Gulf aviation news – Rivals and Allies, all at once
NO LOVE LOST BETWEEN KEY GULF AVIATION RIVALS When Emirates launched their global sales campaign on Boxing Day travelers from around the world flocked to their travel agents or booked online with up to 25 percent knocked off the cost of a ticket. Not so in Qatar it was just learned where authorities banned Emirates […]
Kenya news update – Global media frenzy hammers Kenya over security fallout on role in Somalia
RENEWED TERROR WARNINGS SHOCK KENYAS TOURISM FRATERNITY Warnings by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK, about the possibility of an imminent terror strike on Kenya, and in particular targeting foreign nationals, especially British, has shocked the Kenyan public and the tourism fraternity and are putting a cloud over the otherwise bright prospect of […]
Rwanda conservation news – Where the government walks the talk
RWANDA, WHERE THEY WALK THE TALK ON FOREST CONSERVATION (NASA Earth Observatory Picture, showing Gishwati Forest and its location in relation to Lake Kivu) When I hear suggestions why dont you just move there from nit picking members of the envy crowd here in Kampala, I know they mean Rwanda, a country which has won […]
Southern Sudan news update – Fledgling tourism sector falls victim to circumstances
ETHNIC VIOLENCE AND WAR THREATS LIKELY TO KILL FLEDGLING TOURISM Tourism once was a beacon of hope for the newly independent Republic of Southern Sudan, but those hopes are being dashed now on multiple fronts and all at once. Inter ethnic violence struck earlier in the week when several thousand armed youths of the Lou […]
African Union formally incorporates Kenyan troops into AMISOM
AFRICAN UNION INTEGRATES KENYAN TROOPS INTO AMISOM MISSION News reached overnight that the African Union has now formally integrated the Kenyan troops inside Somalia into the AU / UN AMISOM mission. Kenya invaded the lawless territory under control by Islamic militants, mainly the Al Shabab group but also other Al Qaida affiliates, after several abductions […]
Ethiopian aviation breaking news – ET to retrofit blended winglets to the B767-300ER fleet
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES TO INSTALL BLENDED WINGLETS FROM NEXT MONTH ON B767-300ERS Information was confirmed from Addis Ababa that Ethiopian Airlines will convert initially three of their current B767-300ER aircraft from early February to a blended winglets format, aimed to reduce operating costs due to substantially lower fuel burn but also lower the airlines carbon footprint. […]
Kenya’s future takes shape as new ‘Leisure City’ near Isiolo gets the green light
KENYA CEMENTS REGIONAL LEADERSHIP BY PUTTING FIRST RESORT CITY INTO MOTION Kenyas ambition to maintain her standing as a regional tourism super power have gained added momentum earlier in the week, when news emerged from Nairobi that the planned Isiolo Resort City was moving further ahead, with the Isiolo County Council now being formally requested […]
Uganda conservation news – Mt. Elgon remains a hotspot for illegal squatters and encroachment
MORE CONTROVERSY OVER MT. ELGON ENCROACHMENT Following an article yesterday over the massive loss of forest cover in Uganda, over past years and more importantly projected to continue in the future, it is worrying to learn that rogue politicians are again inciting people around Mt. Elgon to maintain and increase their encroachment while making demands […]
East African aviation update – A new battlefield for Embraer and Bombardier
BOMBARDIER VERSUS EMBRAER ON BATTLEFIELD EAST AFRICA Aircraft manufacturers, keenly aware of Kenya Airways growth plans for the next 10 years, have turned their focus now on the wider region, where ageing equipment used by a number of airlines needs replacing sooner rather than later, for reasons of sheer economics such as fuel burn and […]
Kenya aviation news update – New Year, New Website for KQ
SASSY NEW WEBSITE FOR KENYA AIRWAYS The Pride of Africa has something more to be proud of, now that their new website is up and running and the few teething problems have been sorted out. Tickets anyone, payment for a trip, check in on line, seat reservations, details on the Flying Blue mileage account, all […]
