Rwandan students airlifted back home from Cairo
RWANDAIR BRACES CAIRO UNCERTAINTIES A special charter by RwandAir was operated over the weekend to airlift some 44 students back home, as the situation in Cairo and other parts of Egypt remains tense. The operation was supported by the Egyptian civil aviation authority and Cairo airport authorities – RwandAir is not flying otherwise to Egypt – […]
Breaking News – Hunting in Tanzania, a guarantee for more controversy
RENEWED CONTROVERSY OVER HUNTING IN TANZANIA Information was received from Dar es Salaam that government will open tenders for hunting block concessions on the 10th of February this year, when bids will become known for the now 190 hunting blocks created across the East African country. While some areas are set aside apparently for subsistence hunting […]
Breaking News – Court case against Precision Air termed ‘frivolous’
LEGAL CASE AGAINST PRECISION AIR TERMED ‘FRIVOLOUS’ A case filed in the Tanzanian High Court in Dar es Salaam a few days ago, against the country’s leading airline Precision Air over an alleged claim of about 230.000 US Dollars, has been called ‘frivolous’ by regular aviation observers in Tanzania. Due for a hearing on […]
Breaking News – Rwanda commits to restoration of forest cover by 2035
RWANDA PROMISES GREATER EFFORTS TOWARDS RE-FORESTATION On the occasion of the official launch of the UN’s ‘International Year of Forests’ did Rwanda’s environment minister make a formal commitment, that the government in Kigali would restore the ancient forest belt across the country by 2035. While this may for the uninformed observer sound like a […]
News Update – Ethiopian takes delivery of third brand new B777-200LR
ETHIOPIAN TAKES DELIVERY OF THIRD B777-200LR Last weekend saw a third brand new extra long range B777-200LR join the ET fleet. Currently operating a fleet of 45 aircraft, Ethiopian has a further 34 aircraft on order, amongst them the long delayed B787 and other wide bodied aircraft from Boeing and Airbus. Two more of the B777 are due for […]
South Sudan contemplating own currency
while the regime in Khartoum is planning to ditch the Pound and revert to the Dinar of old … CURRENCY REVISION FOR BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH Information was leaked earlier in the week that the regime in Khartoum was making preparations to recall all Pound notes as they were preparing to revert to the Dinar […]
UWA shares gate receipts with Lake Mburo communities
UWA SUPPORTS LAKE MBURO COMMUNITIES Over 177 million Uganda Shillings were yesterday handed over to communities living outside the Lake Mburo National Park by the Uganda Wildlife Authority as part of their mandated gate receipt sharing scheme. The funds will be used to complete projects the communities had agreed with UWA in the past to improve the […]
Breaking News – RwandAir announces Brazzaville flights from March
RWANDAIR’S BRAZZAVILLE FLIGHTS SET FOR MARCH Next month will see the launch of RwandAir’s 13th destination across Africa when flights to Brazzaville / Congo will commence. Depending on demand the airline will use either a B737 – two brand new B737-800’s are also due to join the fleet later this year – or their proven workhorse […]
Kenya Airways’ new E190AR enters service
NEW EMBRAER E190AR JOINS KENYA AIRWAYS’ FLEET A brand new E190AR (advanced range) was delivered to the Kenyan flag carrier recently, bringing the total of their Embraer aircraft to now 6 – with more expected in due course. The new airliner, equipped with ‘in-seat screens’ for the inflight […]
Khartoum regime ‘accepts’ interim referendum results
KHARTOUM ACCEPTS REFERENDUM RESULTS News emerged today from Khartoum that the regime has ‘recognized’ the preliminary results published by the SSRC – South Sudan Referendum Commission – which indicates a 99+ percent yes vote for independence from the North. At the same time have regime figures openly blamed the SPLM – Sudan People Liberation Movement for the […]
Seychelles wetland conservation efforts termed ‘exemplary’
SEYCHELLES WETLAND CONSERVATION EFFORTS ‘EXEMPLARY’ While observing the World Wetlands Day across the archipelago the Seychelles’ conservation efforts were described as a ‘model’ and example for others. The Seychelles are blessed with extensive coastal and marine protected areas, jealously guarded by a range of governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations and the pride and joy […]
Precision Air resumes Mwanza – Bukoba service
PRECISION AIR RETURNS TO BUKOBA – LOOKS AT EXPANSION The rise of Precision Air to the level of a quasi national airline – in view of the decline of Air Tanzania over the past years – has brought new connections to the Tanzanian travelling public. It was learned earlier in the week that Precision has […]
Lake Victoria’s MV Kalangala back in service – finally
LAKE FERRY RESUMES OPERATIONS The Ministry of Works and Transport finally conceded that serious errors were made in the past agreement they had signed with a private sector company to run and maintain the ferry. Built by government and paid for with taxpayers money the ferry was to address serious safety and scheduling concerns […]
Zanzibari tour operators complain about pollution
RESORTS ACCUSED OF LITTERING AND POLLUTION The Zanzibar Association of Tour Operators has during the recently concluded annual general meeting made a range of allegations towards a number of resorts and private residences along the island’s beaches. The asked government to take corrective action against open disposal or rubbish, littering and pollution of the ocean’s […]
Fly 540 Tanzania news update
LOW FARES BY FLY540 RATTLE TANZANIAN COMPETITION The recent introduction of flights between Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s Indian Ocean port city, and Mwanza, the Tanzanian Lake Victoria municipality, has hit the market with a ‘bang’ as the fares charged by Fly540 are reportedly as much as 50 percent lower than the ones demanded for by for […]
Tourism News from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, First edition February 2011
TOURISM NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region Reports, Travel Stories and Opinions By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Twitter: @whthome Blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com First edition February 2011 US ADMIRAL ADMITS THAT PIRACY EQUATES TO TERRORISM US Vice Admiral Mark Fox was quoted last week in an AFP news services release that ‘only counter terrorism […]
Breaking News – Cairo transit – too hot to handle?
