Kenya aviation news update – Kenya Airways to resume Abidjan flights
KENYA AIRWAYS TO RESUME FLIGHTS TO ABIDJAN It was learned overnight that ‘The Pride of Africa’ will, effective 02nd May, resume their operation into the Ivory Coast’s capital city of Abidjan, following months of unrest which ended with the capture of defeated former president Gbagbo recently, after he had refused to step down and make way for […]
Aviation news update – Multiple options for B787 training
MULTIPLE OPTIONS FOR EAST AFRICA’S B787 PILOT CONVERSION TRAINING The approval by the US FAA, the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, by EASA and Far Eastern agencies of recently established Boeing 787 simulator facilities has now set the stage for formal conversion training of pilots selected by the respective airlines. Training will now be offered in Seattle, […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, Fourth edition April 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 via Twitter @whthome or on my blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Fourth edition April 2011 Africa News A HARD LOW SEASON LOOMS FOR EASTERN AFRICA […]
Kenya conservation news update – Tsavo East elephants raid farms to escape drought
TSAVO ELEPHANTS SEEK TO ESCAPE DROUGHT The game rich but drought hit area of Tsavo East National Park and the adjoining Taita Hills Game Reserve are traditionally the home of large numbers of elephant, traversing the protected areas in search of food and water following an age old pattern. However, the present drought condition has apparently prompted several […]
South Sudan news update – ‘It is all Khartoum’s doing’
IT IS ALL KHARTOUM’S DOING The present wave of militia incidents in Southern Sudan, combined with aggressive threats by leading operatives of the Khartoum regime in regard of the consultations and elections in South Kordofan – due for the 02nd of May – and issues surrounding the disputed oil state of Abyei have confirmed long harboured […]
Tanzania conservation news update – Lake Natron soda ash factory, by hook or crook
LAKE NATRON SODA ASH FACTORY – BY HOOK OR CROOK The long Easter weekend produced some startling information from Tanzania, when it became known that the Minister for Industry and Trade stated categorically that even if the still in the making Environmental Impact Assessment study would recommend against the building of a soda ash plant […]
Kenya news update – World Bank to finance key infrastructural projects
WORLD BANK TO FINANCE MOMBASA AIRPORT AND KENYA TO SOUTH SUDAN ROAD WORKS Information was received over the Easter weekend that the World Bank has reportedly agreed with the Kenya government to extend a soft loan of up to 25 billion Kenya Shillings to co-finance two crucial infrastructural projects. One, important to tourism, is the modernization and […]
Rwanda news update – Akagera NP investments ‘on course’
ADDED INVESTMENTS IN AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK ON COURSE News emerged from Kigali that a top level meeting between the Akagera partners, the Rwanda Development Board on behalf of the Government of Rwanda and the African Parks Network, which own the Akagera Management Company, have reaffirmed their commitment to invest an initial 12 million US Dollars this year. The […]
East Africa news update – A hard low season looms as Easter rush ends
A HARD LOW SEASON LOOMS FOR EASTERN AFRICA As the Easter season comes to a close, domestic, regional and international tourists begin their journey home from the beaches across the Eastern African Indian Ocean shorelines and from the safari lodges in the national parks. Hospitality stakeholders have expressed their concern to this correspondent about occupancy […]
The Good Safari Guide Awards now just over a week away
GOOD SAFARI GUIDE AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED With the annual award ceremony for ‘Africa’s Best’ now only just over a week away – to be held on the eve of the annual INDABA tourism trade fair dedicated to safari tourism in Southern Africa and beyond – ‘things’ are heating up for the nominees, of which over […]
Tanzania news update – TCT meets new Permanent Secretary
TOURISM CONFEDERATION OF TANZANIA OFFERS COOPERATION The Tanzanian tourism sector apex body TCT has offered government the cooperation of the private sector in the tourism industry during a recent function, when meeting the recently appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and saying ‘kwaheri’ to their former long serving PS. TCT […]
Uganda conservation news update – Queen Elizabeth NP now subjected to land grabbing too
PARK LAND GRABBING SPREADS TO QUEEN ELIZABETH NP News came to light late yesterday, that residents living at the Katunguru trading centre, just across the bridge spanning the Kazinga Channel, have attempted to ‘grab park land’ in an overnight ‘raid’. It is understood from a usually reliable source at Uganda Wildlife Authority, that this may be […]
Uganda news update – Perverting the ‘Walk’ is insulting those who have to
PERVERTING ‘THE WALK’ RIDICULES THOSE WHO HAVE TO The stage managed and as previously suggested media scripted events of recent days in parts of Kampala have now led to the main ring leaders be kept in remand, while awaiting their cases of public order offences be heard in court after the Easter break. Notably, neighbours […]
Uganda news update – Construction of second Nile bridge set for August 2012
NEW NILE BIRDGE CONSTRUCTION SET FOR AUGUST 2012 The Uganda National Road Authority has yesterday confirmed that all components were being put into place to have construction on the new bridge across the Nile in Jinja commence by August next year. Once construction has gone underway it will take up to four years to complete […]
Aviation news update – Second B787 assembly line now subject to federal complaint process
MORE TROUBLE BREWING FOR BOEING’S DREAMLINER? Information was received overnight that a complaint by the relevant trade union over Boeing’s second B787 assembly line in South Carolina has now brought the National Labour Relations Board on the scene. The company was served with a notice by the NLRB over allegedly victimizing union members, who had in […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – Kenya Airways signs new union agreement
