Expo 2020 Dubai said on Wednesday that entry to the world fair for visitors over 18 years old would be restricted to those who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 or had tested negative in the previous 72 hours.

For months, the state organiser had said visitors would not have to be vaccinated or present a negative COVID-19 test to gain entry to the Expo, which starts on Oct. 1 after a year-long delay caused by the global health crisis.

“We will continue to follow the guidance of the leading science and medical experts, adjusting our measures as appropriate,” Expo 2020 Dubai Director General Reem Al Hashimy said in statement. “This enhanced measure is responsible, agile and necessary as we prepare to open our doors to the world.”

Dubai, which reopened to foreign visitors in July 2020, requires most overseas arrivals to present a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flight to the emirate.

Those arriving from certain countries are also tested on arrival.

For the Expo, vaccines recognised by a visitor’s home country will be accepted, while polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for COVID-19 will be offered for free to ticket holders, the organiser said.

Officials have stuck to a pre-pandemic target of 25 million total visitors to pass through the gates of the Expo, more than twice the size of the United Arab Emirates’ roughly 10 million population.

The previous Expo in Milan in 2015 attracted 21.5 million visitors.

The UAE, a federation of seven emirates, is reporting around 600 daily infections, down from a February peak of about 4,000 after foreign tourists flocked to Dubai over the winter.

The government does not disclose where in the country infections are taking place. Face masks remain mandatory in public and capacity restrictions are enforced in public places.

Organisers had already said that all those working at Expo would be fully vaccinated. The country has fully vaccinated 80% of its population, it said.

Source: Reuters

Every school student in the UAE is being offered the chance to experience four curated educational journeys of Expo 2020 Dubai for free, with the Expo School Programme booking system now open to public and private schools throughout the country.

Each journey is a fun, immersive learning experience designed to inspire students of all ages to think critically, communicate effectively and grow intellectually. The four journeys – Legacy of the UAE, World of Opportunities, Sustainable Planet and Universe in Motion – take place across Expo’s three vibrant Thematic Districts (Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability), as well as through various pavilions celebrating the legacy and future of the UAE. Each journey delivers unique learning opportunities aligned with the UAE’s diverse school curricula.

Alya Al-Ali, Vice President, Expo School Programme, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Today’s young learners are key in building a better future. It is imperative that we empower them with the skills of the future, and engage them in conversations that will make a difference.

“Each of our four journeys offers students a meaningful, educational and fun experience. We aim to inspire them in an immersive and engaging environment where they can explore key drivers of future progress and discover the latest technologies and ideas being showcased across 200-plus pavilions. We encourage every school in the UAE to make the most of these free, fascinating learning opportunities at Expo 2020.”

Reservations, made on the booking system, include entry to Expo 2020, express entry into thematic pavilions, as well as an identification band for students. Expo will also grant complimentary access for accompanying adults, with different ratios, depending on the age group of the students.

Expo 2020 will operate with enhanced health and safety measures for all visitors, in line with the latest information and guidance from local and international authorities, including Dubai Health Authority (DHA), the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, and the World Health Organization.

To learn more about the Expo School Programme, please visit www.schools.expo2020dubai.com or email schools@expo2020.ae
Expo 2020 Dubai invites visitors from every corner of the globe to join the making of a new world, including the chance to discover a wide range of cultural and artistic initiatives dedicated to broadening horizons and bringing together people, communities and nations.

Source: Government of Dubai

Kenya’s first low-cost airline, Jambojet, started a flight service to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo city of Goma on Friday, it said, looking to tap into a projected jump in demand for air travel in Africa.

The carrier, which was launched in 2014 and is owned by national airline Kenya Airways, expects Africa to become one of the fastest growing regions for aviation in the world in the next two decades, with an average annual expansion of nearly 5%.

“We want to be part of the growth,” said Vincent Rague, Jambojet’s chairman.

Other Kenyan firms, including its biggest banks Equity and KCB Group, are also expanding into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a relatively untapped market.

Jambojet will fly into Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, twice a week from its Nairobi hub, before increasing to four times a week with time.

