Uganda aviation news – Gulf Air appoints GSA
GULF AIR APPOINTS GSA FOR UGANDA The Bahrain based airline, due to commence flights to Uganda from the 05th December onwards, has yesterday announced the appointment of a General Sales Agent in the country, casting aside their former partners who represented the airline until their withdrawal from the route several years ago, settling for the […]
Seychelles aviation news – Ethiopian postpones Seychelles flights on eve of inaugural
FLIGHTS TO SEYCHELLES POSTPONED Soon after a meeting between the Seychellois tourism gurus and senior Ethiopian Airlines staff on the sidelines of the World Tourism Market in London, when future cooperation was discussed, was it learned that ET has now postponed the start of flights between Addis Ababa and Mahe for operational reasons, a purely […]
Tanzania aviation update – Mwanza airport closed after flooding
TORRENTIAL RAINS BRING AIR TRAFFIC IN MWANZA TO A HALT Rains of biblical proportions hit the lake side municipality of Mwanza late Sunday into Monday, forcing the airport management to eventually cancel all flight operations in and out of Mwanza as a result of flooded runways, taxiways and aprons. Affected were a number of flights, […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, Third edition November 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 […]
Rwanda aviation news – RwandAir announces date for Lagos flights
RWANDAIR ANNOUNCES LAGOS FLIGHTS FOR 03RD DECEMBER The Rwandan national airline has just announced that they will, as previously mentioned here, commence flights to Lagos / Nigeria as of 03rd December this year. Departure and arrival times of the flight have been tuned to allow easy connections to onward flights to Dubai via Mombasa, Nairobi […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – Smoke in cabin forces take off by Jetlink aircraft to be abandoned
SMOKE IN CABIN FORCED JETLINK AIRCRAFT TO ABONDON TAKE OFF In a report just in from a Twitter source, attempting to travel to Mombasa on a Jetlink flight originating from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, it was confirmed that the take off was aborted as smoke filled the cabin. The CRJ200 jet was set to take […]
South Sudan aviation news – ICAO admits South Sudan as 191st member state
SOUTH SUDAN JOINS ICAO As the long march for the new Republic of South Sudan continues into Independence, the young country has made another milestone step when it finally was accepted as the 191st member of ICAO. The International Civil Aviation Organization admitted South Sudan last week on the 10th of November, paving the way […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – B787 Dreamliner set to visit Kenya
DREAMLINER SET TO MAKE A VISIT TO THE EAST AFRICAN SKIES Information was received from usually reliable sources that the Boeing B787 Dreamliner will make a maiden visit to East Africa, with planned stops at Nairobis Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and to Addis Ababa too, amongst other countries to be visited. Kenya Airways has 9 […]
East African tourism news – Balala calls for speedy integration of East Africa’s tourism
BALALA DECRIES SLOW PACE OF REGIONAL TOURISM INTEGRATION Kenyas tourism ministry Najib Balala, at the end of the World Travel Market in London last Thursday, decried the slow pace of regional integration of the tourism industry, which in his words was hampering the sector capturing more tourists, generating more investment, creating more jobs and earning […]
Kenya aviation news – Brutal demolitions mark start of fight for land outside JKIA
BRUTAL DEMOLITIONS MARK START OF LAND OCCUPATION BY KAA Kenyans will be waking up on Monday morning, shocked to read about another act of government brutality and open defiance of ongoing court proceedings, as hundreds of expensive homes were raided and destroyed over the weekend notably done when courts were not in session to obtain […]
Eastern Congo conservation news – Elephant population decimated in war torn areas
EASTERN CONGO ELEPHANT POPULATION MORE THAN HALFED IN LAST DECADE Alarming figures have emerged from research carried out in the Eastern Congo, a region savaged by civil war and divided by militia ruled fiefdoms, denying the central government in Kinshasa full control or a part of the country rich in natural resources, both in the […]
Aviation news update – Emirates announces new record breaking order for the B777-300ER
DUBAI AIRSHOW 2011 FAR FROM SUCCUMBING TO ECONOMIC WORRIES (Aerial display over the skies of Dubai part of the bi-annual Dubai Air Show) The bi-annual Dubai Air Show started off with a bang yesterday, when Emirates announced a record breaking firm order for 50 B777-300ER and a further 20 options, which if as expected exercised […]
Seychelles news update – Seychelles’ first wind power plant getting ready to produce electricity
NEW WINDFARM SET TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY FOR MAHE BEFORE END OF YEAR Information was received from Victoria overnight that an Abu Dhabi / UAE based clean energy company will commission the archipelagos first wind turbine power plant, thought to go on line as early as before the end of December. Initiated as part of a […]
Seychelles news update – New naval base commissioned on Ile Perseverance
SEYCHELLES PRESIDENT OPENS NEW COAST GUARD BASE A brand new base for the Seychelles Coast Guard was opened yesterday by President James Michel at Ile Perseverance in the presence of high ranking visitors from the United Arab Emirates, which funded the construction of the new facility and gave it to the Seychelles as a gift. […]
Africa tourism news – Table Mountain makes it into the Top 7 of the ‘New Wonders of the World’
TABLE MOUNTAIN REPRESENTS AFRICA IN 7 NEW WONDERS OF THE WORLD In a last ditch effort has Cape Towns campaign for votes yielded the desired result when the famous Table Mountain according to the provisional results now available occupied the 7th position in the global race for fame. Other attractions hoping to make it to […]
Rwanda hospitality news – Hotel association gets new chairman
