Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Fifth edition January 2012
AVIATION, TOURISM AND CONSERVATION NEWS from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. A weekly roundup of breaking news, reports, travel stories and opinions by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Get daily breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome, join me on Facebook where the articles also cross load or read the daily […]
Air Seychelles news update – Will Etihad’s arrival spell the end of Air Seychelles Boeing use?
AIRBUS FOR AIR SEYCHELLES? A source from Mahe, close to the airline, has suggested that plans to acquire a new B737-800 single aisle aircraft for the planned services to the other Vanilla Islands, to South Africa and perhaps new destinations on the African mainland are being reviewed since the tie up with Etihad, the national […]
Seychelles news update – The Story behind Seychelles Success in Marketing the Creole Island Paradise
PUTTING SEYCHELLES ON THE MAP AND KEEPING IT THERE (A relaxed looking Alain St. Ange during an interview with this correspondent in May 2011) The outlook in 2008 was grim for the Seychelles, hit by the global financial and economic crisis and staring at a projected loss of tourist arrivals and related income of over […]
Seychelles news update – Aldabra expedition returns to Victoria with 75 intrepid travelers on board
ALDABRA EXPEDITION RETURNS TO VICTORIA The Clipper Odyssey has returned to Victoria harbour over the weekend after a successful journey to Aldabra and the Amirantes islands. With 75 intrepid adventure travelers on board the trip covered visits to 11 of the outlying islands of the Seychelles, visited two reefs and most importantly paid a visit […]
Kenya aviation news – Profit warning for current financial year by Kenya Airways expected to impact on share trading
KENYA AIRWAYS PROFIT WARNING EXPECTED TO SHAKE MARKETS THIS WEEK The Pride of Africa has over the weekend issued a profit warning that full year results will likely see a reduction of profits by as much as 25 percent compared to the last financial year, inspite of only days ago issuing vastly improved passenger numbers […]
Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort and Casino responds to fire incident
BERJAYA BEACH RESORT AND CASINO RESPONDS TO FIRE WITH PUBLIC STATEMENT (Picture courtesy of Berjaya Hotels) In a forthcoming development has Mr. Ken Choo, General Manager of the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort and Casino responded publicly to the fire incident at his hotel earlier in the week, providing information in a commendable fashion and […]
Tanzania aviation news – Announcement by Air Tanzania of ‘self maintenance’ raises safety concerns
PLANS FOR SELF MAINTENANCE RAISE SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS An announcement earlier in the week by financially crippled Air Tanzania, that they were intending to maintain their presently single aircraft, a Bombardier Q300, at their home base in Dar es Salaam, has raised immediate concerns over compliance with Airworthiness Directives. The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority has […]
Kenyan government taken to court over Lamu mega projects
SAVE LAMU SUES KENYA GOVERNMENT OVER PORT AND RAILWAY PLANS No sooner had Kenya and Southern Sudan put pen to paper during the week, signing a deal to construct a pipeline from the oil fields in Southern Sudan to the planned new port in Lamu, did a civic group Save Lamu emerge and file legal […]
TripAdvisor puts Porini Mara Camp into Africa’s Top Ten for 2012
TRIPADVISOR PUTS PORINI MARA CAMP INTO THEIR TOP TEN FOR AFRICA Gamewatcher Safaris and Porini Safari Camps are no strangers to receiving awards, but being elevated by global review giant TripAdvisor into their Top Ten African Properties still got the buzz going. The hotel review site has just published their recommendations for 2012 and Mara […]
Rwanda raises gorilla permit fees by 50 percent, effective June 01st
RWANDA RAISES GORILLA PERMIT FEES BY 50 PERCENT (Posted 07th May 2012) An announcement was just received that the Rwanda Development Board will, effective 01st of June 2012, raise gorilla permit fees for new permits, though not permits already pre-booked until the time of the announcement, from the present US Dollars 500 per person […]