KENYA AIRWAYS SIGNS ADDITIONAL UNION AGREEMENT News that Kenya Airways and the Aviation and Allied Workers Union had signed a breakthrough agreement this morning in Nairobi, covering aspects of job evaluation and related matters following an earlier ‘return to work’ agreement with AAWU appears to have taken the wind out of the sails of union […]
Rwanda news update – Kigali’s new road network ready ahead of schedule
KIGALI ADDS NEW ROAD NETWORK TO ITS ATTRACTIONS The Rwandan capital city of Kigali, proudly claiming to be the cleanest and most orderly – traffic wise that is – city in East Africa, will soon be able to add more ‘good claims’ to its name, when a new 36 KM road network is being handed […]
Seychelles news update – More pirates captured while freeing seajacked fishermen
SEYCHELLES COAST GUARD RESCUES FISHERMEN Ocean terrorists from Somalia have taken another beating from the Seychelles Coast Guard, when earlier in the week they were overpowered and outgunned by two navy vessels in hot pursuit after an SOS call about being seajacked came in from the fishing boat. Aerial surveillance, using the Indian sponsored Dornier […]
Seychelles aviation news update – Air Seychelles creates IT directorate
AIR SEYCHELLES CREATES NEW DIRECTORATE FOR IT The Seychelles national airline Air Seychelles has just announced the creation of a new position at director’s level, when they appointed long serving IT specialist Chang Lam as new Director IT and Telecommunications. Lam has been with Air Seychelles for over 20 years and was the ‘founder’ of […]
Seychelles news update – Constance Ephelia adds rock climbing wall to attractions
CONSTANCE EPHELIA INTRODUCES SEYCHELLES FIRST CLIMBING WALL The Seychelles’ resorts, host to visitors from around the world, have rarely disappointed guests when it comes to entertainment and activities, in the water, on the water and on land. Yet, ever keen to add more attractions for their faithful clientele, has the Constance Ephelia luxury resort recently opened a full […]
Seychelles news update – Government recommends ‘Mission Lodge’ to UNESCO for recognition
MISSION LODGE SET FOR WORLD HERITAGE STATUS? The Seychelles Department for Culture has recently submitted details of potentially new World Heritage Sites to UNESCO, in a bid to add the coveted status to yet more extraordinary places across the archipelago. Already are the Vallee de Mai on the island of Praslin and the Aldabra Atoll […]
Uganda news update – Bank of Uganda reacts with rate increases
DOUBLE WHAMMY FOR UGANDAN ECONOMY There was more bad news for the Ugandan business community when the Bank of Uganda, ostensibly in a measure to keep inflation under control, raised the ‘interbank lending rate’ by a full percentage point to 10.6 percent yesterday. Leading commercial banks responded by raising their ‘prime lending rate’ by various […]
Aviation breaking news – Air Madagascar B767’s banned from Europe
EU BANS AIR MADAGASCAR B767’S The latest edition of the now both eagerly and anxiously awaited EU Aviation Blacklist has added two long haul aircraft of Air Madagascar to the growing list of aircraft and airlines banned from flying into European airspace. It was learned overnight that two B767-300ER, the apparently only long haul aircraft […]
Conservation breaking news – Chinese officials seize their biggest blood ivory haul ever
RECORD BLOOD IVORY HAUL CONFISCATED IN CHINA One of the biggest shipments of illegal blood ivory from Africa, containing over 700 tusks and some processed ivory were recently captured by Chinese law enforcement officials. It was not immediately clear from which part of Africa the ivory came from but international organizations have put a logistics […]
Aviation news update – Ethiopian selected by Boeing for additional technical cooperation
BOEING EXPANDS TECHNICAL COOPERATION WITH ETHIOPIAN Information was received from Addis Ababa that Ethiopian Airlines, already a major maintenance base and MRO for Boeing aircraft in Africa, was chosen by the American manufacturer to participate in an expanded service programme for B777 aircraft. It is understood that Ethiopian is one of the few global partners of Boeing and […]
Weekly roundup of news from the Eastern African and the Indian Ocean region – Third edition April 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 via Twitter @whthome or on my blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Third edition April 2011 HAPPY EASTER AND HAPPY PASSOVER TO ALL MY READERS […]
Seychelles conservation news – Tourism stakeholders discuss ‘green certification’
TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS LEARN ABOUT ‘GREEN LABEL’ A meeting held on Monday by the Seychelles Tourist Board in conjunction with the Global Environmental Facility GEF, UNDP and the Government of Seychelles brought senior tourism stakeholders together to discuss, and learn more about the ‘Sustainable Tourism Label’. This first workshop of its kind, held at the Meridien Barbarons Hotel on […]
Aviation news update – Swissport Tanzania’s demand for monopoly brings swift opposition
AVIATION STAKEHOLDERS SAY NO TO SWISSPORT’S DEMAND FOR MONOPOLY Recent public utterances by Swissport representatives about the competition over ground handling contracts met with stiff resistance by other stakeholders. Swissport holds a near monopoly at Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport and was alleged to have maneuvered behind the scenes, using their influence, to prevent Precision […]
Regional news update – EAC Summit to discuss inflation and economic challenges
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY SUMMIT DISCUSSES INFLATION CRISIS The current rise in commodity prices and the cost of fuel made its way on to the agenda of the Head of State Summit of the East African Community, where the presidents will discuss a strategy to combat price rises, and the cost to their national budgets of […]
Aviation news update – Gulf Air plans return to Nairobi
GULF AIR PLANS RETURN TO NAIROBI A regular aviation source in Nairobi has confirmed that Gulf Air is planning to return to Kenya by mid year, apparently with an initial four flight a week. The same source also confirmed that the airline will use an Airbus A320 with a dual configuration of business and economy class. Gulf […]