Uganda aviation news – Air Uganda now flies twice a day to Juba
AIR UGANDA NOW GOES TWICE A DAY TO JUBA A new schedule has taken effect between Entebbe and Juba, as Air Uganda has now commenced twice work daily flights between the two airports, offering a morning and afternoon departure and for the first time making a day trip from Uganda to Southern Sudans capital city […]
Tanzania aviation news – Less air accidents in 2011 is good news
2011 ENDS WITH LESS AIR ACCIDENTS A source close to the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that the recently ended year 2012 saw less civil air accidents in spite of more flying being recorded compared to the year 2010. Last year only 12 air accidents were recorded in Tanzania compared with 13 a year […]
Uganda’s shrinking forests – nearly 90.000 hectares lost in 2011
CONSERVATIONISTS DECRY LOSS OF FOREST HABITAT When figures became available yesterday, that Uganda had once again lost nearly 90.000 hectares of forest cover to converted agricultural land and for producing charcoal, environmentalists were shocked and saddened, some of them clearly too stunned to comment even. In 2010 a similar forest loss figure was released by […]
Mauritius news – 2011 ends with a 4 percent rise in visitor’s numbers
RESORTS AND HOTELS EXPRESS SATISFACTION WITH 2011 By the end of November of last year had 852.347 visitors arrived in Mauritius, confirming that by the end of the year data are not yet available the island will have an anticipated overall arrival summary of around 940.000 visitors for 2011. This will represent an increase of […]
Seychelles aviation and tourism news – Transaero commences fligths between Moscow and Mahe
RUSSIAS TRANSAERO LAUNCHES SEYCHELLES FLIGHTS After receiving all regulatory approvals from Russia and the Seychelles has Transaero finally started their long awaited flights between Moscow and Mahe. The Seychelles private sector last year had made urgent representations to have flights approved, and while presently only running until Easter, Transaero is said to be seeking permission […]
Kenya tourism breaking news – Elsa’s Kopje bags another award
ELSAS KOPJE BAGS MORE HONOURS (Picture courtesy of Cheli & Peacock) Exceptional in a collection of outstanding properties comes to mind when talking about Elsas Kopje in Meru National Park and it is no mistake that this extraordinary property has in the past attracted accolades from travel writers, travel magazines and won prize after prize […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – Aviation sector in flux with new constellations emerging
KENYAS AVIATION SECTOR IN A STATE OF FLUX Nothing ever seems certain in the East African aviation industry, but the simple truth that what goes up eventually has to come down again. Key industry players, those in jet aviation like giant Kenya Airways, private carrier Jetlink owned by aviation veterans Capts. Aluvale and Patel, Fly […]
Tanzania conservation news – TAWIRI report sees President Kikwete get into the frame of anti poaching
PRESIDENT GETS INVOLVED TO SAVE WILDLIFE The Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, in short TAWIRI, has handed over a shocking report to President Kikwete earlier this week, showing a massive decline in elephant populations in the Selous Game Reserve and the Mikumi National Park, with estimates going as high as 30.000 elephant having been wiped out […]
Congo conservation news – Two mountain gorilla babies born in Virunga NP
MOUNTAIN GORILLA FAMILY GETS BABIES OVER CHRISTMAS Information was just received that the Kabirizi and Mapuwa families, habituated groups of mountain gorillas in the Congo DRs Virunga National Park, has had one birth each over the Christmas period or in late December. The Mapuwa group now counts 17 members while the Kabirizi group has grown […]
Rwanda aviation breaking news – RwandAir sells two CRJ 200 aircraft with immediate effect to prepare for new aircraft arrivals by June
RWANDAIR SELLS TWO CRJ200 TO MAKE SPACE FOR LARGER JETS News were just confirmed that RwandAir has sold, with immediate effect, their two CRJ200 aircraft which the airline had acquired two and a half years ago from Germanys Lufthansa Cityline. The jets will leave service right away and the schedule, recently beefed up, will be […]
