Chinese blood ivory smugglers escape justice with 340 US Dollar fine in Nairobi court
KENYA FINES IVORY SMUGGLERS 340 DOLLARS AS UGANDA PROPOSES 10 YEAR JAIL TERM Conservationists were up in arms when a court in Nairobi yesterday handed fines worth 340 US Dollars to four Chinese citizens caught smuggling blood ivory through Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, enroute from Lubumbashi in the Congo DR. The magistrate, when handing […]
Air Seychelles second A330-200 emerges from paintshop with new livery
AIR SEYCHELLES GETS SECOND AIRBUS A330 Air Seychelles, Etihad’s Indian Ocean islands partner airline, has seen a second Airbus A330-200, emerge from the Etihad maintenance facility’s paintshop this week. The new aircraft will soon fly to Mahe before formally being put into service with the inaugural flight to Hong Kong in early March as well […]
STA signs MoU with Shanghai Tourism Institute
SEYCHELLES TOURISM ACADEMY SIGNS MOU WITH SHANGHAI COUNTERPARTS The Seychelles Tourism Academy and China’s Shanghai Institute of Tourism have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, paving the way for lecturers and students to follow internship programs within both institutions. The MOU was officially signed by Mr. Flavien Joubert, the Principal of Seychelles Tourism Academy and Weiwu […]
Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association Chairman Louis D’Offay speaks out
SEYCHELLES PRIVATE SECTOR MEETS TO DISCUSS INDUSTRY AFFAIRS Members of the SHTA, the Seychelles Hospitality & Tourism Association from Praslin and La Digue Islands met at a General Meeting at La Reserve Hotel on Praslin last Saturday. The Praslin and La Digue tourism professionals meeting was organised by their SHTA to be better updated on […]
New Jetlink/FastJet alliance on the horizon as Fly540 deal at verge of collapse?
JETLINK SUBJECT TO SPECULATIONS OVER FASTJET LINK Reports are emerging from Nairobi that Jetlink, a privately owned airline based in Nairobi and grounded some months ago over South Sudan’s failure to permit repatriation of funds kept in Juba’s banks from ticket sales worth over 2 million US Dollars, may be in talks with FastJet for […]
Kenya Airways publishes operating performance details for Q3
KENYA AIRWAYS RELEASES 3RD QUARTER RESULTS Kenya Airways just published the following statement about their operating performance in the third quarter of the financial year 2012/13. The company put into the market capacity totalling 3,613m seat kilometres which was 1.1% above prior year’s level. The growth during the period was as a result of introducing […]
Pan African Dance Festival comes to Rwanda in February
COUNTING DOWN TOWARD THE PAN AFRICAN DANCE FESTIVAL IN KIGALI FESPAD, the Pan African Dance Festival, is coming to Kigali and will launch with a big ceremony on the 23rd of February before reaching its climax in March 02nd. Hosted by the Ministry of Sports and Culture in conjunction with the Rwanda Development Board’s Tourism […]
Four poachers killed in Serengeti after fire fight with rangers
ANTIPOACHING OPERATION IN SERENGETI SEES 4 POACHERS KILLED IN FIRE FIGHT News were confirmed over the weekend that 4 poachers, caught red handed trying to hack the tusks out of a recently killed elephant, met their fate when they foolishly decided to engage in a fire fight with anti poaching patrols and rangers in the […]
Brussels Airlines joins hands with RwandAir, Serena and Thousand Hills to showcase their new cabin product
SN PARTNERS WITH RWANDAIR, SERENA AND THOUSAND HILLS TO SHOWCASE NEW CABIN Last weekend saw Brussels Airlines, and code share partners RwandAir, team up with Serena Hotels and Thousand Hills Expeditions to host a team of journalists from Kenya’s leading TV stations and print media to showcase the new cabin layout and let them sample […]
Weekly summary of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Fourth edition January 2013
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 You can get your daily breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome, join me on www.facebook.com/WolfgangHThome where the articles also ‘cross load’ or […]
