KQ passengers to the US via Paris can now enjoy more transatlantic flights on the A380
ALLIANCE LINKS GIVE KENYA AIRWAYS PASSENGERS ACCESS TO A380 FLIGHTS TO THE US The membership in SkyTeam by Kenya Airways gives passengers flying with The Pride of Africa to Paris a third connection on the giant A380 aircraft into the US, now that partner Air France has made Los Angeles their latest daily destination served […]
Maige’s tainted legacy torn to shreds by more revelations and PCCB investigation
THE VULTURES ARE CIRCLING ON MAIGES TAINTED LEGACY The parliamentary committees report, which led to the downfall of former disgraced, and often said to be quite inept tourism minister Ezekiel Maige, has now triggered a formal investigation by the Tanzanian anti corruption watch dog PCCB, which is investigating the ministers and his ministry officials conduct […]
Treetops set to light Royal Beacon tonight as Diamond Jubilee Celebrations come to a close
TREETOPS SET TO LIGHT QUEENS BEACON Known as THE place where a princess climbed up into a tree lookout one evening and came down as a queen the next morning, the world famous Treetops in the Aberdare National Park outside Nyeri, will be the place to be tonight in Kenya for all those fond of […]
Kwita Izina’s 8th edition ‘ante portas’
KWITA IZINA 2012 PROGRAMME OUT A cycling race from 09th to the 10th of June will kick off the formal start of Kwita Izina 2012 activities this year, when a large number of cyclists from Rwanda, the wider region and from overseas will set out from the Rwandan capital Kigali and ride their way across […]
Demand for Gulf Air’s daily service from Nairobi peaking up for the summer season
GULF AIR READY FOR THE SUMMER RUSH The daily flights between Nairobi and Bahrain, with onward connections into the Gulf Air network to Europe, the Middle East and beyond, 50 cities in 31 countries to be precise, are reportedly in great demand for the peak summer season, when expatriates from Eastern Africa are commencing their […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, First edition June 2012
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 […]
Two weekend crashes renew focus on aviation safety in Africa
TWO CRASHES IN ONE WEEKEND SHOCK AFRICAS FREQUENT FLYERS Readers of newspapers will wake up this Monday morning to news that the Lagos crash of Dana Air, which operates on the route between Abuja and Lagos, has claimed 147 lives when all on board the MD 80 aircraft died as the plane apparently hit a […]
Rwanda set to introduce a new tourism bill
NEW TOURISM BILL TO BE SENT TO PARLIAMENT FOR CONSIDERATION Rwanda is putting final touches on a new tourism bill, which is expected to be sent to parliament for consideration and debate before the end of June, it was learned from a regular source in Kigali. The success story of tourism in Rwanda has become […]
Seychelles’ tourism minister St. Ange honoured by Madagascar for extraordinary tourism promotion efforts
MADAGASCAR PRESIDENT HONOURS SEYCHELLES ST. ANGE FOR HIS WORK (Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St. Ange seen here at an interview with this correspondent) The Minister of Tourism and Culture of the Seychelles, Alain St. Ange, was honoured at the end of his stay in Madagascar, where he was invited as guest of […]
RwandAir formally announces Bert van der Stege’s appointment as Commercial Director
RWANDAIR FORMALLY ANNOUNCES BERT VAN DER STEGES APPOINTMENT News broken here 2 weeks ago about Bert van der Stege joining RwandAir from Arik Air, has now been formally confirmed by the Rwandan flag carrier when a formal statement was released this afternoon. In fact, Berts designation was upped from the initial General Manager Commercial to […]
NEMA’s Southern Bypass License prohibits use of national park land
CONTRAVENING SOUTHERN BYPASS LICENSE MAY BRING PROJECT TO A HALT Following information received some weeks ago that the East Africa Wildlife Society, ANEW African Network for Endangered Wildlife and Dr. Paula Kahumbu were seeking to take government to court over the routing of the Southern Bypass through the Nairobi National Park, has NEMA now too […]
Kwita Izina 2012 approaches as RDB Tourism and Conservation shares success data
RWANDA DEVELOPMENT BOARD GIVES BACK TO COMMUNITIES Ms. Rica Rwigamba, Head of Tourism and Conservation at the Rwanda Development Board, has in a statement released yesterday underscored how over 1.4 billion Rwanda Francs was spent during the past 8 years in support of community based projects for the provision of water, sanitation, schools and other […]
Mauritius Carnival – Different Views and Different News
MAURITIUS CARNIVAL DIFFERENT VIEWS AND DIFFERENT NEWS In what must have been a communication from a supporter of embattled MTPA chief Karl Mootoosamy an opinion was expressed to this correspondent, which shows the growing lager mentality of those close to Karl and his inner circle. A broadside of allegations was fired off against the Seychelles […]
Another near miss as aircraft forced to return to Juba with technical problems
ANOTHER NEAR MISS AS CHARTERED AIRCRAFT FORCED TO RETURN TO JUBA Reports from Juba International Airport by a regular source from there have confirmed information obtained through other channels yesterday, that indeed another plane, carrying a minister in the Juba government was forced to return within minutes of leaving the airport for the town of […]
Brussels Airlines commences New York flights today
BRUSSELS AIRLINES LAUNCHES NEW YORK FLIGHTS Flights leaving East Africa last night on Brussels Airlines will today for the first time be able to connect on a Brussels Airlines flight to New York, aka the Big Apple, as the airline launches its inaugural flights to JFK on the 01st of June. Long operated in code […]
Kempinski set to meet the media in Nairobi on 12th June
KEMPINSKI CONFIRMS JUNE 12TH MEDIA BRIEFING FOR KEMPINSKI VILLA ROSA NAIROBI Lashley Pulsipher, the Dubai based Kempinski Hotels Regional Director of Public Relations for the Middle East and Africa, will be in Nairobi in 10 days time to hold a media briefing on the progress of the upcoming Kempinski Villa Rosa Nairobi on June 12th, […]
