Tropical cyclone Bansi causes extensive disruption of air traffic
SEVERE WEATHER LEADS TO A SERIES OF FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS ON MAURITIUS (Posted 14th January 2015) An extensive tropical cyclone, Bansi, has caused widespread disruptions of air traffic on the island of Mauritius but also other neighbouring islands. Air Mauritius has issued several news updates during the day to keep passengers informed on flight cancellations which […]
No 316 Wildlife Trade News 13th January 2015
Bad news about poaching, environmental and wildlife crimes rarely come alone … in the spotlight today …………………… How safe are the ivory, rhino horn stockpiles in EA vaults? http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/How-safe-are-the-ivory–rhino-horn-stockpiles-in-EA-vaults-/-/2558/2586072/-/ojfqjjz/-/index.html (It’s thought ivory in storage in Malaysia has been plundered by government officials. Does CITES care?) No 316 Wildlife Trade News 13th January 2015 More ‘legal’ […]
Tanzanian cops seize explosives cache
DYNAMITE FISHING TAKES A HIT AS EXPLOSIVES CACHE NABBED BY SECURITY FORCES (Posted 13th January 2015) News are emerging from Tanzania that two days ago a major cache of explosives was found loaded on a bus destined from Arusha to Dar es Salaam. A routine police control at a check point near Korogwe arrested the […]
Etihad ensures an ‘easy ride’ to their US destinations thanks to pre-clearance in Abu Dhabi
ETIHAD’S US FLIGHT PRE-CLEARANCE SET TO EXPAND FOR US BOUND PASSENGERS (Posted 13th January 2015) The trial runs started in January 2014, to clear US bound passengers of Etihad on certain flights already in Abu Dhabi, sparing them the often massive queues on arrival in the United States, have proved successful and come 15th of […]
JKIA to undergo FAA audit ahead of Category 1 decision
NONSTOP OR NOT NONSTOP – US GOVERNMENT DECISION DUE BY MARCH THIS YEAR (Posted 13th January 2015) Information received from Nairobi suggests that come March will the US authorities take a final decision if Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will get Category 1 certification, a prerequisite to commence nonstop flights between Kenya and the United […]
No 315 Wildlife Trade News 11th January 2015
Your daily dose of bad news about poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes from around the world in the spotlight today …………………… Zimbabwe defends decision to send 62 baby elephants to zoos in China, France and the UAE as it claims the country is ‘overpopulated’ with the animal Zimbabwe says it has 80,000 elephants, but only […]
Another guest post from Lillian Gaitho
Top Five Travel Resolutions for the Rugged Traveler: Travelling more? Follow these 5 Steps Lillian Gaitho of Jovago – Africa’s leading online hotel booking platform tells you how to stick to your New Year’s Resolution New Year’s resolutions are a global phenomenon, we all believe in the power of a fresh new start yet our […]
Fastjet uplifts the millionth passenger in December
FASTJET CROSSES THE MILLION PASSENGER MARK (Posted 12th January 2015) Figures just released at the London Stock Exchange, where Fastjet PLC is a publicly quoted company, confirm what was suggested here a few days ago, that Fastjet Tanzania has at last crossed the 1 million passenger mark in December last year. Adding the icing on […]
New courses in the making at Utalii to address security and safety issues
KENYA UTALII COLLEGE TO ADD COURSES COVERING TOURISTS SECURITY AND SAFETY (Posted 12th January 2015) Kenya Utalii College, East Africa’s foremost tourism and hospitality training institution, has reached agreement with the Kenya Tourism Federation to introduce special courses aimed to train staff working in the sector on safety and security issues. The information was passed […]
Improved connectivity aiding more regional trade and travel
NEW ROUTE TO DAR ES SALAAM TO BE LAUNCHED BY RWANDAN BUS COMPANY (Posted 12th January 2015) A Kigali based bus company, Trinity Express, is in the final stages of launching new routes after becoming one of the largest operators between Kigali and Kampala in recent years. For the early part of this year does […]
