Mauritius news – Blackout hits island after lightning struck electrical installations
BLACKOUT HITS MAURITIUS Tuesday saw unusual meteorological conditions over Mauritius cause severe thunderstorms, during which lightning struck key electrical installations, prompting an island wide power outage. While beach resorts were able to switch on backup generators, almost the entire island otherwise went without electricity until later in the day and in parts until evening, when […]
Kenya travel news – Twende Tu to hit the market in early 2012
TWENDE TU SET TO HIT MARKET IN EARLY 2012 The demise of Twende, the East African regions premier travel and lifestyle magazine, still leaves many of their faithful in agony, as coming across good travel information since then has become quite a challenge. Travel News, which merged with Twende before the rot set in at […]
Kenya tourism news – Cheli and Peacock now market ‘Cottars 1920 Private House’
CHELI & PEACOCK ADD COTTARS 1920 PRIVATE HOUSE TO THEIR COLLECTION Not resting on their laurels, having just won several key tourism awards, Cheli and Peacock have just announced that they will now market the Cottars 1920 Private House, which is located just below the Olderikesi Hills, outside the Masai Mara Game Reserve on its […]
Uganda news – The Broadband Company packs it in as the battle for market share heats up
INTERNET BATTLE CLAIMS FIRST VICTIM The Broadband Company, launched a few years ago with much fanfare in Kampala, is reportedly winding up its business in Uganda following a decision by the shareholders that it was no longer viable to continue operations in what has become a highly competitive market. The immediate halt of operations has […]
Zanzibar news update – Sauti Za Busara artist line up confirmed
SAUTI ZA BUSARA ARTIST LINE UP FOR 2012 ANNOUNCED East Africas best known music and performing arts festival, Sauti Za Busara, held annually in February on the spice island of Zanzibar, has just announced the final line up of artists for next years edition. Africas big names are lined up again as the festival has […]
Ethiopian aviation news – A Star Alliance member, finally …
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES JOINS STAR ALLIANCE Yesterday marked the long awaited entry of one of Africas foremost airlines, Ethiopian, which successfully concluded the process of alignments and harmonization required to become part of the worlds leading airline group, STAR Alliance as its 28th member. The other member airlines were represented in Addis Ababa for the party, […]
Aviation news – B777 obtains expanded ETOPS approvals from FAA
ANOTHER FIRST FOR BOEING AS THE B777 GETS 330 MINUTES ETOPS APPROVALS The FAA has announced that they have approved extended operations times for the B777 from the previous 240 minutes, or 4 hours, to now a maximum of 330 minutes or 5 ½ hours flying time, following years of data gathering and interpretation on […]
Kenya aviation news – It is B787 Dreamliner day at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
IT IS B787 DREAMLINER DAY AT JOMO KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL IN NAIROBI (Today in the skies over Kenya, the new B787 Dreamliner. Picture courtesy of Boeing) When the Dreamliner will land later this morning, at 10.45 hrs eta to be precise, in Kenyas capital Nairobi for the first time ever, and by the looks of the […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Second edition December 2011
TOURISM, AVIATION AND CONSERVATION NEWS from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands A weekly roundup of 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 then also […]
Uganda aviation news – Another crash of aircraft associated with the military prompts calls for safety enquiry
ANOTHER MILITARY PLANE CRASH PROMPTS CALLS FOR MAJOR SAFETY OVERHAUL News broke late yesterday of yet another crash of an aircraft associated with the Ugandan military, when it became known that a plane taking off from Arua, reportedly under charter to the military or related outfits, crashed shortly after takeoff, thankfully without loss of life. […]
Kenya aviation news – Search for pilots intensifies as B787 Dreamliner expected in Nairobi for ‘showcasing’
KENYA AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES NEW HIRING SCHEME AS B787 AWAITED IN NAIROBI (Picture courtesy of Boeing Commercial Airplanes) Boeing Commercial Airplanes in conjunction with Kenya Airways will later this week bring the B787 Dreamliner to Nairobi for the first time, showing off to the Kenyan public, and the media, what type of aircraft the airline has […]
Kenya news update – Windpower plant in Turkana on course
KENYA SETS EXAMPLE FOR AFRICA WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES The setting up of what will be Africas largest windpower farm in the Turkana area of the country, has been cited as a prime example of how the continent, hungry for electricity, can tap into renewable sources of energy like geothermal, solar and as shown here […]