RWANDA HOTEL ASSOCIATION ELECTS NEW CHAIR The just concluded annual general meeting of the Rwanda Hotel and Restaurant Association has elected Mr. Dennis Karera as the new chairperson. Upon his election Karera emphasized the need to improve training and skills amongst staff to offer better services across the hospitality industry in Rwanda, while also calling […]
Kenya / Ethiopia news – New road and highway deal signed in Addis Ababa
KENYA AND ETHIOPIA INK 750 MILLION US DOLLAR ROAD DEAL A new and closer strategic partnership is forming between Kenya and Ethiopia as a result of current and past developments in the wider region and in particular the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia, now landlocked and the direct route to the former Red Sea ports of […]
Tanzania breaking news – Ferry accident figures now made public confirm the worst
FERRY ACCIDENT REPORT REVEALS FULL SCALE OF DISASTER The Tanzanian government appears shell shocked over leaks of the long awaited and well nearly locked up report of the commission of enquiry, and was seemingly unable to answer allegations as the 50th anniversary of Independence from Britain approaches. Information received from both Zanzibar and Dar es […]
Mauritius news – Water shortages to persist into next year
WATER RATIONING MAY AFFECT TOURIST RESORTS TOO Information was received from Mauritius that the ongoing water shortage will extend right across the peak holiday season over Christmas and New Year into January 2012, with periodic rationing now a problem for not just the tourist sector but the Mauritian population at large. Sources on the island […]
Seychelles news update – State House turns 100 today
STATE HOUSE TURNS CENTENARIAN (State House Victoria all decked out in national colours earlier this year ahead of the swearing in of President Michel for another term of office) The famous landmark State House in Victoria, now seat of the President and previously the mansion of the British colonial governors, is turning 100 years old […]
Seychelles news update – Government to use armed Ghurkas to protect fishing and cargo vessels
SEYCHELLES TO ARM FISHING VESSELS, OFFERS ARMED PROTECTION TO SHIPPING Information was received from Victoria yesterday that the government has in the face of a recent abduction by Somali ocean terrorists of two Seychellois fishermen stepped up the ante by granting armed escorts to all fishing boats under the national flag. Reportedly did Home Affairs […]
Tanzania aviation news – ATCL seeks salvation through manufacturer deals
AIR TANZANIA TURNS TO BOMBARDIER / CANDADIAN GOVERNMENT FOR LOANS Air Tanzania, presently flying a single Bombardier Q300 plane, has gotten creative in the face of adversity and reportedly approached the Canadian manufacturer with the aim to acquire aircraft from them, thought to be initially of CRJ200 makes. Usually well informed and reliable sources have […]
Kenya breaking news – Mara Marathon ‘barred from venue’ according to land owners
LAND OWNERS BAN MARATHON ROUTE FROM THEIR LAND In a stunning development it was learned overnight that the Kenya Airways sponsored Masai Mara Marathon might not take place on the 19th November as planned, since apparently the land owners have barred the route from crossing their land. Several of the directors of the landowning company […]
Uganda aviation news – Dubai Airshow traffic restrictions not to affect travellers from Uganda
EMIRATES FLIGHTS FROM UGANDA NOT AFFECTED BY AIRSHOW TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS The Dubai Airshow, which will once again take place between this coming Sunday and next Thursday, will according to a source at the Emirates office in Kampala not affect the timings of the daily flight between Dubai and Entebbe, as the restricted period has been […]
Zanzibar tourism – Sauti Za Busara needs sponsorships, arranges to meet tourism stakeholders
SAUTI ZA BUSARA BIGGEST EVENT FOR ZANZIBAR TOURISM Zanzibars globally renowned music and culture festival, Sauti Za Busara, is finally getting the official recognition it has always deserved, when official tourism sources announced that a stakeholder meeting will be held later in the week to discuss ways and means to further improve the festivals standing […]
Kenya tourism news – Mara roads a long way from completion as Roads Board asks for more money
KENYA ROAD AGENCY WANTS YET MORE MONEY FOR MARA ROADS In what can only be described a damning admission has the Kenya Roads Board now asked for a lot of more money to complete a series of road projects, both new and upgrades from the mudholes and craterscapes many have become. In particular the section […]
Uganda news – ‘Kanyeihamba report’ heading to court as conservation stakeholders vow to tear it apart
FALLOUT BEGINS OVER KANYEIHAMBA REPORT Leading figures, including at least one former chairperson of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, have already vowed to take legal action against the now dissolved Commission of Enquiry for being named in what to many looks a revenge attack by Kanyeihamba and his commission underlings. The entire uselessness of the report […]
Seychelles aviation breaking news – Singapore route to be dropped by end November
AIR SEYCHELLES DROPS SINGAPORE AS RESTRUCTURING CONTINUES News broke today that Air Seychelles will, effective 22nd November 2011, drop its once a week flight between Mahe and Singapore, throwing a spanner in the works of promoting the archipelago in this part of the Far East but at the same time keeping an eye on cost […]
Rwanda tourism news – Arrivals up by 28 percent compared with 2010
RWANDAS ARRIVALS UP BY 28 PERCENT The Rwanda Development Boards Tourism and Conservation division staff went to Londons WTM armed with good news: Arrivals are up, AGAIN, by over 28 percent compared to the previous year, manifesting the result of hard work and creative approaches to marketing the country and keeping it in the spotlight […]
Kenya aviation news – Africa’s top spot in aviation will be ours, claims regular aviation source from Nairobi
KENYA AIRWAYS TOO ASPIRES TO OCCUPY THE CONTINENTAL TOP SPOT No sooner had a report been filed here last week about Ethiopian Airlines aspiration to be the undisputed Number One airline in Africa, did a regular source from Nairobi rush material and input to this correspondent, claiming that it was in fact Kenya Airways which […]
