South Sudan aviation news updates – Juba Airport to close for Independence day
JUBA AIRPORT CLOSED FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY Information was finally confirmed that on Saturday 09th of July NO flights will be allowed into the airport in Juba although it appears that no NOTAM has been formally issued, still in the domain of the ‘united’ Sudan civil aviation body in Khartoum until independence finally arrives in the […]
Mauritius aviation breaking news – Shanghai is the latest Air Mauritius destination
AIR MAURITIUS LAUNCHES CHINA FLIGHTS Shanghai is the latest destination for Air Mauritius after the destination was launched earlier in the week. The inaugural flight, there is for the time being a once a week flight to Shanghai via Kuala Lumpur before going nonstop by early 2012, left SSR International Airport (Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam) with […]
Kenya aviation news update – Gulf Air returns to Nairobi
GULF AIR RETURNS TO NAIROBI After an absence of nearly 6 years has Gulf Air now returned to Nairobi, offering an initial 4 flights per week between Bahrain and Kenya. Industry observers attribute this decision to the generally promising market conditions in Kenya in particular, a sharp departure from the company’s assessment 6 years ago, […]
Uganda tourism news update – UWA doubles park entrance fees for Ugandans and East Africans
UGANDANS TO PAY DOUBLE FOR PARK ENTRIES Effective 01st of July did the Uganda Wildlife Authority raise entrance fees for Ugandan and East African citizens from previously 5.000 Uganda Shillings to now 10.000 Uganda Shillings, doubling the cost for wananchi to enter the 10 national parks. This puts a visit to the protected areas […]
Uganda news update – Economy faces new problems over power outages, interest rate rise and fuel cost increase
UGANDANS WAKE UP TO MORE ECONOMIC BAD NEWS The announcement yesterday about continuing power outages, following a payment dispute over unpaid subsidies by government to independent electricity generating companies, was followed by more bad news overnight. The Bank of Uganda, in order to bring inflation under control, has set the interbank lending rates to now […]
Kenya aviation news – Yemenia reduces Nairobi flights to ONE only
YEMENIA REDUCES NAIROBI FLIGHT It was confirmed overnight that Yemenia has cut its regular services from Sana to Nairobi to one only, as a result of less travel demand and an almost total disappearance of transit passengers, afraid to be stuck in Yemen should the situation deteriorate, making it impossible for onward flights to operates […]
Kenya aviation news – Direct flights to the US could double tourist arrivals
DIRECT FLIGHTS WILL DOUBLE US TOURIST ARRIVALS The Minister of Tourism Hon. Najib Balala has expressed his hope that a fresh round of bilateral talks on direct flights between Kenya and the United States would eventually result in such flights being launched, following the failed attempt by Delta in past years to connect the US […]
Tanzania aviation breaking news – Precision expects new B737-300, to launch flights to the Comoros
PRECISION AIR EXPECTS NEW B737-300 Tanzania’s premier airline, and following the demise of Air Tanzania THE flag carrier of the country, is due to take delivery of a leased B737-300 aircraft in less than two weeks time, according to a regular aviation source in Dar es Salaam. The aircraft, offering a dual class configuration, will […]
Zanzibar news update – Kempinski seeks approvals for UNESCO protected ‘stone town’ site
KEMPINSKI TO PUSH AHEAD WITH ZANZIBAR STONE TOWN PLANS It was learned overnight from a source in Dar es Salaam that Kempinski Hotels, probably to make up for the recent loss of a management contract for their resort on Zanzibar, is continuing to seek exemptions and approvals for a 5 star hotel in the middle […]
East Africa news update – IGAD warned of Eritrea terror links
KIBAKI WARNS OF ERITREA TERROR LINKS The ‘Intergovernmental Authority on Development’ in short IGAD, to which most Eastern African countries have subscribed, was warned earlier in the week by Kenya’s President Kibaki of the growing threats by terrorism spreading from the lawless parts of Somalia into the wider region, and the need to combat the […]
Uganda breaking news – Darkness descends as parliament ponders payment to electricity producers
PARLIAMENT’S FAILURE TO APPROVE ENERGY SUBSIDIES HAS SWIFT AND HARSH CONSEQUENCES The failure last week by parliament to approve the emergency request to release funds for the government’s subsidies programme to support independent electricity producers – a contractually agreed commitment by the way – has had sharp and harsh consequences for the country, as two […]
Rwanda aviation news update – RwandAir celebrates 17th Liberation Day with 17 days of reduced fares
RWANDAIR DROPS FARES FOR 17 DAYS RwandAir has commemorated the 17th Liberation Day in Rwanda in their own unique fashion by offering a 17 day period of sharply reduced fares across their entire network, from Libreville and Brazzaville via Kigali to Johannesburg and Dubai, but also from their regional destinations into network connections. Nairobi, via […]
Seychelles news update – African Union hosts anti terror workshop
SEYCHELLES HOSTS AFRICAN ANTI TERROR WORKSHOP True to a recent comment made by the Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon. Joel Morgan, in an interview with this correspondent, is the Seychelles’ fight against terror in all shapes and forms continuing, this time with a three day workshop organized by the African Union and the African […]
Mauritius aviation update – Airports of Mauritius Corporation remains profitable
MAURITIUS AIRPORTS REMAIN PROFITABLE Information from this Indian Ocean island just received talks of substantial profits for the Airports of Mauritius corporation, in excess of over Rupees 770 million. This according to the source constitutes an increase of about 8.4 percent over the financial year 2009, leaving shareholders and management satisfied with the results. Only […]
Rwanda news update – Country celebrates 17th Liberation Day
LIBERATION DAY CELEBRATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY The ‘new’ Rwanda, which miraculously rose from the ashes of the 1994 genocide, yesterday celebrated their 17th Liberation Day, commemorating the end of the long dictatorship in Rwanda after all the remnants of the former rag tag army and killer militias had been driven out of ‘the Land of […]