The carrier operates a fleet of six De Havilland Dash 8-400 planes and currently serves six local destinations from its Nairobi hub, including popular resort towns along the Kenyan coast.

It embarked on an expansion drive three years ago to double the number of passengers it carries annually, but some of those plans were delayed by the onset of the pandemic early last year.

Source: SowetanLIVE

The UK’s traffic light system for international travel might be scrapped from October 1st 2021, according to an insider. It is predicted that rules will be based on a traveller’s vaccination status, rather than the risk level of the country they are returning from.

CEO of the PC Agency – a luxury travel PR firm – Paul Charles tweeted yesterday:

“The traffic light system is expected to be scrapped by 1st Oct – at last. Airlines and some of us in the sector are aware of plans to create a simpler system, where countries are either red or not.

“This would be the US model in effect, which I’ve been calling for.”

What is the UK’s current traffic light system?

For the past few months, the UK has categorised countries as either green, amber or red. Each list comes with different testing and quarantine requirements.

Over summer 2021, the government has updated the lists every three weeks. This has usually involved countries either moving to green or amber, which have the most lenient requirements, or being relegated to red, which requires a 10-day hotel quarantine on arrival.

Are the UK’s rules too strict?

The travel industry called out the UK government ahead of the summer for falling behind the rest of Europe – and the rest of the world – in its return to international travel.

As Charles pointed out on Twitter, “Scrapping of traffic light system would be a relief to pretty well everyone and herald a ‘living with an endemic’ approach, rather than blanket country measures.

“Would be a relief to countries in Africa, South America, Asia which don’t deserve to be red-listed.”

So what’s next for UK travel?

While the UK government has not indicated whether there is any truth to the claims made by Charles, he has correctly predicted travel changes in the past.

Industry leaders think the UK government will adopt a simplified approach, which has been called for since the traffic light system was announced.

As outlined by Charles above, it seems likely that this would exclusively be a ‘red list’. That is, a list of countries whose travellers are banned from entering the UK. This would mean the end of green and amber lists.

We have contacted the UK Cabinet Office for comment.

Source: Euronews

In 2019, Andrew, a Liberian missionary and businessman based in Nigeria could buy a round trip ticket from Lagos to Monrovia at $450-$500. In 2021, that same ticket now costs $650-$700. In addition, Andrew now spends an extra $300, almost 50% of his ticket price, on mandatory Covid-19 tests for a round trip between the two west African cities.

The Covid-19 pandemic greatly affected the aviation industry as lockdowns and restrictions reduced travel. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in 2020, the African aviation industry lost up to $7 billion.

As the pandemic approaches its second year, there is a gradual uptick in regional travel due to the gradual lowering of Covid-19 restrictions. In west Africa, post-lockdown travel came with an increased price regime for tickets that were already expensive, and mandatory Covid-19 tests for international air travel to all west African countries.

Most west African countries do not only require a negative Covid-19 test from a passenger’s country of departure, but also an additional test upon arrival. These tests are paid for by passengers and are usually conducted regardless of vaccination status.

West Africa flight travel was already cumbersome and expensive before Covid

A round trip from Lagos to Dubai can cost $650, which is the same cost for a round trip from Lagos to Monrovia. And while there are direct nonstop flights between Lagos and Dubai, in contrast, there is no direct flight between Lagos and west African cities like Monrovia, Freetown, Dakar, or Banjul.

Flying though still remains the fastest and most effective way of traveling between west African countries due to terrible road conditions and the lack of a region-wide rail system. Despite the fact that visas and visa fees are waived for citizens of the 15-member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), flying remains expensive. Covid-19 has further compounded the issue.

Those enforcing the current double testing regime argue that since Covid-19 tests are usually administered 3-7 days before departure, the additional testing on arrival helps to assure countries that passengers did not contact Covid-19 in that period between testing and travel. In addition, accusations of the issuance of false or fake Covid results for travel in some countries has resulted in a lack of trust in results not issued by the country of arrival.

The cost of a traveler’s Covid-19 test ranges from $40-$100 in most west African countries. For Andrew, this means that his round trip now requires him to pay $200 total for two Covid-19 tests on departure and arrival in Nigeria, and $100 total for two Covid-19 tests upon arrival and departure from Monrovia.

