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 […]
More controversy over poaching figures as opposition politician claims real numbers more than twice as high
TANZANIA’S SHADOW TOURISM MINISTER MAKES BLISTERING POACHING ALLEGATIONS The member of parliament for the Iringa constituency Mr. Peter Msigwa, has yesterday made blistering allegations against unnamed top politicians and called for a fresh parliamentary enquiry into the true extent of poaching in Tanzania, when he claimed that over a quarter of all blood ivory now […]
RwandAir looks with confidence to 2013 after a record breaking 2012
RWANDAIR’S LOOK INTO THE FUTURE A source close to RwandAir has given indication that the airline is continuing in2013 where they ended last year, eyes firmly focused on expansion. Two leased B737-500 aircraft, introduced in 2010, will see their contracts come to an end later this year, making way for the introduction of more modern […]
Emirates acts fast to up capacity to Dar by 40 percent after BA withdrawal
EMIRATES REACTS FAST TO BA WITHDRAWAL NEWS While many in Tanzania are still struggling to come to terms with the announced withdrawal of British Airways from the skies over Dar es Salaam – the airline last week confirmed their withdrawal from the end of March – Gulf giant Emirates was swiftest to react and make […]
Jimmy Kibati made Acting Commercial Director as Mohan Chandra exits Kenya Airways
KENYA AIRWAYS PARTS COMPANY WITH MOHAN CHANDRA AS KIBATI TAKES OVER Mr. Jim Kibati was made Acting Commercial Director on Friday as Mohan Chandra, until the 18th of January the Commercial Director of Kenya Airways, left the Pride of Africa after his contract expired and was not renewed. Mohan served with Kenya Airways since August […]
Weekly roundup of news from Easten Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Third 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 […]
Seychelles Tourism Academy – a true Centre of Excellence in Africa
SEYCHELLES TOURISM ACADEMY SIGNS MOU WITH OMAN’S TOURISM COLLEGE As often said here before, the Seychelles Tourism Academy is turning into an Africa Centre of Excellence, supported along this path by a strong commitment from government as well as the private sector across the archipelago. Ongoing reconstruction of classrooms, application facilities, of a restaurant, meeting […]
Garissa hotel attack attributed to Al Shabab remnants
GARISSA HOTEL SCENE OF ANOTHER AL SHABAB ATTACK While there is no indication at present if the indiscriminate shooting the evening before yesterday at the Dunes Hotel in Garissa was related to the just concluded party nominations for political elective offices – a major rally was planned for later the following day by one of […]
Rwanda set to ponder introduction of hospitality training fund
MAKE HOSPITALITY TRAINING A GREATER PRIORITY SAYS RWANDA PRIVATE SECTOR The Tourism Chamber, part of the Private Sector Federation in Rwanda, has recently completed a field study aimed at establishing service levels and competence among staff encountered in off the books, off the record and incognito visits by the consultants’ staff. The Rwanda Development Board, […]
Nairobi Safari Walk doubles fees for pupils, students and children
KWS ANNOUNCES FEE RISE FOR SAFARI WALK Come February will the cost of visiting the Nairobi Safari Walk at the KWS headquarters and entrance to the Nairobi National Park go up for students and children from the present 50 bob to 100 Kenya Shillings, a result of risen cost and the need to generate additional […]
Mauritius Airport announces record passenger movements for 2012
AIRPORT MAURITIUS ANNOUNCES PROFITS FOR LAST FINANCIAL YEAR With nearly 2.7 million passengers arriving, departing and transiting through the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in 2012, the parastatal company announced a dividend to be paid to the Mauritius government of 460 million Rupees from a combined operational pre-tax profit of nearly 1.4 billion Rupees. The […]
Precision launches Mbeya flights
PRECISION LAUNCHES MBEYA FLIGHTS AMID DEMANDS TO HAVE FUEL AT SONGWE Precision Air on Wednesday launched the long awaited scheduled flights to Songwe Airport, which serves Mbeya and the wider region of the Southern Tanzanian highlands. The inaugural flight carried among others the Founder and current Chairman of Precision Air Mr. Michael Shirima, and the […]