Ethiopian tourist killings and abductions blamed squarely on Eritrean regime’s support for terrorist
ETHIOPIAN TOURIST ABDUCTIONS AND ATTACKS BLAMED ON ERITREA Eritreas dictatorial and radical regime has been fingered by Eritrean opposition groups, Ethiopian and other international sources for alleged complicity in the recent spate of attacks on foreign tourists and abductions as Ethiopian rebels granted safe havens inside Eritrea are suspected to have carried out the attacks. […]
Uganda aviation breaking news – Air Uganda terminates code share agreement with RwandAir
AIR UGANDA TERMINATES CODE SHARE AGREEMENT WITH RWANDAIR While Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni honoured his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame in a ceremony at Liberation Day in Kapchorwa / North Eastern Uganda on Thursday, the day when 26 years ago his then National Resistance Army captured the capital Kampala and threw the old dictatorships out […]
Rwanda aviation news – RCAA suggests up to 50 percent traffic growth in 2012
AIR TRAFFIC FOR KIGALI TO GROW BY 50 PERCENT IN 2012 The Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority has projected a growth in flight movements in and out of Kigalis Kanombe International Airport by 50 percent in 2012, suggesting that the present level of around 200 flights per week might rise to 300 flights per week. The […]
Kenya aviation news – KQ releases Q4 results of 2011 – passenger growth of 15.4 percent
KENYA AIRWAYS Q4 RESULTS SHOW SIGNIFICANT GROWTH Information received overnight from Nairobi indicates that Kenya Airways recorded a traffic growth of over 15 percent in Quarter 4 of 2011, substantially better than feared when the stories of the Somalia conflict began to emerge and tourism braced itself for some tough weeks ahead. Not so according […]
Guest appearance by www.frugaldad.com
Why airlines are bankrupt Like many of you, Im often forced to fly to see family, take vacation, or go on business trips. And each time Im struck by how little I get on the flight and how much I end up paying for the pleasure. So when I saw that American Airlines was filing […]
Serengeti Highway ruling by the EACJ set for 15th March
SERENGETI HIGHWAY DECISION SET FOR 15TH MARCH The East African Court of Justice has ruled that a decision will be handed down on the 15th of March, if the Tanzanian government will be permanently restrained to build a highway across the Serengeti, as was and is declared intent inspite of a misleading letter to the […]
Tanzania aviation news – Union in fix over public revelations of discontent at ATCL
AIRLINE UNION DOES U-TURNS AND SOMERSAULTS Information was received from Dar es Salaam, that the Communication and Transport Workers Union, representing the employees of Air Tanzania, is up to its old tricks and mischief again. The reports tell a story of details leaked to the media of growing discontent by workers with their present management, […]
Kenya’s Cheli & Peacock make it to WTTC’s Tourism for Tomorrow Award final list
CHELI & PEACOCK MAKE IT TO TOURISM FOR TOMORROW FINALISTS The prestigious WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow awards for 2012 have one of Kenyas leading tourism companies, Cheli & Peacock, on this years finalist lists, raising hopes that C&Ps trophy cabinet will soon see another shining recognition of their companys philosophy, their chosen locations and their […]
Mauritius aviation news – More flights to Mumbai from April
AIR MAURITIUS SET TO ADD FREQUENCIES TO MUMBAI It was learned late yesterday that Air Mauritius will offer additional flights between the island and Mumbai / India from April this year, bringing the total number of flights to four per week. Increased investment and trade between India and Mauritius but also the appeal of the […]
Seychelles aviation breaking news – Air Seychelles future assured by 20 million US Dollar investment from Etihad
AIR SEYCHELLES LOOKS TO THE FUTURE Added information was received since breaking the news that Abu Dhabis national airline Etihad had acquired a 40 percent stake in Air Seychelles, which will lead to a new board of directors to be appointed in early February. Talks between the two airlines management has also mapped out a […]
Seychelles aviation breaking news – Etihad set to buy 40 percent of Air Seychelles