Policies to make it easier to travel between African countries exist, but implementation is low

The high cost of aviation fuel, high taxes, and government policies are among the major reasons why travel within west Africa remains expensive. In 1999, forty-four African states endorsed the “Yamoussoukro Decision” which called for regional air markets to be more open.

In January 2018, the African Union launched the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) to create a single unified air transport market in Africa. The SAATM is largely based on the Yamoussoukro Decision of 1999. The decision was never adequately implemented.

Andrew says “I have projects in Nigeria and Liberia. I used to make three trips a year, but tickets are so expensive now that I only make one trip a year”.

Like Andrew, the cost of Covid-19 tests are expensive for most west Africans. According to the World Bank, in 2020, the gross national income per capita of twelve of the fifteen members of ECOWAS stood at less than $2,300 with eight of the twelve standing at less than $1,300.

Ways of driving down Covid-19 testing costs in the region

While some countries have tried to reduce the number of tests required. For example, arriving passengers to Mali, Niger, and Cote D’ivoire only require a negative Covid test from their country of departure.

Other countries have made efforts to mitigate additional travel costs for passengers by pricing their Covid-19 tests on the lower end of the fee spectrum. Liberia charges $50 for tests for travel to an ECOWAS country as opposed to $80 charged for a test to travel outside west Africa. Similarly, Ghana charges ECOWAS citizens $50 for a test upon arrival in Ghana as opposed to $150 to other nationalities.

Cape Verde also allows flight travel for individuals who can provide a government issued Covid-19 certificate. This certificate consists of a negative test result, a certification of recovery from COVID-19, or a vaccination certificate showing the individual has been fully vaccinated. This measure is in line with a WHO July 2021 policy brief that advised states to remove mandatory testing and quarantine for international travelers who were vaccinated.

In 2020, the African Union launched its Covid-19  passport dubbed travelstart. The passport helps in verifying Covid-19 test certificates and the harmonization of entry and exit screening, especially with the threat of fake medical documentations. However, while countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe have started using the AU covid passport, west african countries have mostly not started using it.

Another effective way of reducing costs while addressing health concerns would be a reduction in the pricing of Covid-19 tests. Currently, molecular PCR tests are widely used, the use of cheaper alternatives could help reduce cost of testing.

UNICEF has announced cheaper rapid tests for as low as $2.55 per test. These rapid tests can also produce results in half an hour. Therefore, testing can be conducted on the day of travel thus eliminating the need of a second test on arrival.

Lastly, an increase in the manufacturing of Covid-19 test kits on the continent could also aid in reducing the cost of test kits. In May 2020, WHO and partners launched the Covid-19 Technology Access Pool to provide a global platform for developers of Covid-19 products to share their intellectual property, and data, with quality-assured manufacturers through public health-driven voluntary, non-exclusive and transparent licenses.

Cheaper air travel costs would be pivotal in increasing trade and travel within the west African region. However, it would be its sovereign nations that would have to make the significant decisions in reducing cost. In the meantime though, the pandemic just made things that much harder for regional travelers.

Source: Quartz Africa

Deloitte has warned business travel is set for a slow takeoff, based on the findings of its new report — a message which is in stark contrast to many recent airline statements.

Travel managers predict a slower recovery compared to bullish outlooks from the aviation sector. To start with, only a third of companies expect to reach or surpass 50 percent of 2019 travel spend levels by the end of 2021. And just over half (54 percent) of respondents expect their companies to reach 2019 levels by the fourth quarter of 2022.

Deloitte polled 150 U.S.-based travel managers and executives from May 28 to June 20 this year, and interviewed executives at companies whose 2019 air spend averaged $123 million a year.

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

Overall, Deloitte pegs a U.S. corporate travel recovery of 65-80 percent of 2019 levels by the end of 2022. But there are some “ifs” — the biggest being sustainability.

Airlines may not see eye to eye.

United Airlines expects its overall 2022 capacity to be higher than in 2019, with the return of corporate road warriors bolstering its viewpoint. Commercial chief Andrew Nocella forecasts business travel will be down just 40-45 percent in this year’s third quarter.

