The Kenya Association of Travel Agents represented by their CEO, Agnes Mucuha submitted recommendations on behalf of its members in the public participation process in the review of the National Aviation Management Bill at Parliament on Monday 28th October,2020. KATA sought for a standing board position at the Kenya Aviation Corporation being a major stakeholder for the aviation sector in its contributions of over 75% of the passenger number bookings made on Kenya Airways. KATA has extensive technical knowledge in commercial aviation and IATA matters that would be of rich value to the board of the aviation body.

Read more:- https://www.the-star.co.ke/business/kenya/2020-10-02-private-interest-claims-rock-kq-nationalisation-plan 

Agnes Muchua CEO of KATA, during her opening remarks in the re-launch ceremony for Uganda Airlines flight operations into Kenya said that it was an exciting day and that the relaunch is a time for joy, new hope and high expectations. “We are happy to once again hear the roaring sound of the Aircraft engines, and to see vibrance at the runway”. She said that according to a recent data insights webinar with Amadeus, Uganda emerged as the top regional destination for travel from Kenya. This is a clear demonstration of the passenger confidence in Uganda for business and leisure travellers. She further remarked that the resumption of Uganda Airlines will propel movement and trade and a way to discover the continent. Finally, she pledged KATA’s 100% support and congratulated Uganda Airlines for becoming an IATA member. Read more: – https://www.goplacesdigital.com

A first batch of regional and international flights landed in South Africa early on Thursday, as borders reopened after a more than six-month shutdown to limit the spread of coronavirus.

German carrier Lufthansa was the first European airline to resume operations into the country, with a flight from Frankfurt landing at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo international airport at 8.30 a.m. (0630 GMT).

Planes also flew in from Kenya, Zambia and neighbouring Zimbabwe.

“Lufthansa is delighted to be at the forefront of the resumption of commercial travel into South Africa and proud to reconnect South Africa to Germany… on the day the travel ban is lifted,” the airline’s southern and East Africa manager, Andre Schulz, said in a statement.

“We look forward to bringing visitors back to South Africa and helping to boost the very important tourism sector.”

Africa’s most industrialised economy sealed its borders at the start of a strict anti-coronavirus lockdown on March 27.

Restrictions on movement and business have been gradually eased since May, but international borders stayed shut to avoid importing the virus from abroad.

The travel ban dealt a heavy blow to the tourist industry, which usually employs around 1.5 million people and contributes over 8.5 percent GDP, according to the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA).

The group estimated in July that each day the industry was restrained represented a loss of 748 million rand ($45 million) in tourist expenditure.

More than 600,000 direct jobs have been axed as a result.

TBCSA welcomed what it said was the timely resumption of international travel, hoping this would trigger a “resuscitation” for the tourism sector during the peak December season.

But tourists from around 50 nations with high infection rates remain banned for the time being, including major sources of foreign visitors such as Britain, Russia and the US.

Those travel restrictions will be reviewed every two weeks.

All other visitors will meanwhile be required to present a negative coronavirus test taken less than 72 hours prior to departure.

They will be screened upon arrival and asked to install a coronavirus tracing app on their mobile phone.

Travellers from all African countries are being admitted for now.

Infections and deaths south of the Sahara have remained low compared to the rest of the world.

South Africa has been relatively hard-hit, with 674,339 infections and 16,734 deaths recorded to date — just under half the total number of cases detected on the continent.

Source: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/africa/article/2001388453/international-flights-land-in-south-africa-as-borders-reopen

India on Wednesday said it signed air bubble agreements with two more countries taking the total number of nations, with which these temporary arrangements are formed, to 15. Indians will soon be able to take special international passenger flights to and from Kenya and Bhutan to destinations in India along with 13 other nations with which such pacts are already in place.

Afghanistan, Bahrain, Canada, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, the Maldives, Nigeria, Qatar, the UAE, the UK and the USA are the other countries with whom India has already formed bilateral air bubble agreements until September 17.

India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation describes air bubbles as “Transport Bubbles” or “Air Travel Arrangements” which are temporary arrangements between two countries aimed at restarting commercial passenger services when regular international flights are suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are reciprocal in nature, meaning airlines from both countries enjoy similar benefits”.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=TIMESNOW&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1311264368026296327&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timesnownews.com%2Fbusiness-economy%2Findia-revival-mission%2Farticle%2Findia-has-air-bubble-agreements-with-kenya-bhutan-international-flights-now-to-15-countries%2F660479&siteScreenName=TIMESNOW&theme=light&widgetsVersion=ed20a2b%3A1601588405575&width=550px India’s Minister of Civil Aviation (I/C) Hardeep Singh Puri announced the new bilateral agreements signed with Kenya and Bhutan alerting stranded Indians in the regions to take note.

“In order to further boost bilateral international air connectivity, Air Bubble arrangements are now in place with Kenya & Bhutan. Indian carriers will be able to operate to these countries. Carriers of these countries will be able to fly to India,” Civil Aviation Minister Puri announced on his Twitter account.

The development comes at a day after Lufthansa cancelled all its flights to and from India between September 30 and October 20 following the breakdown of talks between India and Germany over the number of flights operated by the airlines from each country.

“India formalised an air bubble with Germany in July 2020. An air bubble arrangement allows nationals of both countries to travel in either direction. However, there are restrictions in place for Indian nationals desiring to travel to Germany which was putting Indian carriers at a significant disadvantage resulting in inequitable distribution of traffic in favour of Lufthansa. As against Indian carriers operating 3-4 flights a week, Lufthansa operated 20 flights a week. In spite of this disparity, we offered to clear 7 flights a week for Lufthansa which was not accepted by them. Negotiations continue,” said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation regulator.

Normal international flights remain suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, special international flights have been operating under the government’s Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) repatriation scheme to bring stranded Indians back.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/india-revival-mission/article/india-has-air-bubble-agreements-with-kenya-bhutan-international-flights-now-to-15-countries/660479