Rwanda aviation news – ICAO conducts aviation safety workshop
ICAO TRAINS RWANDAS AVIATION PERSONNEL Staff of the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority but also from private airlines last week commenced a two week training course, organized by ICAO, to update information and bring personnel the latest news and skills they need in todays aviation world. Earlier ICAO country audits had reportedly established deficits in some […]
Uganda aviation breaking news – Qatar Airways inaugural flight lands in Entebbe
QATAR AIRWAYS HITS THE TARMAC WITH BOTH FEET RUNNING When QR 536, an Airbus A320 in a two class configuration with the latest inflight entertainment equipment and OnAir internet connectivity on board, landed at Entebbe International Airport for the first time on a scheduled flight a few minutes ago, there was the traditional water arc […]
Seychelles aviation news – ‘Amirantes’ returns to ILFC’s holding base
AMIRANTES NOW GONE BACK TOO TO ILFC Air Seychelles has confirmed that their second B767-200, named Amirantes, has now also been flown back to the United States where it has now arrived at a designated airfield where the International Lease Finance Corporation keeps their planes. The lease, initially running until 2014, was upon mutual agreement […]
East Africa aviation news update – Economic trends and performance likely to impact on airline share sales
ECONOMIC WOES IN EAST AFRICA LIKELY TO IMPACT ON AIRLINE SHARE OFFERS Honestly this could not have come at a worse time, Central Banks pushing interest rates up, liquidity getting tighter, credit more expensive and now both Precision and KQ are in the market for floating shares said a regular aviation pundit from Nairobi to […]
East Africa news – As Al Shabab manages to fly in new supplies, calls for total embargo grow
CONSENSUS BUILDS ON TOTAL EMBARGO ON SOMALIA AND NO FLY ZONE The news that two plane loads of weaponry and ammunition being offloaded yesterday at the airport of Baidoa in Al Shabab controlled parts of Somalia has sent a further message to the powers involved in the fight against terrorism and militancy in this largely […]
Kenya aviation and tourism news update – Amadeus teams up with Kenya Airways, Iberia and GTTP
AMADEUS TEAM UP WITH KENYA AIRWAYS, IBERIA AND GTTP TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS In a remarkable partnership did Amadeus East Africa join hands with Kenya Airways, Iberia and the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership to bring 100 computers to 18 secondary schools and village polytechnics. This initiative is aimed to support the roll out of GTTPs […]
South Sudan news – Contract for planning of new capital in Ramciel given to China
PLANNING FOR NEW CAPITAL AWARDED TO CHINESE COMPANY The newly independent Republic of South Sudan soon after Independence Day announced that the central government would shift to Ramciel, a location presently in the middle of nowhere and just over 100 kilometres north of Juba, the present location of GoSS but also state capital of Central […]
Tanzania aviation news – Precision Air’s IPO expanded for a week to sell in Kenya
PRECISION AIRS IPO EXPANDED BY A WEEK In what some financial analysts called a stunning development overnight has it been learned that Precision Airs IPO, which by all accounts had ended last Friday with results due out by November 11th and trading to commence on December 08th, has been extended by another week. The news […]
Weekly roundup of news from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, First edition November 2011
TOURISM, AVIATION AND CONSERVATION NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region 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 news – Inflation now tops 30 percent according to Bank of Uganda figures just released
PREDICTIONS COME THROUGH AS INFLATION HITS 30+ PERCENT Ugandans will wake up to the stark reality that inflation has now gone above 30+ percent, the highest level since January 1993, when it had reached 34+ percent. With prices escalating literally by the day now, life is getting harder every month and incomes erode with no […]
Kenya news – Kenya Airways commits 290 Million Shillings to Rugby Seven team in record breaking deal
KENYA AIRWAYS SIGNS MAJOR SPONSORSHIP DEAL WITH KENYA RUGBY 7 Information was received late yesterday that Kenyas national airline has signed a 2 year record sponsorship deal worth 290 million Kenya Shillings for the Kenyan Rugby Seven national side. 18 players and four coaches and staff will under the new and much improved deal get […]
East Africa news – The unseen enemy from above is now hunting Al Shabab on the ground
THE INVISIBLE ENEMY IS NOW HUNTING AL SHABAB FROM THE SKIES In what must have been one of the worst kept secrets, probably not meant to be kept at all, has it finally been made official last weekend by US army sources that a number of UAVs are now operating from Ethiopian territory, deployed against […]
Seychelles aviation news – New Air Seychelles livery shown off over Mahe
AIR SEYCHELLES THE CREOLE SPIRIT DISPLAYS NEW LIVERY The first of three B767-300 aircraft has now come back from the paint shop and is for the first time flying in its new livery, a change recently announced with much fanfare and as part of rebranding the Seychelles national airline. The plane, christened The Creole Spirit […]
Tanzania news – Tourism Minister tells operators not to cheat the tax man
DONT CHEAT THE TAXMAN, MINISTER ADVISES TOUR OPERATORS Tanzanias minister for natural resources and tourism Ezekiel Maige attended a meeting last weekend of the Kilimanjaro Tour Operators Association in Moshi to interact with the private sector and get first hand information on grievances voiced by members. Notably did association members denounce non-member companies, which they […]
Tanzania aviation breaking news – Air Tanzania to get airborne again on Tuesday
AIR TANZANIA TO GET AIRBORNE AGAIN ON TUESDAY The Tanzanian national airline, if that attribute at all can apply these days considering that the carrier was grounded for months at end and has a single turboprop plane, is due to return to the skies over Tanzania on Tuesday this week. After a massive bailout from […]
Rwanda tourism updates – New destination image and brand overhaul set for 2012