The soft and vulnerable underbelly of lake transport in Eastern Africa
FERRY FAILURES IMPACT ON TRAVEL AND TRADE IN THE LAKE VICTORIA BASIN (Posted 12th January 2015) All the talk in the Eastern African region, about megaprojects like standard gauge railways, the completion, if at all for some of the projects mentioned here in the past, years and years away, always conveniently avoids to talk of […]
Mwanza runway to become the longest in Tanzania
MWANZA AIRPORT RUNWAY EXPANSION TO REACH 3.8 KILOMETRES LENGTH (Posted 12th January 2015) During a recent site visit to Mwanza was Tanzania’s Minister for Transport quoted to have said the runway of the lakeside airport would be extended to 3.8 kilometres length, making it the country’s longest upon completion. Owing to the elevation of 3.720 […]
Boosting occupancies or keeping RevPAR up – hard choices for Kenya’s hospitality industry
THE DILEMMA OF LOW OCCUPANCIES (Posted 12th January 2015) With the high season over the holidays truly over now have occupancies in many of the coastal resorts but also the safari lodges across Kenya returned to pre-Christmas lows. The continued struggle by the country’s marketers to portray the Kenya coast as safe to visit – […]
One off flights to Monrovia and Freetown may open the door for a policy review
KENYA AIRWAYS FLIES MEDICAL STAFF TO WEST AFRICA (Posted 12th January 2014) Kenya Airways over the weekend made a one off return to both Monrovia and to Freetown, when operating two humanitarian mission flights for the African Union. The AU chartered two Boeing B737-800NG’s, which reached their final destination via Accra with a full complement […]
Burundi Tourism. Marching into 2015 & Beyond
Carmen Nibigira, the immediate former Director of the Burundi Tourism Office, is sharing her thoughts for the new year with you. Click on the link to access the document she prepared, still thinking hard how best to put Burundi in the limelight. Enjoy the read and perhaps periodically visit the Burundi Tourism website or their […]
Human greed the main factor for the destruction of East Africa’s reefs
SAND HARVESTING WILL DESTROY KENYA’S BEST BEACH SAY STAKEHOLDERS (Posted 11th January 2015) Tourism stakeholders and local residents are up in arms over plans to extract some 5 million tons of sand from areas right off the award winning Diani Beach south of Mombasa. A recent meeting of the South Coast Residents Association, which is […]
Negativity rules bilateral tourism relations
TIT FOR TAT AND MORE TIT FOR TAT – A CYCLE OF NEGATIVITY (Posted 11th January 2015) Tanzanian tour and safari operators got a Christmas present from Kenya they will not forget for a while. Just before Christmas, according to information received, did Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport begin to block Tanzanian registered commercial vehicles, […]
Qatar Airways set to pioneer aircraft tracking system
QATAR AIRWAYS TAKES THE LEAD TO INTRODUCE AIRCRAFT TRACKING TECHNOLOGY (Posted 11th January 2015) The year 2014 has produced one of the most startling mysteries in aviation history when the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 simply disappeared, prompting searches as widespread from the China Sea to the Pacific and deep into the Indian Ocean. Available conventional […]
No 314 Wildlife Trade News 10th January 2015
The bad news never seem to stop and then there are some who think it is perfectly acceptable what they do … More bad news about poaching, wildlife trade and environmental crimes in the spotlight today …………………… Zimbabwe blasts “politicisation” of elephant sales http://en.starafrica.com/news/zimbabwe-blasts-politicisation-of-elephant-sales.html Which zoos and what people want to do business with the […]
Reunion 2015 – The New Year comes along with a new website
NEW YEAR – NEW WEBSITE FOR REUNION (Posted 10th January 2015) Vanilla Island founder member Reunion started the new year with a bang and fireworks not only over the sky of the island but also fireworks in cyberspace, as their new website was officially launched. The new site features beautiful visuals, provides extensive information regarding […]