Kenya aviation news – South Africa’s 1Time announces Mombasa flights from March 2012
1TIME TO COMMENCE MOMBASA FLIGHTS IN MARCH Information was just confirmed that 1Time, one of South Africas low cost carriers, will add Mombasa to their network by March this year, following successful flights between OR Tambo in Johannesburg to Zanzibar. The twice a week service to Mombasa will open the South African market for holidays […]
Ethiopian aviation breaking news – Ethiopian Airlines sells all remaining 5 Fokker 50’s to Singaporean company
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES SELLS FOKKER 50 FLEET It was confirmed from a periodic source in Addis Ababa that Ethiopian Airlines has sold their entire fleet of turboprop Fokker 50 aircraft to a buyer in South East Asia, reportedly to a company based in Singapore. The 5 aircraft are expected to yield anywhere between 30 and 35 […]
Uganda tourism breaking news – CNNGo selects Chobe Safari Lodge’s Spa as 5th best in the world ‘with a view’
CHOBE SAFARI LODGES SPA DECLARED 5TH BEST IN THE WORLD WITH A VIEW Uganda’s Chobe Safari Lodge, owned and operated by the Madhvani Group’s Marasa Africa, has put the country in the spotlight when CNNGo, in its annual listing of the 10 Spas with the most amazing views, has rated Chobe in a very respectable […]
Guest Appearance by Shelly Mirriam – Environmentalists Are For Progress
This is the first of what I hope will be ‘regular’ guest appearances on my blog, courtesy of Shelly Mirriam. In the past I received many comments about being ‘anti development’, ‘anti progress’, was trying to ‘deny Africa her rights’ when reporting about hair brained white elephant projects which would do little else but cause […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, First edition January 2012
TOURISM, AVIATION 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 or read the daily postings on my blog via: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Many of these articles […]
Rwanda tourism news – New record arrivals and revenues for 2011 all but confirmed now
TOURISM ENDS TOP EARNER FOR 2011 IN RWANDA Preliminary figures availed over the weekend from usually well informed sources indicate that the tourism sector has overtaken coffee and tea to become Rwandas top foreign exchange earner, during a year which also saw new arrival records being established. The widening network and increased flight frequencies by […]
Tanzania conservation news – Enquiry into alleged illegal wildlife export ‘stuck in its tracks’
PUBLIC HULLABALLOO OVER WILDLIFE SMUGGLING DOES NOT TRANSLATE INTO ACTION Conservationists keen to find out more about the allegations made last year, that a Qatari air force plane was flying wildlife out of Kilimanjaro International Airport under the eyes of the authorities, will need to wait longer it seems. The committee put into place to […]
Libyan assets in East Africa – still awaiting the African Union’s green light to be returned to their owners?
LIBYAN INVESTMENTS IN EAST AFRICA TO BE DECIDED BY AU SUMMIT Reports are emerging that the forthcoming African Union Summit in Addis Ababa later in January will have Libyas frozen investments on the agenda, as according to findings countries which imposed the freeze have been equally slow to let go of them and return them […]
Uganda conservation news – Mabira Forest under renewed threat, widespread logging exposed
GOVERNMENT ACCUSED TO TURN A BLIND EYE ON ILLEGAL MABIRA LOGGING Information came to light that sections of the prized Mabira Forest, a crucial national water tower and green lung for the capital Kampala and its growing metropolitan area, are being indiscriminately logged by unknown individuals, with the National Forest Authority apparently helpless or toothless […]
Kenya breaking news – Ferry boat sinks off Lamu with over 80 New Year’s travellers on board
Update: Red Cross Kenya says 25 survivors found alive, some in need of treatment, 9 bodies found so far, total number of passengers thought to have been 82. BOAT TRAGEDY HITS LAMU 2011 was a year tourism stakeholders in Lamu will be swift to forget, considering the two abductions from nearby Kiwayu and Manda […]
