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South African airline Airlink has opened a business class lounge at Pretoria’s Wonderboom Airport. Business class customers and selected Voyager Members Gold/Platinum/Lifetime Platinum Members with one guest can enjoy complimentary wi-fi and refreshments in the Airlink Grey Sunbird Lounge. The airline operates double daily flights between Pretoria and Cape Town during the week, and daily flights on Saturdays and Sundays.

According to Aviation Tribune, Air Côte d’Ivoire, Ivory Coast’s national airline based in Abidjan, has signed a firm order for the purchase of an additional A320neo to complete its fleet. Air Côte d’Ivoire distinguished itself earlier this year by becoming the first African airline to order the A320neo. “This additional A320neo will allow Air Côte d’Ivoire to truly differentiate its product...

Virgin Atlantic has placed a confirmed order with Airbus for a dozen Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, for a total value of $4.4bn. Of the 12 firm orders, eight will be purchased and four leased, as Virgin Atlantic continues its investment into increasing the mix of owned and leased aircraft in its fleet. This order is part of a fleet modernisation program...

Airlines stop flights to Juba According to Aviation Tribune, two East African airlines have suspended flights to Juba (South Sudan) as uncertainty over ongoing violence increases. Kenya Airways and RwandAir have both cancelled flights to Juba as the threat of civil war intensifies. At least 272 people have died in fighting between South Sudan’s rival factions in the capital Juba, including 33 civilians. Fighting broke...

According to Hospitality Net, AccorHotels opened a five-star beachfront Sofitel in Morocco last month. The Sofitel Tamuda Bay Beach & Spa offers 82 guestrooms, including the Royal Suite, five junior suites, three SoSPA suites, five villas and eight beach suites. Sofitel chose French-Lebanese architect Galal Mahmoud to create Tamuda Bay's design, which is inspired by 1950s French Riviera. Contemporary architecture is combined...

Carlson Rezidor will open a new residence complex as part of an expansion project at Radisson Blu Hotel, Maputo. Radisson Blu became the first international five-star hotel brand in Mozambique following the opening of the 154-room Radisson Blu Hotel, Maputo, and this new development will add an additional 117 serviced apartments managed by the brand. The 54 studios and 53 one-bedroom...

Air Mauritius will launch a direct flight to a fifth destination in China on 12 July. Guangzhou, situated in the Guangdong province, is a business and industrial centre. This new direct flight will benefit passengers from the South-West Indian Ocean region, as well as the South and East African regions to travel to Guangzhou by using Mauritius as a hub. Air Mauritius’...

Air Seychelles has entered into codeshares with Air Serbia and Etihad. Air Serbia will place its JU flight code on four routes operated by Air Seychelles, from Paris and Abu Dhabi to Mahé, as well as from Mahé to Johannesburg and Praslin. In return, Air Seychelles will expand its flight network by adding the HM flight code to four routes operated...

Avis Southern Africa has moved the booking of its van rentals to the Galileo platform. Travel agents no longer need to navigate out of Galileo to make a booking on the Avis website or through the call centre. Travel agents who make any Avis Van Rental bookings on qualifying discretionary rates through the Galileo platform will be rewarded through Club Red....

According to Hospitality Net, Eurostars Hotel Company, the hotel division of Spain's Grupo Hotusa, is entering Africa with the opening of its first hotel in Casablanca (Morocco) – the Eurostars Sidi Maarouf. The 115-room, four-star hotel is a new build, located in the La Colline district in the south of Casablanca. On offer for business meetings and conferences are a multi-purpose...

According to Aviation Tribune, Tanzania’s Precision Air will resume operations to Hahaya (Comoros) from 16 August. The airline suspended flights to Hahaya in 2014 while undergoing a strategy review which also involved route rationalisation. This will be a second regional destination for Precision Air after Nairobi. Domestically, Precision Air flies to nine local destinations from its main hub Dar es Salaam...

According to Aviation Tribune, Fly Blue Crane has received approval from South African and Namibian authorities to launch services between Cape Town and Windhoek. The airline, which took to the skies from its Johannesburg hub in September 2015, will launch its inaugural return flight on this route on 13 May. Exact flight schedules on the route will be released soon. Fly...