Seychelles aviation news update – Reorganization of HM continues

AIR SEYCHELLES CONTINUES RE-ORGANIZATION

The Seychelles national airline has according to the latest reports from Mahe continued its drive towards becoming a more efficient organization with the introduction of ‘deputy directors’ positions for all of the presently eight directorates of the airline.

The directors of flight operations, technical operations and ground handling services, freight, marketing, information and communications technology, finance, human resources and finally training and administration will all be deputized from now on by young Seychellois showing the leadership skills and job competence to allow them this promotion.

Five of the director’s positions are held b Seychellois citizens while three remain with expatriate staff who are expected to eventually hand over to their deputies, once they have acquired sufficient working experience.

Visit www.airseychelles.com or follow them on Twitter for their latest news updates @air_seychelles

Uganda news update – Libyan embassy ‘hunted by creditors’

BANKS AND CREDITORS NOW AFTER LIBYAN EMBASSY

A notice has reportedly been served on the Libyan Embassy in Kampala about the imminent auction of top of the range vehicles financed by a local bank, and notably not the Libyan owned Tropical Bank, which assets were recently frozen by the Ugandan government and had a new management installed by order of the Bank of Uganda. The embassy, already being pursued by a large number of creditors over other debts incurred, including hosting Gadaffi’s son’s and entourage during past state visits, is said to be flat out of cash as the UN led sanctions are making the transfer of funds impossible at present. A source close to the embassy also claims that a cash delivery during the early stage of the sanctions regime ‘had been taken’, insinuating that the cash had ‘disappeared’ and that under the present circumstances, with the regime fighting for survival back home, no money will be available to pay for utilities, staff salaries and benefits, rents and other expenses until well after the civil war in Libya has been ended and a new, transitional or liberation government put in place. Hotels, restaurants, car hire firms, travel agencies but also suppliers of other goods and services are having collectors literally following embassy personnel still around – several are said to have ‘de-camped’ to the liberation movement – and camp out near the embassy compound and their residential properties to attempt and serve notices and demands on them, no wonder considering the hundreds of thousands of US Dollars in accumulated debts.

A quick check with sources in other East African countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi also shows a similar trend that loyalties are split amongst embassy staff, some remaining loyal to embattled dictator Gadaffi while others have declared their support for the liberation movement, and that across the region the embassies have run out of cash to finance their day to day operations.

Watch this space.

Kenya aviation news update – Kenya Airways to resume Abidjan flights

KENYA AIRWAYS TO RESUME FLIGHTS TO ABIDJAN

It was learned overnight that ‘The Pride of Africa’ will, effective 02^nd May, resume their operation into the Ivory Coast’s capital city of Abidjan, following months of unrest which ended with the capture of defeated former president Gbagbo recently, after he had refused to step down and make way for his duly elected successor. At the height of the crisis, when fighting had brought Abidjan to a complete economic standstill and the airport was taken over by French troops, Kenya Airways, as many other international airlines, had to halt flights, due to the prevailing insecurity and concerns for the safety of crews, passengers and aircraft. The three flights per week will operate out of Nairobi according to the latest schedules published by Kenya Airways, which can be accessed via www.kenya-airways.com.

Watch this space for the very latest updates and information about the aviation industry in Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region.

Aviation news update – Multiple options for B787 training

MULTIPLE OPTIONS FOR EAST AFRICA’S B787 PILOT CONVERSION TRAINING

The approval by the US FAA, the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, by EASA and Far Eastern agencies of recently established Boeing 787 simulator facilities has now set the stage for formal conversion training of pilots selected by the respective airlines. Training will now be offered in Seattle, London, Singapore, Shanghai and Tokyo, giving carriers awaiting deliveries of the B787, as and when it should be pointed out, the option to place their pilots in a facility convenient to them.

Here in the wider Eastern Africa region the two leading airlines, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines have the B787 on order and Kenya Airways only recently – as reported here – re-affirmed their 9 aircraft deal with Boeing, against what many aviation observers suspect substantial concessions to compensate for the extraordinary long delay in receiving these aircraft first ordered in 2006.

The similar cockpit layouts and functionalities between the new B787 and the B777 used by the two airlines already will further make the type conversion for selected pilots easier, although it is thought that it will primarily be the B767 cockpit crews selected first for the courses, as those aircraft, upon delivery of the larger and considerably more efficient B787, will be phased out by both Ethiopian and Kenya Airways.

The first commercial delivery of a B787 to Japan’s ANA is scheduled towards the later part of 2011 and it can only be hoped that a labour dispute pending between unions and Boeing will not once again cause added problems and keep this latest anticipated delivery date intact.

High time to see the ‘Dreamliner’ finally take to the skies with commercial flights.