Serengeti Highway ruling by the EACJ set for 15th March
SERENGETI HIGHWAY DECISION SET FOR 15TH MARCH The East African Court of Justice has ruled that a decision will be handed down on the 15th of March, if the Tanzanian government will be permanently restrained to build a highway across the Serengeti, as was and is declared intent inspite of a misleading letter to the […]
Tanzania aviation news – Union in fix over public revelations of discontent at ATCL
AIRLINE UNION DOES U-TURNS AND SOMERSAULTS Information was received from Dar es Salaam, that the Communication and Transport Workers Union, representing the employees of Air Tanzania, is up to its old tricks and mischief again. The reports tell a story of details leaked to the media of growing discontent by workers with their present management, […]
Kenya’s Cheli & Peacock make it to WTTC’s Tourism for Tomorrow Award final list
CHELI & PEACOCK MAKE IT TO TOURISM FOR TOMORROW FINALISTS The prestigious WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow awards for 2012 have one of Kenyas leading tourism companies, Cheli & Peacock, on this years finalist lists, raising hopes that C&Ps trophy cabinet will soon see another shining recognition of their companys philosophy, their chosen locations and their […]
Mauritius aviation news – More flights to Mumbai from April
AIR MAURITIUS SET TO ADD FREQUENCIES TO MUMBAI It was learned late yesterday that Air Mauritius will offer additional flights between the island and Mumbai / India from April this year, bringing the total number of flights to four per week. Increased investment and trade between India and Mauritius but also the appeal of the […]
Seychelles aviation breaking news – Air Seychelles future assured by 20 million US Dollar investment from Etihad
AIR SEYCHELLES LOOKS TO THE FUTURE Added information was received since breaking the news that Abu Dhabis national airline Etihad had acquired a 40 percent stake in Air Seychelles, which will lead to a new board of directors to be appointed in early February. Talks between the two airlines management has also mapped out a […]
Seychelles aviation breaking news – Etihad set to buy 40 percent of Air Seychelles
ETIHAD BUYS INTO AIR SEYCHELLES WITH A 40 PERCENT STAKE Relations between the Seychelles and Abu Dhabi have always been friendly, if not outright tight, and when Air Seychelles announced before Christmas that they would cease their entire European operation by 10th January, and at the same time talked of a major code share arrangement […]
Gulf Air gets ‘Excellent’ rating from latest IATA passenger survey, confirms own inflight experience as what it truly was
GULF AIR GETS CABINET SUPPORT PASSENGER SURVEY CONFIRMS EXCELLENT RATING Following the resounding success of the Bahrain International Air Show, which ended last weekend, has the Bahrain cabinet thrown their full weight behind Gulf Air, which was not just the official carrier but also a key sponsor of the event. It was reported in the […]
When the ugly face of racism ruins a vacation or family outing
SOCIAL MEDIA EXPOSE RACIST ATTITUDES The tourism industry in Kenya, both private and public sector, are investigating claims made over the Christmas and New Year period, when African Kenyans went public on Twitter and Facebook, narrating experiences of being denied access to hotels and resorts and in one case being asked to leave from Flavio […]
Mauritius aviation news – Air France / KLM and Air Mauritius expand code share agreement to La Reunion
AIR MAURITIUS AND AIR FRANCE EXPAND CODE SHARE ARRANGEMENTS Information was received overnight from a source in Port Louis / Mauritius that national airline Air Mauritius and Air France have expanded a code share arrangement, covering flights between Mauritius to the French Indian Ocean territory of La Reunion. Effective on February 01st this year will […]
South Sudan breaking news – More bombings by regime aircraft target UN and refugee compound in Upper Nile State
KHARTOUM AIRFORCE TARGETS UN COMPOUND AND REFUGEE CAMP WITH BOMBINGS Alarming news emerged from South Sudan when it became known that the regime in Khartoum had targeted a UN compound and refugee camp housing people forcefully displaced in acts of ethnic cleansing from disputed territories, in this case Blue Nile, by the regimes army and […]
Turkish Airlines introduces wireless for transatlantic flights, following their live TV introduction on board the B777
TURKISH GOES WIRELESS ON BOARD THEIR WIDE BODY FLEET Information was received overnight that Turkish Airlines will introduce wireless internet access to their wide body fleet, starting with a B777, following their ground breaking introduction in November last year of live TV on board of flights across the Atlantic. The internet service will first be […]
Seychelles news – Fire at Berjaya Beach Resort and Casino prompts temporary evacuation of guests
STORE FIRE PROMPTS EVACUATION AT BERJAYA BEACH RESORT A fire in a storage room at the back of the Berjaya Beach Resort and Casino in Beau Vallon prompted a full scale evacuation of guests around 11 pm at night on Sunday. The fire brigade, which arrived only minutes after the emergency call was received, managed […]
Kenya news – New geothermal power plant construction goes underway at Olkaria
KENYAS MARCH TOWARDS RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES CONTINUES Kenyas policy decision to have half of the electricity produced by 2018 come from geothermal sources has been boosted when ground was broken yesterday to begin construction of another 280 MW geothermal power plant to be known as Olkaria III, neighbouring the existing plants of Olkaria I and […]
Tanzania news – Dodoma to Kigoma rail services resume today
TRAIN SERVICES RESUME AFTER REPAIR TO FLOOD DAMAGES Information was received from Arusha that Tanzania Railways will resume passenger train operations today, with the first service running from Dodoma, the countrys political capital, to Kigoma. Earlier in January were all train services suspended following torrential rains and flooding along key railway lines, which threatened to […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Fourth edition January 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 Get daily breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome, join me on Facebook where the articles also cross load or read the daily […]