Uganda Civil Aviation Authority sets date for next licensing hearing
CIVIL AVIATION LICENSING HEARING ANNOUNCED FOR JULY 05TH The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority has just announced the date for the next licensing hearing for Thursday, the 05th of July, commencing at 11.30 hrs (a.m.) at the Imperial Royale Hotel in the heart of Kampala. The licensing committee will be hearing a disappointing 8 applications only, […]
Kenya Airways gets 10th Embraer E190
KENYA AIRWAYS ADDS 10TH E 190 TO FLEET Kenya Airways has confirmed the delivery of their 10th Embraer E190 jet, configured with 12 business class and 84 economy class seats, this being the last of 3 leased from the Air Lease Corporation or in short ALC. The new jet will greatly assist the airline in […]
Leopard Beach Resort and Spa suffers fire damage while undergoing the annual maintenance cycle
LEOPARD BEACH RESORT AND SPA SUFFERS FIRE DAMAGE The Chui as the Leopard Beach is fondly called amongst friends of the resort last night suffered fire damage to the makuti roofs near the main building, when around 02.15 a.m. the fire alarm was sounded by the night staff. The resort is undergoing its annual spring […]
Madagascar International Tourism Fair opened by Seychelles’ tourism minister Alain St. Ange
SEYCHELLES ST. ANGE GUEST OF HONOUR AT MADAGASCAR TOURISM FAIR The Minister for Tourism and Culture of the Seychelles, Alain St. Ange, was invited by the Madagascar government as guest of honour to formally open the islands International Tourism Fair, as Madagascar is trying to re-emerge from the political cold it found itself in over […]
Tanzania’s tourism minister issues statement on Zanzibar situation
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT SEEKS TO REASSURE THE TOURISM INDUSTRY Tanzanias recently appointed Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Khamis Kagesheki, yesterday issued his media statement to the situation on Zanzibar, where violence swept the old Stone Town on Friday and Saturday while other parts of the island came under siege on Monday, as suspects were produced […]
Kenya Airways postpones announcement of share rights issue, combines it with annual financial results publication
KENYA AIRWAYS PUSHES SHARE RIGHTS ISSUE ANNOUNCEMENT TO JUNE 06TH Regular sources were tightlipped at Kenya Airways head offices in Embakasi / Nairobi over the true reasons why the expected media announcement over the performance of the share rights issue was suddenly postponed by a week to 06th June. There is speculation in the market […]
Air Seychelles to double flights to Johannesburg from early 2013 / Routes Africa 2012 update
AIR SEYCHELLES PLAN FOUR FLIGHTS A WEEK TO JOHANNESBURG FROM 2013 Information has come to light that the Seychelles national airline intends to double their presently two flights per week between Mahe and Johannesburg to four from January next year, when more aircraft will have joined the fleet. Due to arrive first is an Airbus […]
Kenya tourism stakeholders meet Minister to discuss Monday incident and future strategy
KENYA TOURISM STANDS TOGETHER TO FACE AFTERMATH OF NAIROBI INCIDENT Key stakeholders from the private and public sector as well as association leaders have stood up to be counted yesterday and condemned the criminal masterminds and perpetrators of the bombing of a shop on Moi Avenue, which injured according to the latest figures some 27 […]
Rwanda holds inaugural guide certification exam
RWANDA GUIDES SIT FOR EXAMS PART ONE OF FOUR While in Kigali it was learned through a number of contacts that the Rwanda Safari Guide Association has yesterday for the first time offered their members to sit for exams for Bronze Status, the entry level for recognized guides to be certified according to both regional […]
Seychelles promote tourist safety and security amidst growing arrival numbers
KEEP SEYCHELLES SAFE SAYS TOURISM MINISTER, WE DEPEND ON TOURISTS As the murder trial on Mauritius is now underway, where two suspects are standing trial over allegations of having killed British tourist Michaela McAreavey in her hotel room, the Seychelles tourism establishment left no opportunity pass last week and this week to publicly promote the […]
Sporadic violence continues into Monday as 30 rioters charged in Zanzibar court
FRESH CHURCH BURNING ON ZANZIBAR AS RIOTERS CHARGED IN COURT At least thirty rioters were charged yesterday in courts of law in Zanzibar, following their arrest over the weekend, when mobs incited by sectarian talk stormed two Christian churches and burned them down. More are expected to appear in court today and though several were […]
Blast shakes Nairobi’s Moi Avenue, 27 injured and no cause confirmed as yet
NAIROBI BLAST LEAVES CITY SHAKEN According to a phoned in report, while on the road in Kenya, did just after 1 p.m. today an explosion take place in a building along Moi Avenue in the centre of Nairobi, injuring at least 27 people who were, according to the Nairobi based source, admitted to the Kenyatta […]
Zanzibar clashes see two churches burnt and running battles between Islamic radicals and security forces
ZANZIBAR RADICALS OPPOSED TO UNION WITH MAINLAND CAUSE WEEKEND CHAOS In what has been described as acts of frenzied madness have radical Islamists attacked at least two churches in Zanzibar over the weekend, setting them on fire while engaging in running battles with security forces, which were rushed to the scene to deal with the […]
Cat Cocos celebrates 5th anniversary of service between Mahe and Praslin
INTER ISLAND FERRY TURNS FIVE (The Cat Cocos as seen during a past visit to the Seychelles) The high speed ferry between the Seychelles main island of Mahe to the archipelagos second island Praslin over the weekend celebrated 5 years in operations, five years of commercial success and five years of taking tourists and Seychellois […]