ETIHAD BUYS INTO AIR SEYCHELLES WITH A 40 PERCENT STAKE Relations between the Seychelles and Abu Dhabi have always been friendly, if not outright tight, and when Air Seychelles announced before Christmas that they would cease their entire European operation by 10th January, and at the same time talked of a major code share arrangement […]
Gulf Air gets ‘Excellent’ rating from latest IATA passenger survey, confirms own inflight experience as what it truly was
GULF AIR GETS CABINET SUPPORT PASSENGER SURVEY CONFIRMS EXCELLENT RATING Following the resounding success of the Bahrain International Air Show, which ended last weekend, has the Bahrain cabinet thrown their full weight behind Gulf Air, which was not just the official carrier but also a key sponsor of the event. It was reported in the […]
When the ugly face of racism ruins a vacation or family outing
SOCIAL MEDIA EXPOSE RACIST ATTITUDES The tourism industry in Kenya, both private and public sector, are investigating claims made over the Christmas and New Year period, when African Kenyans went public on Twitter and Facebook, narrating experiences of being denied access to hotels and resorts and in one case being asked to leave from Flavio […]
Mauritius aviation news – Air France / KLM and Air Mauritius expand code share agreement to La Reunion
AIR MAURITIUS AND AIR FRANCE EXPAND CODE SHARE ARRANGEMENTS Information was received overnight from a source in Port Louis / Mauritius that national airline Air Mauritius and Air France have expanded a code share arrangement, covering flights between Mauritius to the French Indian Ocean territory of La Reunion. Effective on February 01st this year will […]
South Sudan breaking news – More bombings by regime aircraft target UN and refugee compound in Upper Nile State
KHARTOUM AIRFORCE TARGETS UN COMPOUND AND REFUGEE CAMP WITH BOMBINGS Alarming news emerged from South Sudan when it became known that the regime in Khartoum had targeted a UN compound and refugee camp housing people forcefully displaced in acts of ethnic cleansing from disputed territories, in this case Blue Nile, by the regimes army and […]
Turkish Airlines introduces wireless for transatlantic flights, following their live TV introduction on board the B777
TURKISH GOES WIRELESS ON BOARD THEIR WIDE BODY FLEET Information was received overnight that Turkish Airlines will introduce wireless internet access to their wide body fleet, starting with a B777, following their ground breaking introduction in November last year of live TV on board of flights across the Atlantic. The internet service will first be […]
Seychelles news – Fire at Berjaya Beach Resort and Casino prompts temporary evacuation of guests
STORE FIRE PROMPTS EVACUATION AT BERJAYA BEACH RESORT A fire in a storage room at the back of the Berjaya Beach Resort and Casino in Beau Vallon prompted a full scale evacuation of guests around 11 pm at night on Sunday. The fire brigade, which arrived only minutes after the emergency call was received, managed […]
Kenya news – New geothermal power plant construction goes underway at Olkaria
KENYAS MARCH TOWARDS RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES CONTINUES Kenyas policy decision to have half of the electricity produced by 2018 come from geothermal sources has been boosted when ground was broken yesterday to begin construction of another 280 MW geothermal power plant to be known as Olkaria III, neighbouring the existing plants of Olkaria I and […]
Tanzania news – Dodoma to Kigoma rail services resume today
TRAIN SERVICES RESUME AFTER REPAIR TO FLOOD DAMAGES Information was received from Arusha that Tanzania Railways will resume passenger train operations today, with the first service running from Dodoma, the countrys political capital, to Kigoma. Earlier in January were all train services suspended following torrential rains and flooding along key railway lines, which threatened to […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Fourth edition January 2012
AVIATION, TOURISM AND CONSERVATION NEWS from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. A weekly roundup of breaking news, reports, travel stories and opinions by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Get daily breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome, join me on Facebook where the articles also cross load or read the daily […]