CAIRO TRANSIT – TOO HOT TO HANDLE? As information filtered into Uganda about international airlines cancelling their scheduled flights to Cairo and other Egyptian ‘hot spots’ while charter airlines were busy flying passengers home from the Red Sea resorts and other tourist centres in Egypt, travel agents here in Uganda – and reportedly also […]
Breaking News – Kenya’s air fare wars escalate yet more
AIR FAR WAR ESCALATES YET MORE Overnight were news received from Nairobi, that Kenya Airways has done a ‘double’ on Fly 540 and other airlines like Jetlink, when they once again used their seemingly deep pockets and lowered fares on the domestic routes to both Mombasa and Kisumu. In one fell swoop did KQ, now […]
Tourism News from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, Fourth edition January 2011
TOURISM NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region Reports, Travel Stories and Opinions By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Twitter: @whthome Blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Fourth edition January 2011 Uganda News MOBILE OPERATORS NOW TARGET INTERNATIONAL TARIFFS The move last year to an almost uniform tariff of 3 Uganda Shillings per second for calls […]
Tourism News from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, Third edition January 2011
TOURISM NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region Third edition January 2011 Reports, Travel Stories and Opinions By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Twitter: @whthome Blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Third edition January 2011 Uganda News BRUSSELS AIRLINES CARRIES MORE TRAFFIC IN 2010 Inspite of the problems in 2010 with the Icelandic ash cloud and the severe […]
Tourism News from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, Second edition January 2011
TOURISM NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region Reports, Travel Stories and Opinions By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Twitter: @whthome Blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Second edition January 2011 Uganda News TWO MORE GORILLA BABIES BORN BEFORE YEAR END The Uganda Wildlife Authority just released details about the birth of two more […]
Tourism News from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, First edition January 2011
TOURISM NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region Reports, Travel Stories and Opinions By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Twitter: @whthome Blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com First edition January 2011 Uganda News ENTEBBE ROAD UPGRADE CONSTRUCTION START PROMISED FOR MID 2011 It was learned during the last week that the Uganda National Road Authority […]
2010 in review
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health: The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is on fire!. Crunchy numbers A helper monkey made this abstract painting, inspired by your stats. A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. […]
Tourism News from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, Fourth edition December 2010
TOURISM NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region Reports, Travel Stories and Opinions By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Twitter: @whthome Blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com End of year (Fourth) edition December 2010 Uganda News BREAKING NEWS YELLOW FEVER OUTBREAK REPORTED FROM NORTHERN UGANDA It was learned overnight that over the festive season cases of […]
Tourism News from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, Christmas (Third) edition December 2010
TOURISM NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region Reports, Travel Stories and Opinions By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Twitter: @whthome Blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Christmas (Third) edition December 2010 FLY 540 FINALLY TAKES TO THE SKIES IN ANGOLA As the saying goes ‘better late than never’ applies here too, when a regular […]
Breaking News – Fly 540 takes over East African Safari Air Express
FLY 540 TAKES OVER EAST AFRICAN SAFARI AIR EXPRESS The owners of EASAX, the first victim of the escalating fare war in Kenya, had a soft landing, when – following the initial wet-lease of their DC9 aircraft by Fly 540 – the region’s first low cost carrier put in an offer to buy EASAX lock […]
Breaking News – Serengeti rhino, recently relocated, poached for its horns
BLACK RHINO KILLED IN SERENGETI AFTER COSTLY RELOCATION The Tanzanian government has come under severe criticism when news emerged that one of the five Eastern Black Rhinos brought from South Africa earlier in the year, has been found dead with the horns removed by poachers. The news were greeted with dismay amongst conservationists from around the […]
Tourism News from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, Second edition December 2010
Tourism News from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, First edition December 2010
TOURISM NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region Reports, Travel Stories and Opinions By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Twitter: @whthome Blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com First edition December 2010 RECOMMENDED ‘MUST READ’ REGIONAL MEDIA CONNECTIONS For those readers with an interest in learning more about the going on’s in Kenya and Uganda, the current […]
Breaking News – Air fare war in Kenya claims first victim
FIRST CASUALTY IN AIRFARE WARS IN KENYA East African Safari Air Express, airline coding B5, has halted all flights in the face of ever stiffer competition in particular on ‘their route’ to Juba / Southern Sudan and shrinking traffic to what used to be their ‘plum destination’ Lokichoggio / Northern Kenya. The airline, which was […]
