Kenya Airways has resumed services to Bangkok

Kenya Airways (KQ), the national flag carrier of the East African country, has announced that it has resumed flights from its hub in Nairobi to Bangkok, in Thailand. This service will be operated... 

Winners of the 2023 Irish Tech Challenge South Africa announced

South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the Embassy of the Republic of Ireland have jointly announced that five South African growth-stage technology startup companies, out of... 

Africa has huge potential for the production of sustainable aviation fuels

In the drive to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions aviation by 2050, Africa potentially has a great advantage, International Air Transport Association (IATA) regional VP Africa and the... 

Aviation safety in Africa is improving, but airline industry seeks to always get better

African airlines need to become more active in the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA’s) regional safety and flight operations groups (which are action oriented), IATA regional VP... 

African airlines still face government-imposed financial pressures that exceed global norms

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the global representative body for the airline industry, has again highlighted the problem of high commercial aviation costs in Africa... 

Global packaging industry is dynamic, says new head of representative body

Incoming World Packaging Organisation (WPO) President Luciana Pellegrino has highlighted the dynamism of the global packaging industry. Speaking in Cape Town on Monday, she pointed out that it had... 

Global packaging sector facing five major trends

As far as the global packaging industry is concerned, there are currently five top trends, outgoing World Packaging Organisation (WPO) president Pierre Pienaar highlighted, at a press briefing in... 

Chinese communications company considering local assembly in South Africa

China-based mission-critical communications hardware and software company Hytera Communications is in early-stage discussions to hopefully start basic assembly operations in South Africa. Based in... 

Egyptair has ordered next-generation Airbus airliners

Europe-based global major aerospace group Airbus announced on Tuesday that Egypt’s national flag carrier, Egyptair, had ordered ten next-generation A350-900 widebody airliners. Next-generation... 

Rolls-Royce has announced that all its commercial aero engines can run on 100% green fuels

UK-based global major propulsion and power systems group Rolls-Royce announced on Monday that it has successfully tested every one of its current production commercial (including business) aircraft... 

Airbus reports strong demand for its airliners during the first three quarters of this year

Europe-based global major aerospace and defence group Airbus has released its results for the first nine months of this year (9M23). Consolidated group revenues, at €42.56-billion, were up 12%,... 

IATA has reported that air passenger traffic growth continued to be strong

In September, global air passenger demand continued to recover strongly from the Covid-19 pandemic, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported. IATA is the global... 

Kenya Airways has achieved IATA ground handling services accreditation

Kenya Airways, the East African country’s national flag carrier, announced on Thursday that it, and its Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (Nairobi) hub, have been accredited by the IATA Safety... 

Global air cargo demand continued its recovery during September

Global air cargo demand in September continued its recovery, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported. (IATA is the global representative body for the airline industry.) In... 

Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s 4th CubeSat project well on track

The Africa Space Innovation Centre (ASIC) of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) is currently busy with its fourth nanosatellite programme, ASIC Chief Engineer Nyameko Royi tells... 

GMES Africa initiative stimulating the use of satellite data in Africa

Intergovernmental organisation the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) Africa is attending the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Week and Ministerial Summit 2023 (being held at... 

Satellite-based maritime monitoring system for South Africa being developed by company

South African space infrastructure company SCS Space is mobilising the country’s space engineering supply chain to build a satellite-based service to monitor South Africa’s maritime domain, company... 

South African company highlighting satellite constellation project to support African farmers

South African space infrastructure company SCS Space, based in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape, is highlighting its SCS-Agrisense project at the 2023 Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Week and... 

South Africa’s research funding and nuclear regulatory agencies sign partnership agreement

The National Research Foundation (NRF) and the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) announced on Monday that the NRF has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the NNR’s Centre for Excellence... 

The NRF highlights the work of the OR Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative

The National Research Foundation has put the spotlight on the successful meeting, this past week, of the 2023 OR Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI) annual gathering. The NRF is... 