Weekly roundup of news from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, First edition July 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 First edition July 2011 East […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – Kenya Airways opens new SkyTeam premium passengers lounge
KENYA AIRWAYS OPENS NEW LOUNGE AT JKIA The Pride of Africa has just announced the opening of a brand new lounge for SkyTeam Platinum and Gold Card Holders, offering their own and partner airlines’ valued frequent fliers the best available lounge standards found anywhere at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The new facility, able to […]
Tanzania news update – Countdown to 50th Independence Day starts this week
50TH INDEPENDENCE COUNTDOWN TO START THIS WEEK It was learned overnight from a regular source in Dar es Salaam that President Jakaya Kikwete will on Wednesday night this week launch the countdown towards the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence day, due to be celebrated on the 09th of December this year. The ‘official countdown’ […]
East Africa tourism news update – There is a lot more to read about us out there
TASTE FOR MORE ON EAST AFRICA? I am often asked about where my readers can find more material, and more specific details of what is going on across Eastern Africa, and my answer, with few variations, is almost always the same: Access on the web such publications as KenyaBuzz, a weekly guide outlining a rich […]
Uganda community tourism news update – COBATI launches ‘Nubian Village’ project
COBATI LAUNCHES NUBIAN VILLAGE PROJECT IN BOMBO Last month saw the launch by another community tourism initiative by COBATI, the Community Based Tourism Initiative founded by Maria Baryamujura. The Nubian villages, over 30 of them are located in the Bombo area outside Kampala en route the highway to the North of the country, better known […]
Seychelles tourism news update – Emirates and STB invite ‘best sellers’ to 2nd Carnival Festival edition
EMIRATES AND STB TO INVITE TOP PERFORMERS TO THE SEYCHELLES CARNIVAL Four top selling travel agents will enjoy a visit to the Seychelles next year, for the second edition of the Carnaval de Carnivals – the ‘mother’ of all carnival celebrations when the leading ‘carnival nations’ will again be represented in Victoria in the main […]
Seychelles aviation breaking news – SCAA celebrates 40 years of jet flights to Mahe
IT IS 40 YEARS OF JET FLIGHTS INTO MAHE The Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first ever passenger jet flight into the Mahe International Airport with an open day event, highlighting the importance of air transport to the entire archipelago. Monday 04th July in 1971 did the then BOAC, […]
Kenya aviation news update – SafariLink and Air Kenya to ‘share’ Ukunda route
LOW SEASON ENDS AS SAFARILINK AND AIR KENYA COOPERATE AGAIN The more recent ‘battle for Ukunda’, when Air Kenya literally ambushed SafariLink with the introduction of a second flight, ditching the erstwhile cooperation of the two domestic ‘safari airlines’ on the route, is apparently a thing of the past now. Right in time for the […]
Uganda aviation breaking news – U7 resumes Mombasa / Zanzibar flights
AIR UGANDA RESUMES MOMBASA – ZANZIBAR FLIGHT Only days after Fly 540 had hit the market with an all inclusive fare between Entebbe and Mombasa, return of course, of US Dollars 350 is Uganda’s passenger airline ‘Air Uganda’ also resuming flights to Mombasa again, after a break during the ‘low season’ which follows the Easter […]
South Sudan news update – A week to go and counting as Independence finally approaches
A WEEK TO INDEPENDENCE AND COUNTING As the 09th of July inches closer and closer the entire South, inspite of a series of problems caused by its erstwhile slave masters and warlords in Khartoum, is preparing for the big day of Independence, with the eyes of the entire continent and in fact the world focused […]
Kenya tourism news update – KTB to turn Kenyan athletes into tourism ambassadors
KENYA TOURIST BOARD TO USE HIGH PROFILE ATHLETES AS AMBASSADORS It was learned yesterday evening from regular sources in Nairobi that the Kenya Tourist Board was finalizing plans to turn their globally known and acclaimed distance runners into tourism ambassadors, when they travel abroad to participate in competitions. With the full athletics season now going […]
Tanzania conservation breaking news – After the Serengeti it is now the Selous
TANZANIA GOVERNMENT SETS STAGE FOR NEXT BATTLE WITH CONSERVATIONISTS News just broke that no sooner had the Tanzanian government been compelled by intense global criticism and threats of decampaigning its tourism industry to write to UNESCO and give a written binding undertaking that NO highway would be constructed across the critically important migration paths of […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – KQ goes double daily to Juba ahead of Independence Day
KENYA AIRWAYS GOES DOUBLE DAILY TO JUBA NOW Effective immediately, more likely to have kept the competition in the dark until it actually happened, has Kenya Airways, the Pride of Africa, introduced twice daily departures between Nairobi and the soon to be capital of the new independent Republic of South Sudan. In time for the […]
Kenya tourism breaking news – Lake Elementaita Serena Camp opens on Soysambu Conservancy
LAKE ELEMENTAITA SERENA NOW OPEN Serena’s latest addition to the Kenyan safari circuit, the Lake Elementaita Serena Camp, is now open and true to the pedigree, being ‘born’ into the Serena collection, stands out by a head and then some more amongst its competitors along the Great African Rift Valley floor. Lake Elementaita, part of […]
Kenya tourism news update – Where is the tourism master plan?
WE WANT A TOURISM DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN Stakeholders in the tourism industry yesterday met in Nairobi to discuss a number of pressing issues but one highlighted to this correspondent was the absence of a tourism master plan, which according to regular sources from the Kenyan capital had gone ‘awol’. While it was ascertained overnight that […]
