Will Kenya Airways Finally Fly to Israel in 2019?
Reports have emerged that Kenya Airways could finally launch the much awaited weekly flights to Israel’s capital Tel Aviv in early 2019.
An Israeli Newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth has reported that the airline’s CEO Sebastian Mikosz met with the Israeli Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz to discuss moving forward with the plan.
However, before this could happen Kenya Airways will have to secure permission from the Sudanese government to allow the airline overfly its airspace. “Last month, representatives from the airline visited Israel, where they held a series of meetings with officials in the Civil Aviation Authority and the Airports Authority to discuss the implications of launching the new flight route,” said the paper.
The request, submitted by Kenya Airways, comes weeks after Saudi Arabia granted permission for the first time to Air India to use its airspace for a commercial flight route to Israel. The first Air India Boeing 787 touched down at Ben-Gurion Airport on March 22.
Minister Katz expressed his support for the move. “There is a great deal of political and tourist importance in the African market. The Open Skies agreement has a broad impact on the development on flight routes to Europe and to east Africa,” he said.
“Opening the skies is a growth engine for the Israeli aviation market. The increase in the supply of flights to Israel continues, as do the number of direct flight routes to Israel operated by airlines,” Katz continued.
Safarilink Launches Daily Flight to Zanzibar
Kenyan airline commonly known for its safari expeditions has announced that they will be launching direct flights from Nairobi to Zanzibar effective 1st July 2018.
The new route with its convenient flight timings will allow passengers to connect from all Safarilink destinations including Maasai Mara and Laikipia and arrive in daylight hours.
In addition, the new route and flights allow for suitable connection to international flights. The flight will depart Wilson Airport at 1400hrs and arrive in Zanzibar at 1545hrs, then depart from Zanzibar to Wilson at 1615hrs and arrive at 1800hrs.
Uganda to revive national airline
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni said on Wednesday the East African country would revive its defunct national carrier to share in the region’s growing aviation business and invigorate its services sector.
Founded by Uganda’s former dictator Idi Amin in 1976, Uganda Airlines was liquidated in the 1990s by Museveni’s government under a broader programme to privatise troubled state firms and open up the economy to private enterprise.
In a speech to parliament, Museveni said he was now reviving the airline “to invigorate our services sector.”
Regional giants
Regional giants Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways dominate Uganda’s air travel business.
“The Government will revive the Uganda Airlines. We have already booked slots for the manufacture of medium and long– distance planes,” he said.
Order planes
He did not say from which manufacturer the planes had been ordered but transport and works minister has previously told local media they had ordered the planes from Canada’s Bombardier.
Annually Ugandans spent $430 million on air travel, he said, describing it as a “haemorrhage that must stop.”
Uganda is building a second international airport in its west primarily to service its emerging crude oil industry that is expected to boost a range of sectors including air travel.
Its sole existing international airport, Entebbe, south of the capital Kampala, is also being expanded with a loan from China to handle more passengers and cargo.
SGR train gets more passenger coaches
The number of coaches on the standard gauge railway (SGR) Madaraka Express train between Nairobi and Mombasa is set to be increased on weekends in a move aimed at increasing income from the service.
The two coaches for first class passengers, however, will remain the same in the new service regime set to take effect starting this week.
The train is currently pulling 11 coaches (118 passengers) on economy class tickets and two (72 passengers) on the first class tickets.
“We were studying travel trends and have noted demand is higher from Fridays,” said Mr Maina in an interview with the Business Daily.
The SGR passenger train service between Nairobi and Mombasa was launched last June. The trains have been departing daily from both directions, offering a four-and-a-half-hour non-stop connection between the country’s two major cities. It charges Sh3,000 on first class coaches and Sh1,000 on economy class coaches.
The inter-county service train that was launched last December charges Sh50 from Mombasa to Mariakani, Sh230 from Voi to Kibwezi, Sh130 from Athi River to Emali, Sh510 from Nairobi to Voi and Sh400 from Emali to Maisenyi on economy class coaches.
On first class, passengers have been paying Sh140 from Mombasa to Mariakani, Sh920 from Voi to Kibwezi, Sh660 from Athi River to Emali, Sh2,130 from Nairobi to Voi and Sh1,670 from Emali to Maisenyi.
The train has a capacity of 1,260 passengers with 15 economy class coaches and three first class coaches.
It also comes with a luggage carrier with a total capacity of 70 tonnes and a sleeper coach.
Africa accounts for 29pc of Kenya’s international arrival 11th Jun 2018
Africa accounted for 29 per cent of international arrivals last year as the Kenyan tourism industry grew at the backdrop of increased business, cultural and linguistic ties between countries in the continent, according to Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala.
Mr Balala was speaking at the 61st UNWTO Regional Commission for Africa Conference in Abuja, Nigeria, last week. He also noted that creation of the Continental Free Trade Area would further boost the intra-African tourism.
“Indeed, Africa has shown great potential over the last five years gaining a five per cent share of arrivals by region over the past five years. We believe Africa is the next frontier in the tourism business.”
Mr Balala, who is also the Chairman of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Commission for Africa, credited this to Kenya’s increased investment in African markets such as Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Rwanda over the last three years.
“As part of that investment, Africans wishing to visit Kenya are now eligible to receive a visa on arrival. Kenya is now among 21 African countries which have either relaxed or scrapped visa rules,” said Mr Balala.
To boost tourism between Kenya and Nigeria, the Kenya Tourism Board last week held a two-day workshop to train travel agents on creating attractive local tourism packages.
Arrivals to Kenya from Nigeria have steadily grown from 11,072 in 2009 to 16,165 in 2017, reflecting a 46 per cent growth.
In the first quarter of 2018 (January to March), the market posted 3,434 visitors up from 3,101 recorded during the same period in 2017, a 10.7 per cent growth.
Travel from Nigeria to Kenya continues to be for business and leisure purposes. Leisure travel grew from 50 per cent of total arrivals in 2015 to 61 per cent in 2016.
Urban centres such as Nairobi and Mombasa hold the highest appeal due to the rich offerings of social scenes and shopping.