NRF highlights success of meeting of African Covid research partnership initiative

South Africa’s national research funding, research facilities and human resources development agency, the National Research Foundation (NRF), highlighted on Friday the success of the meeting this... 

Africa aims to use global demand for critical minerals as a basis for development

African countries were determined to use the opportunity provided by the world’s need for the metals and minerals essential for the clean energy systems of the future to develop their economies... 

Poultry body calls for appropriate support policies to help sector recover from avian flu

The South African Poultry Association (Sapa) has urged government to put in place policies that will help especially small-scale poultry farmers to recover from the recent outbreaks of Highly... 

Cape Town startup made a mark at international conference in Addis Ababa

BAOM eco solutions (BAOM), a Cape Town-based young-woman-led award-winning biotech startup, was, by some way, the youngest startup attending the very recent Global Startup Awards Africa conference... 

Next year’s international astronomy General Assembly to be doubly historic, says NRF

The National Research Foundation (NRF) has highlighted the doubly historic nature of next year’s General Assembly (GA) of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), which will be held in Cape... 

Airlink increases the number of its flights to Malawi

South African regional and domestic airline Airlink has announced that it is going to increase the number of its services between South Africa and Malawi. Specifically, it will add a flight to its... 

North-West University launches space biology programme

In what is a first for Africa, South Africa’s North-West University (NWU) is to launch a multidisciplinary research area devoted to space biology. Based in the university’s Faculty of Natural and... 

South Africa could benefit from its dual AfCFTA and Brics membership

South Africa has the potential to use its membership of both the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (Brics) bloc to stimulate its... 

Brazilian aerospace major reports strong delivery growth during the third quarter

Brazil-based global major aerospace group Embraer has reported on its deliveries for the third quarter of this year (3Q23) and total deliveries for the first nine months of this year. For the... 

Western Cape can achieve breakout growth rates, assures its Economic Development head

The Western Cape economy indeed had the potential to achieve “breakout growth” rates of 4%/y to 6%/y, and the provincial government was determined to achieve these rates, through the implementation... 

Infrastructure investment key to future of Cape Town, highlights city’s mayor

City of Cape Town Executive Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has re-emphasised his belief in the importance of infrastructure investment to stimulate economic growth, and the importance of economic growth... 

South African astronomer appointed to prestigious international post

The National Research Foundation (NRF), which falls under the aegis of the Department of Science and Innovation, has announced that local astronomer Dr Vanessa McBride has been appointed as Science... 

International researchers demonstrate stable and efficient next-generation solar cell

An international team of scientists, from South Korea, the US, China and India, have developed a new technique to produce stable and efficient perovskite solar cells. Perovskites have a crystalline... 

UK test data indicates space-based solar power plants are practical

A study undertaken by UK researchers has indicated that solar power plants in space would be practical and could be commercially viable. The study was carried out by researchers from the... 

African automotive industry body has a new president

The African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) on Tuesday announced the name of its new president. She is Volkswagen Group South Africa chairperson and MD Martina Biene, who is also... 

Researchers develop new, more efficient way to produce key lithium-ion battery component

Japanese researchers at Hokkaido and Kobe Universities have discovered a method to produce a key component of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) at much lower temperatures and in a much shorter time than... 

African SME-focused private capital fund has reached final closure

BluePeak Private Capital (BluePeak) announced on Tuesday that it has achieved final closing of its $156-million inaugural fund, the BluePeak Private Capital Fund SCSp. BluePeak describes itself as... 

Airbus wins major support and upgrade contracts for its military version of the A330

Airbus Defence and Space, part of the Europe-based global major Airbus aerospace group, announced on Monday that it had signed two major contracts with agencies of the French Ministry of Defence,... 

Gap between South Africa food and CPI inflation narrows again

After five consecutive months of decline, South African food and non-alcoholic beverage (NAB) inflation – hereafter to be referred to simply as food inflation – increased again in September, but... 

Embraer wins commercial and defence aviation contracts on three continents

This past week has been a significant one for Brazil-based global major aerospace group Embraer, with it being able to announce a series of commercial and defence aviation contracts, selections and...