africa to go around. Ethiopian will join EgyptAir
and SAA later this year as a member of the Star Alliance, a global tie-up. The three airlines
may club together to create a new regional airline in central Africa, which is presently underserved.
Plenty of challenges remain. Safety has improved a lot, but not enough. Too many planes are
old and tired. The EU has banned some smaller African airlines from European airspace.
IATA says African airports are among the costliest in the world, and offer shoddy service. Nairobi has iffy security and few comforts. A lack of competition on many routes has led to inflated prices. Flying from Addis to Nairobi is nearly as costly as flying to Europe. Between
Uganda’s Entebbe airport and Nairobi, by contrast, competition is fiercer and prices reasona-
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ble. Fliers hope that spunky new budget airlines, such as Arik Air in Nigeria, Fly540 in Kenya and
1Time in South Africa, will keep Africa’s elephants on their toes.
New Nigeria car imports soar as confidence recovers
By Chijioke Ohuocha
LAGOS, June 21 (Reuters) - Nigerian vehicle imports jumped 78 percent in the first five months
of 2011 compared to the same period last year, indicating consumer confidence is recovering
after national elections, industry officials said on Tuesday.
Car sales in Africa's most populous nation are a proxy measure for private purchasing power,
a leading economic indicator which is not formally available in Nigeria.
Nigerian port figures showed new vehicle imports increased to 18,377 units in the five months
to May from 10,324 in the same period of last year, according to Mohan Sethi, general manager at Dana Motors, which imports Kia vehicles to Nigeria.
Industry officials said car demand had started picking up after more than a year of decline as
banking reforms forge ahead and lending begins to recover, while the political uncertainty
around April's elections fades away.
"We see people purchasing on cash, so those customers who held back due to uncertainty in
the African continent are coming out to purchase," one dealer said, adding demand was firm
and also supported by bank lending.
Car sales in Nigeria took a hit in 2009 and had since been on a downwards trend after credit
dried up in sub-Saharan Africa's second biggest economy in the wake of a $4 billion bailout of
nine lenders by the central bank.
In 2008 credit sales had accounted for about 22 percent of all vehicle sales in Nigeria, but that
percentage dropped to virtually zero after the 2009 bank bailout.
Sethi told Reuters passenger vehicles had grown the most in the five months to 12,000 units
from around 7,000 in the same period of 2010. He expected total imports for the industry as a
whole to grow 30 percent this year. (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say
on the top issues, visit: af.reuters.com/ ) (Editing by Nick Tattersall, Ron Askew)
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