Seychelles news – 43 Belgian travel agents visit the Seychelles
CREOLE TRAVEL SERVICE TEAMS UP WITH TOP PARTNERS TO HOST BELGIAN AGENTS 43 travel agents from the Kingdom of Belgium were last week in the Seychelles on invitation from Creole Travel Services and a range of top class hotels, rolling out the red carpet for them to experience the destination from its Sunday best. Besides […]
Uganda aviation news – ENHAS loses out as CAA approves self handling for Air Uganda come January 2012
SELFHANDLING FOR AIR UGANDA Beginning from January 2012 will Ugandas quasi national airline Air Uganda, otherwise known as U7, begin to handle their own flights, after a long battle with the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority, leaving near monopolist ENHAS short of what is thought to be revenues of just under a million US Dollars. Air […]
Tanzania aviation news – Swissport’s monopoly ended by TCAA’s grant of new licenses
TCAA ENDS SWISSPORT MONOPOLY After years of arguments and heated exchanges between airlines and the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority has a decision finally come down to end the unsustainable monopoly at the countrys key airport Dar es Salaam, to license another handling company. Swissport already had lost Tanzanias largest airline company, Precision Air, which after […]
South Sudan news – Uncertain future prevents tourism to take off
UNCERTAIN FUTURE PREVENTS INVESTMENTS, SLOWS TOURISM DEVELOPMENTS War talk between the newly independent South Sudan and the former slave masters in Khartoum is leaving its marks on expected investments and in particular tourism developments, as uncertainty now overshadows the future of Africas latest independent nation. Ethnic cleansing in the disputed regions of Abyei, Blue Nile […]
Tanzania conservation news – Ice cap or no ice cap, as Maige blunders again
MINISTER DENIES KILIMANJARO ICE CAP DISAPPEARANCE Environmental experts and climate change researchers acquainted with the impact of the phenomenon have for some time now predicted, that the ice caps of East Africas mountains, on the Rwenzoris, Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimanjaro, would by 2025 have largely disappeared, then only collecting fresh snowfall insufficient to reverse […]
Tanzania tourism breaking news – President Kikwete officially opens new National Tourism College
KIKWETE COMMISSIONS NEW NATIONAL TOURISM COLLEGE The tape was finally cut at the new National College for Tourism yesterday by none other than Tanzanias President Jakaya Kikwete, who officially declared the new facility open a day after celebrating Tanganyikas 50th anniversary and Golden Jubilee of Independence from Britain. The college, built with substantial assistance by […]
Kenya aviation news – KCAA commissions state of the art equipment
KCAA UPGRADES NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT Following a 3.5 billion investment by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority was state of the art equipment commissioned at the countrys main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Nairobi and Moi International Mombasa, giving the aviation fraternity the latest technology in airspace monitoring and communications with air traffic controllers. Initially started […]
Kenya tourism news – All signals green for new record year for Kenya’s tourism sector
GOOD NEWS FOR KENYA TOURISM AS UHURU DAY COMES CALLING Ahead of the long weekend, on Monday 12th December Kenya will celebrate Uhuru Day, aka Independence Day, were figures released of the performance of the tourism sector for the months between January and October 2011, which showed a sharp increase in arrivals and an even […]
Indian Ocean aviation news – Could cooperation or a merger have saved Air Seychelles
ARE COOPERATION OR MERGERS THE WAY FORWARD FOR INDIAN OCEAN AIRLINES? The social media and blog sites are running hot with input of friends, staff and aficionados of Air Seychelles, who cannot bear the thought that The Creole Spirit is to be reduced to a small regional carrier, which besides operating domestic routes between the […]
Uganda news – UMEME takes their new media campaign straight to the city’s leading tweeps
UMEME STRIKES BACK WITH A #TEAPARTYUG Embattled Ugandan electricity distributor UMEME, under harsh criticism in recent weeks for the massive powercuts across the country, often lasting 24 hours at a go and more, has changed tack and in a new strategy is now attempting to engage with Kampalas leading social media gurus and opinion leaders, […]
50 years for Tanganyika as celebrations begin at day break
50 YEARS FOR TANGANYIKA, NOT YET FOR THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA Today, Friday the 09th December, is a big day in what is today the United Republic of Tanzania, as the country marks 50 years of Independence from colonial masters Britain for what was then to become Tanganyika. Pomp and glamour will mark the […]
African aviation news – Will EasyJet’s Stelios partner with Lonrho?