‘By hook or crook – that soda ash plant at Lake Natron must come’ suggests NDC official
TANZANIA’S NDC REFUSES TO REVEAL NAMES OF LAKE NATRON BIDDERS The refusal by the National Development Corporation last week to declare the names of as many as 6 bidders for one of the country’s most controversial projects, a soda ash extraction plant at Lake Natron, has brought immediate strong condemnation by local, regional and international […]
Uganda Police deploys 184 Tourism Police officers after graduation
INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE PASSES OUT 184 TOURISM POLICE OFFICERS Uganda’s Inspector General of Police, Lt. General Kale Kayihura, last Friday passed out 184 specially trained police officers as staff of Uganda’s Tourism Police. Drawn from across the ranks of the Uganda Police Force, the officers had both applied and were selected for their skills […]
Likoni ferry passengers crushed to death by out of control trailer truck
DEADLY ACCIDENT CLAIMS 11 AS LORRY RAMS INTO LIKONI FERRY News are just breaking from a source in Mombasa that a lorry, losing the breaks and subsequently control over the vehicle, rammed into passengers at the Likoni side ferry ramp, killing at least 11 instantly while scores of others suffered serious injuries and had to […]
RwandAir to replace B737-500’s with B737-700’s
RWANDAIR CEO CONFIRMS MID YEAR SWITCH FROM THE B737-500 TO THE B737-700 RwandAir’s Ceo John Mirenge, while meeting a group of journalists from leading East African media houses yesterday, confirmed that the leases for two B737-500 aircraft with GECAS are due to expire by mid of this year and will not be renewed. It was […]
Sheraton heading to Kigali
SHERATON SET FOR KIGALI ENTRY Information from Kigali indicates that a Chinese owned company, Century Park Hotels and Residences Ltd. has acquired part of a 75 hectares large piece of land, adjoining Lake Nyagahene, in order to commence the construction later this year of a new luxury hotel which will be managed by Starwood’s Sheraton […]
Wings of Kilimanjaro set to have 100 climbers fly off Uhuru peak
WINGS OF KILIMANJARO ATTEMPTS RECORD BREAKING CLIMB Wings of Kilimanjaro has obtained a special dispensation from the Tanzanian government to allow for the globally supported event to go ahead, which will include some 100 approved participants overall, all of whom will also attempt to climb the peaks of Africa’s highest mountain in a record breaking […]
Ol Pejeta launches their Maxi Adventure
OL PEJETA NOW OFFERS ‘SAFARI BY BIKE’ Often described as one of Kenya’s most complete safari experiences, a visit to the Ol Pejeta conservancy always holds high expectations for a rewarding safari experience and many regular visitors are sure to find innovations and new facilities every time they come to the sprawling estate. Be it […]
Brussels Airlines launches new cabin product in Kampala
BRUSSELS AIRLINES LAUNCHES NEW CABIN PRODUCT IN KAMPALA The Kampala Serena Conference Centre’s main auditorium was the place to be last night, as Brussels Airlines presented the Ugandan travel trade, business community and regular travelers with their latest cabin product, showcasing their new seats in both economy and business class. The new flat bed, pneumatically […]
Precision Air makes it into Tanzania’s top 20 brands
PRECISION AIR MAKES IT INTO THE TOP 20 OF TANZANIA’S SUPERBRANDS The London based Centre for Brand Analysis has just published its findings for Tanzania for the year 2012/13, covering all segments of the country’s economy. To no surprise did such global names as Coca Cola, Fanta and Vodacom make it into the top 20, […]
Hemingways now just weeks from opening their 5 star deluxe Nairobi all suite hotel
MORE LUXURY HOTELS FOR NAIROBI AS HEMINGWAYS GOES TO FINAL COUNTDOWN Confidence in Kenya’s economic future and political stability must be at the roots of the current rush to open a string of new hotels in the top segment in Nairobi and recent announcements by leading global hotel groups about coming to Kenya’s capital either […]