With the new sales office comes the hope for additional sales
KENYA AIRWAYS TAKES THE FIGHT FOR MARKET SHARE INTO NAIROBI’S TRADE DISTRICT (Posted 10th January 2015) A number of new and larger aircraft, which were delivered to Kenya Airways last year, allowed for more direct flights and added frequencies to key destinations, which are frequented by Kenyan traders in search for bargains. Several airlines flying […]
South Sudan’s airspace remains on caution list
EASA AND FAA KEEP SOUTH SUDAN AIRSPACE ON LIST OF ‘DANGEROUS TO FLY THROUGH’ (Posted 10th January 2015) The lack of a comprehensive political settlement between the two warring parties in South Sudan has now resulted in both the European Aviation Safety Agency and their American counterparts, the FAA, maintaining warnings to airlines crossing through […]
Narrow escape for helicopter crew in Mt. Kenya emergency landing
BRITISH SERVICE PERSONNEL CHEAT DEATH AS THEIR HELICOPTER EMERGENCY LANDS (Posted 10th January 2015) (Picture courtesy of Ithe Wa Wambui / Airline Crew of East Africa) Britain maintains an army training base in Kenya near Nanyuki and thousands of service personnel have over the years rotated through various courses, preparing them for deployment or just […]
No 313 Wildlife Trade News 9th January 2015
Defending the indefensible? How familiar this sounds coming from that part of the world … another dose of bad news about poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes … in the spotlight today …………………… Zimbabwe defends its decision to export over 60 baby elephants abroad despite protests http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/zimbabwe-defends-its-decision-to-export-over-60-baby-elephants-abroad-despite-protests-9965330.html The selling of these elephants is a cruel, despicable […]
Chimpanzee Trust December 2014 bulletin
News updates from the Ugandan Chimpanzee Trust Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support in 2014. It is your generosity, moral support and good will that had us complete 2014 on the right note. We anticipate a number of changes in our systems this year, […]
2015 Sauti za Busara Festival promotes PEACE
Sauti Za Busara 2015 Now just over a month to go … If you would like to get in touch please use busara Read the newsletter in: Swahili / Français View newsletter on browser Sauti za Busara festival: one month to go! Sauti za Busara, aka the friendliest festival on the planet, will share messages […]
East African Aviation 2015 – High Risks and Low Yields?
2015 – THE YEAR OF BITTER AND SWEET TRUTHS FOR MANY OF EAST AFRICA’S AIRLINES (Posted 09th January 2015) When looking back at 2014 it was no doubt a year of many trials and tribulations for the airlines in Eastern Africa and across the Indian Ocean islands with far too few happy notes unable to […]
Qatar Airways set to revolutionize premium air travel with new business class seat
NEW SUPER BUSINESS CLASS SEAT TO MAKE QATAR AIRWAYS FIRST CLASS OBSOLETE (Posted 09th January 2015) During a recent press conference in Doha did Qatar Airways’ Group Chief Executive get the drop on the competition, when, while answering a related question, he then announced that the airline was working on the development of an entirely […]
Quo Vadis Seychelles tourism in 2015?
ARE THE GLOVES FINALLY COMING OFF OVER THE BUDGET DEBATE IN THE SEYCHELLES? (Posted 09th January 2015) Is there trouble brewing in paradise, threatening the previously quit solid alliance presented to the outside world between public and private sector? Recent spats, taken to the newspapers and on to social media platforms suggest that certainly have […]
RwandAir’s Entebbe to Nairobi flights postponed – blame heaped on Kenyan regulators
KENYA’S CAA BLAMED FOR DELAY IN RWANDAIR FLIGHTS TO NAIROBI (Posted 09th January 2015) There appears to be growing anger directed against the Kenyan aviation regulators, not just from Tanzania where Fastjet continues to twiddle their thumbs. Fastjet, for several months now, is waiting to have their application to fly from Dar es Salaam to […]