RWANDA TOURISM TO REBRAND IN 2012 While in Kigali recently it could be established that the Rwanda Development Board Tourism and Conservation, was preparing for a complete rebranding of its image abroad, aimed to attract more visitors and offer a greater range of innovative products for tourists, alongside its most visible tourists activity gorilla tracking. […]
Tanzania conservation news – Plastic bags to be banned, finally
GOOD NEWS FOR TANZANIAS ENVIRONMENT, AT LAST A total ban for the manufacture and use of plastic bags is in the offing in Tanzania, as government is fine-tuning legislative and regulatory drafts, which in due course are to be submitted to parliament for debate and endorsement. Previous control measures, introduced in 2006, proved to be […]
Kenya aviation news – Nyaribo airstrip near Nyeri gets new paved 1.3 KM runway
NYARIBO AIRSTRIP GETS UPGRADE AND EXPANSION The Kenya Airports Authority has during the week inspected the 180 million Kenya Shillings input in modernizing and expanding this airfield in Nyeri county, assuring the aviation and business fraternity present during the occasion of continued infrastructural improvements for the industry. The runway expansion and addition of brand new […]
East Africa news update – Common currency talks set for Entebbe
FINANCIAL MARKET INSTABILITY PROMPTS ADDED TALKS ON CURRENCY UNION Recent wild swings in the values of the three core currencies and record devaluations within the East African Community, the Kenya Tanzania Uganda Shillings, has resulted in Central Bank chiefs, apparently with the blessing of their political masters, to advance the schedule of talks towards a […]
Uganda aviation breaking news – Qatar Airways rocks market with incredible launch fares
QATARS LAUNCH FARES SWEEP THE MARKET True to their word, that their launch fares would rock the market, has Qatar Airways now published incredible deals for the first week of operations into Uganda, covering the period between 02nd November until 11th November. Regular travelers, when told of the launch fares, were stunned, asking after quoting […]
Seychelles news – Water reservoirs now more than half full again, rationing ends
WATER SHORTAGE ENDS, FINALLY Intense and out of season rains in recent week have started to fill up the main water reservoirs cross the main island of Mahe, allowing the Public Utilities Corporation to end the strict rationing regime it had to introduce at the height of the drought. As reported here at the time, […]
Tanzania aviation news – Precision Air IPO ends, results out on 11th November
PRECISION AIR IPO ENDS Yesterday saw the closure of the IPO of Precision Air shares, for which Tanzanians and East Africans could place applications of a minimum of 200 shares, valued at 475 Tanzania Shillings. Stock brokers and participating banks reported doing brisk business and there is an air of expectation that the offer is […]
South Sudan news – GoSS and JICA sign technical cooperation agreement for new bridge in Juba
NEW NILE BRIDGE FOR JUBA The Japan International Cooperation Agency, in short JICA, has earlier in the week signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of South Sudan, Ministry of Roads and Bridges, for the construction of a 560 metre long bridge crossing the Nile. The agency had for the past several months conducted […]
Rwanda aviation breaking news – Second B737-800 ‘Sky Interior’ lands in Kigali to join the growing RwandAir fleet
RWANDAIR WELCOMES HOME 9XR WG (RwandAirs new bird performing a fly past over the runway of the airport) A second brand new B737-800 landed this afternoon at Kanombe International Airport in Kigali, bringing the fleet of RwandAir to now 7 aircraft, both leased and owned. The aircraft, fitted with Boeings latest cabin layout Boeing Sky […]
Uganda aviation news – Just days to go until Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight
QATAR AIRWAYS TARGETTING TRAVELLERS TO CHINA, GLOBAL NETWORK Only days away from its inaugural flight between Doha and Entebbe is Qatar Airways stepping up its marketing efforts, in fact pulling out all the stops, to get into the hearts and minds of travel agents and frequent travelers. The fight for market share now goes underway […]
Kenya aviation news – Kenya Airways releases Quarter 2 results
KENYA AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES OPERATING RESULTS FOR QUARTER TWO The Pride of Africa yesterday released consolidated Quarter Two results, showing once again impressive growth and giving hope to a subsequent rise in the companys share price, which in view of the soon to be launched rights issue has been somewhat trading below true value. The offered […]
Seychelles aviation breaking news – B767-200’s go back to ILFC
AIR SEYCHELLES RETURNS TWO B767-200 TO ILFC Negotiations over the early return of two leased B767-200 aircraft to the International Lease Finance Corporation were successfully concluded earlier in the week and the first of the two birds, Isle de Bijoutier flew out of Mahe International Airport today after the required final engineering checks had been […]
Horn of Africa opinion piece – As Kenya goes into Somalia, Afwerki sneaks off to Khartoum
AS KENYA GOES INTO SOMALIA, AFWERKI SNEAKS OFF TO KHARTOUM No sooner had Kenya upped the ante in the Horn of Africa, by sending troops, navy and airforce units into Somalia to pursue the radial Islamist Al Shabab militias, a known Al Qaida affiliate organization, did Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki get into a plane to […]
Tanzania hospitality news – Union uses Minister to force itself upon the Holiday Inn
HOTEL UNION USES MINISTER TO FORCE ITSELF UPON THE HOLIDAY INN IN DAR It was learned yesterday that the Minister for Labour and Employment in the Tanzanian government has apparently become a willing tool to force recognition of a labour union on the management of the Holiday Inn Hotel in Dar es Salaam, when after […]
Uganda news – Golf course under renewed threat by so called developers, aka destroyers
KAMPALAS GOLF COURSE UNDER THREAT BY DEVELOPERS Alarming news spread through the golfing fraternity yesterday when developers a byword nowadays for greedy and often destructive assaults on green open spaces across the city, fenced off a portion of the Kitante Golf Club in the heart of the city. Owned by the Uganda Golf Union the […]