Turkish Airline to expand European connectivity by end of March
TURKISH TO INCREASE EUROPEAN CONNECTIVITY COME SUMMER SCHEDULE Turkish Airlines, covering East Africa with flights to Entebbe, Kigali, Nairobi, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro – and as such being the foreign airline with the most East African destination airports – has just announced the expansion of the European network services, once the summer schedule […]
Ol Pejeta to deploy drones in anti poaching fight
OL PEJETA BUYS UAV TO LAUNCH AIRBORNE SURVEILLANCE IN ANTI POACHING FIGHT High tech is now entering the fight against poaching in Kenya as the Ol Pejeta Conservancy has announced they raised the funds needed to buy an UAV, aka Drone, to have eyes in the skies over the sprawling 90.000 hectares estate, which serves […]
Ethiopian reduces European capacity in summer schedule
ETHIOPIAN SET TO REDUCE EUROPE CAPACITY IN SUMMER Scheduling information now becoming available suggests that Italy, France and Belgium will from the 20th of June onwards seen capacity reductions in their links to Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines. From what can be seen, Brussels flights will be reduced from currently 6 to 5 only, three […]
New Doha mega airport set to open on April 01
QATAR TO OPEN NEW HAMAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN DOHA ON APRIL 01 A regular source from Qatar Airways has confirmed that the new mega airport, due to be named on opening as Hamad International Airport Doha, will open its doors on Easter Monday, 01st April this year. The planned soft opening was announced this afternoon […]
Porini Mara Camp attains EcoTourism Kenya’s most coveted Gold Rating
PORINI MARA CAMP JOINS THE ELITE RANKS OF ECOTOURISM KENYA’S GOLD LABELS News just broke from Nairobi that the Porini Mara Camp, located on the Ol Kinyei Conservancy adjoining the Masai Mara Game Reserve, has attained the highest marks possible in the annual eco ratings published by EcoTourism Kenya, when it gained, alongside sister camp […]
Emirates brings the A380 to Mauritius – one time only
EMIRATES TO FLY THE A380 TO MAURITIUS IN MARCH Information has been confirmed by a regular aviation source from the Gulf that Emirates, the award winning national airline of Dubai, will in a one off flight present the giant of the airways, the Airbus A380, to the Mauritius market on the 12th of March this […]
Happy Birthday Kenya Airways and Happy Landings, always
KENYA AIRWAYS TURNS 36 Following the collapse of East African Airways and the progressive breakdown of the then original East African Community, was Kenya Airways formed as a state corporation on the 22nd of January 1977. Starting up with two Fokker 27 Friendship aircraft, a DC 9, and eventually as many as three B707 and […]
Etihad and KLM set to code share flights to SEZ and AMS
KLM TO CODESHARE WITH ETIHAD FOR SEYCHELLES FLIGHTS Etihad, Abu Dhabi’s national airline and 40 percent owner of Air Seychelles, has announced daily flights effective May 15th between Abu Dhabi and Amsterdam as part of an extensive new code share agreement with Dutch national airline KLM. The daily A330-200 service between the two cities will […]
Kenya Airways boosts fleet with another E190
KENYA AIRWAYS TAKES DELIVERY OF ANOTHER E 190 With the delivery of another Embraer E190 has Kenya Airways boosted its fleet over the weekend, affirming it as Africa’s largest operator of this aircraft type. Registered as 5Y-FFF the single aisle regional jet offers 12 business class seats with a 2 x 1 layout and 84 […]
Seychelles and Australia sign new BASA
SEYCHELLES AND AUSTRALIA SIGN NEW ENHANCED BILATERAL AIR SERVICE AGREEMENT The Seychellois Minister for Home Affairs and Transport Joel Morgan and the Australian Minister for Pacific Affairs Richard Marles on Friday signed a new and greatly enhances BASA, aka Bilateral Air Services Agreement, to facilitate improvements in air transport between the two countries and allow […]
