BRUSSELS AIRLINES REDUCES BUJUMBURA FREQUENCIES FROM TWO TO ONE
(Posted 23rd November 2015)
As repeatedly reported here over the past few months has the political situation in Burundi deteriorated to an extend now that airlines are looking at shifting capacity away from the country due to significantly reduced travel from and to the country. Tourism, little as it was when former Director General of the Burundi Tourism Office Ms. Carmen Nibigira blitzed the global markets, is now on its deathbed, in part caused by archaic Visa regulations and of course primarily due to the growing level of violence and insecurity in the country. Arbitrary arrests of in particular Rwandan nationals were widely publicized in the East African media, leading to a further decline of even regional travel to Burundi and the physical attack on East African Community Secretary General when he was in Bujumbura a few weeks ago to head mediation talks, purely because he is a Rwandan national, has further isolated the Nkurunziza regime.
Brussels Airlines has now reacted as the first of the airlines flying to Bujumbura – others are Kenya Airways, RwandAir and FlyDubai – and announced a shift of capacity away from Burundi. The Belgian flag carrier will with immediate effect only fly once a week from Brussels, via Kigali to Bujumbura and even that flight is according to information from Burundi under constant review, should the aggressive stand of the regime against Belgium not change.
Beneficiary is Uganda where Brussels Airlines now introduces a fourth weekly flight to the delight of local fans of the airline. From the upcoming Winter Schedule will three flights operate nonstop both ways between Brussels and Entebbe and the fourth flight on every Wednesday until the 26th of March 2016 will operate Brussels – Entebbe – Kigali – Brussels. This change is effective 25th of November.
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