Rwanda aviation news – Pearl Lounge Kigali uses Twitter to market their services
PEARL LOUNGE KIGALI USES TWITTER TO GAIN CLIENTS The First and Business Class Lounge at Kanombe International Airport in Kigali has sought a novel way to attract more business, not just by offering a reduced entrance fee of US Dollars 15 per person on off peak days but also by widening their reach on Twitter […]
Uganda aviation news – Qatar Airways announces resumption of Tripoli flights
QATAR AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES RETURN TO TRIPOLI Uganda had close ties with Gadaffi Libya in the past and scores of Ugandan students were studying in Libyan universities while there was a constant flow of business travelers to Libya, seeking to export produce to the North African desert country while in turn looking for investments back home […]
The ICC verdict – a potential game changer in Kenyan politics
KENYA AT CROSS ROADS The ruling by the International Criminal Court yesterday, to confirm charges brought by the Chief Prosecutors office against four of the initially six Kenyans, has rocked the establishment in Kenya, as word emerged that the four will not go down without a fight in court and take their principals with them […]
Ethiopian Airlines makes maiden flight to Seychelles with a special charter for 152 Chinese tourists
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES MAKES MAIDEN APPEARANCE IN SEYCHELLES (Pictures courtesy of Seychelles Tourism Board) While still several weeks away from commencing scheduled operations between Addis Ababa and Mahe, has the Ethiopian national airline nevertheless made the maiden flight yesterday, 22nd January with a full plane load of Chinese travelers who had booked a holiday of a […]
3 Months and counting to the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix
THREE MONTHS AND COUNTING TO THE FORMULA 1 RACE IN BAHRAIN A recent trip to the Kingdom of Bahrain for their bi-annual international air show had me pass by the F1 circuit every time I was going to or coming from the show ground at the Sakhir Air Base, and memories came back how the […]
Zanzibar news update – Ferry disaster culprits finally in court, charged with murder
FERRY DISASTER CULPRITS CHARGED IN COURT 11 people, including the captain, some of his crew and staff in charge of load controlling and operations of the ill fated ferry MV Spice Islander which sank off Zanzibar en route to Pemba were charged with murder and over 200 counts of negligence leading to death on Friday […]
East Africa’s power companies, aka The Dark Lords, are keeping their stranglehold on the region
ESCAPE FROM THE LORDS OF DARKNESS APPARENTLY NOT IN THIS LIFETIME East Africas power companies and distributors, now widely termed the Dark Lords for their inability to keep the countries supplied with sufficient electricity, have gone both defensive and offensive at the same time in recent weeks. While denying the obvious, which is an abysmal […]
Kenya aviation news – Moi International Airport VIP lounge burns to ashes
KENYA AIRPORT AUTHORITY UNDER RENEWED FIRE Pun was intended, according to a regular aviation source from Kenya, when he reported that the VIP Lounge at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa had burned to ashes yesterday morning. Only recently extensively refurbished the lounge was accessible to government officials and other VIP travelers. Said the source: […]
Kenya seeks to capitalize on the London Olympics by launching ‘Kenya House’ project
BRAND KENYA TARGETS LONDON OLYMPICS Kenya is seeking substantial publicity and exposure during the upcoming London Olympics, banking on the performance of their medium and long distance runners, as Brand Kenya is aiming to raise over 5 million US Dollars for a campaign co-sponsored by the Kenya Tourist Board, the Kenya Investment Authority, the Kenya […]
Kenya news update – ICC ruling on Kenya post 2007 election violence due this afternoon
ICC RULING HAS REGION AT EDGE At 13.30 hrs local East African time today will all who matter in this region be tuning into the news broadcasts, as the ruling by the International Criminal Court is expected today, if charges against 6 suspects of being involved in the Kenya post election violence of 2008 are […]
Uganda aviation news update – Emirates announces Dallas and Seattle as next US destinations
DALLAS AND SEATTLE NEXT FOR EMIRATES UGANDAN TRAVELERS A regular source had during my absence left a text message on my phones, none of which were inexplicably roaming in Bahrain inspite of my home operators assurances to the contrary, that Emirates was increasing their destinations in North America by two in February and March respectively. […]
Bahrain International Air Show ends, organizers look at 2014 already
BIAS 2012 ENDS, ORGANIZERS ALREADY TALK OF BIAS 2014 TO BE BIGGER, BETTER As the second edition of the Bahrain International Air Show closed its doors, or rather the skies over the Sakhir Air Base, the organizers Bahrains Civil Aviation Affairs and main sponsors Gulf Air and BATELCO in conjunction with Farnborough International, are already […]
Seychelles uses FITUR in Madrid to drive ‘affordable and accessible’ message home
SEYCHELLES STEPS UP PROMOTION OF AFFORDABLE SEYCHELLES WITH NEW SLOGAN The Seychelles Tourism Board used its presence at FITUR in Madrid to drum out the added message to key markets in Europe that Seychelles is now accessible as never before, aimed to build on the extra frequencies since last year of airlines coming to the […]
Zanzibar tourism update – Sauti Za Busara, 2 weeks and counting
SAUTI ZA BUSARA 2 WEEKS AND COUNTING It is little over two weeks now that East Africas best known and globally acclaimed music and performing arts festival Sauti Za Busara goes underway, from 09th until 12th of February. The festival programme has been finalized weeks ago and was distributed here but this reminder is for […]
Uganda aviation news update – Emirates switches Entebbe to nonstop, drops Addis stop
EMIRATES REACTS TO ADDED COMPETITION, DROPS ADDIS STOP ON ENTEBBE ROUTE Starting from the 25th of March 2012 will Emirates drop their stop enroute to and from Entebbe in Addis Ababa, giving Ugandans the long awaited nonstop connection. Passengers to and from Uganda had often complained that the stop was wasting their time but it […]