SPECULATION GROWING OVER EASYJETS STELIOS INVOLVEMENT ON AFRICAN LCC Over the past weeks was speculation growing in Eastern Africa about a potential involvement by former EasyJets top executive Stelios Iannou, said to consider joining hands with Lonrho to develop and implement a viable low cost carrier model for Africa, using jet aircraft to connect major […]
Mauritius tourism news update – Emirates adds 11th weekly flight, helps MTPA to promote the country
EMIRATES ADDS FLIGHTS, SUPPORTS TOURISM AUTHORITY IN MARKETING DRIVE Tourism stakeholders clearly got their way, after demanding for long that the aviation regulators grant more flights to foreign airlines, when it was confirmed that Emirates, Dubais national airline, will add an 11th weekly flight between the UAE and Mauritius. The added frequency, ahead of the […]
Burundi aviation news – Flag carrier Air Burundi orders Chinese built turboprops
AIR BURUNDI ORDERS CHINESE BUILT MA60 TURBOPROPS According to a source in Bujumbura has national airline Air Burundi now ordered two Chinese built turboprop aircraft of MA60 types, in an apparent effort to boost capacity and allow the flag carrier to fly to key neighbouring countries, like Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and even Congo under […]
Uganda / Zanzibar travel news – Air Uganda turns into ‘Santa’s airline’ with incredible holiday package
AIR UGANDA NOW TOPS PREVIOUS TOP OFFER OF 2011 WITH ZANZIBAR PACKAGE No sooner had Air Uganda launched their incredible package for 3 nights at the Leopard Beach Resort, Diani Beach, Mombasa, inclusive of all taxes and destination transfers, causing a mini run on the airline offices as the offer was only available till the […]
Kenya aviation news – Talk of new aviation laws makes stakeholders wary
AVIATION STAKEHOLDERS WARY OF INTENDED CHANGE OF LAWS The aviation fraternity is bracing for another fight with government, when it became known that there are plans afoot to change the laws governing the sector, including legislation governing the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority. Transport minister Amos Kimunya made the announcement yesterday when addressing a workshop on […]
Kenya news update – Nairobi Aviation College evicted from premises, students stranded
NAIROBI AVIATION COLLEGE STUDENTS LEFT IN LURCH The Nairobi Aviation College, one of the privately owned institutions teaching programmes relevant to starting a career in aviation or a travel agency, found itself locked out of their premises yesterday over a long standing default with rent payments to the landlord ICDC. The school was reportedly on […]
Ivory and rhino horn trafficking – finally a change in Chinese position?
RELENTLESS PRESSURE PAYS OFF AS CHINA CUSTOMS CONSIDERS USE OF SNIFFER DOGS The stinging global criticism against Chinas apparent hesitation to join Africa in protecting its wildlife heritage, which has grown louder and more intense month after month, is apparently showing some reaction now in the Peoples Republic. Intercepted shipments of blood ivory and rhino […]