Delta Air Lines is optimistic too, and thinks business travel will rebound this autumn after schools reopen and companies recall workers to their offices. “The surge is coming … there is enormous pent-up energy and demand for [business] travel,” said CEO Ed Bastian. Surprising comments considering its own survey of corporate clients showed about one-third expected to return to pre-Covid levels of travel by 2022, with 21 percent expecting their travel to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023.

JetBlue is meanwhile “cautiously optimistic” of an uptick in corporate travelers this fall, Joanna Geraghty said during the airline’s first quarter earnings in April. However, U.S.-UK travel restrictions persist and last week it pulled back on its initial London schedule.

Further field Brazil’s Gol, which wants to restart flights to the U.S. by the end of the year, also expects business travel to return to its pre-pandemic levels by the first quarter of next year.

What could explain the differing results from Deloitte’s own polling of corporate America?

“There’s a lot of uncertainty, which is why corporate travel managers are taking the view they’ve expressed with us,” said Bryan Terry, global aviation leader at Deloitte

Another question is: should airlines be nervous? Deloitte’s survey — Return to a World Transformed: Corporate Travel Post-Pandemic, published on Tuesday) — is extensive, and if correct represents a significant decline in high yielding passengers.

“It’s fair, however you want to characterize it. Nervous, anxious, concerned,” Terry said.

“Airlines are cautiously optimistic, if you look at what they’re projecting. They’re a little more optimistic than we are. That’s fair, but they’re concerned about coming back to 2019 levels and when that will occur. And what will that new business traveler look like? Will they still be flying at the front of the plane, or in the same patterns of destination or duration? It’s still an uncertain future,” he added.

Even though the “cone of uncertainty” was narrowing, due to the successful vaccination program, there was still a material amount of uncertainty, Terry said. In particular, when it comes to a longer term recovery, the report reveals much will depend on how seriously companies take sustainability, on top of budget squeezes.

SUSTAINABILITY DRIVES

Nearly a third of travel managers surveyed said their company had a stated commitment to reduce emissions by a certain amount within a specific time frame. Altogether, 79 percent of companies had made some kind of pledge, or were working toward one. This interest in sustainability brings some scrutiny for travel policies, the report argues.

About half (48 percent) of the survey’s respondents said they planned to optimize business travel policy to decrease their environmental impact within the next year. Travel ranks among the top targets for corporate environmental harm reduction, along with reducing paperwork and greening supply chains.

Sustainability and corporate social responsibility was also more important to companies than before the pandemic, according to Global Business Travel Association research, based on a poll of 618 companies carried out July 6-13, 2021.

“It’s not just how Covid will impact the return of business travel, but as business travel returns, how will sustainability impact that and beyond the Covid impact,” Terry said. “Sustainability, combined with cost considerations, will also be a dampener on the return to travel.”

Interestingly, 7 in 10 companies said they planned to reduce travel frequency in an effort to bolster the bottom line.

However, the greener travel point of view differs widely, if you look at Europe. Another survey from the Business Travel Show Europe recently asked 337 travel managers what they expected would be their biggest challenge over the next 12 months.

The pressure to be more sustainable, which entered the chart for the first time last year, had fallen back out to number 11. In the top three were “a change in my role,” “keeping up with Covid legislation, restrictions and supplier/traveler information” and “pandemic uncertainty.”

THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES

It’s not all bad news. Bigger airlines that cut back due to the pandemic have left the door open to their more economy-flying focused counterparts.

Terry said that low-cost carriers are now best positioned to recover faster and stronger than the legacy network carrier model. As the large carriers receded in terms of fleet size and network, that created opportunities, especially in business airports which might have been slot or gate constrained, which opens up avenues to those entrants, he said.

“Look at our survey: travel managers said that as travel returns, cost consideration will impact how they return,” Terry added. “Southwest, Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air and so on, they all fall into that category of carrier that is well positioned to benefit from these changes in travel.”

There’s currently plenty of optimism, because business travel really is accelerating off a low base, and that may carry over into the second half of this year. But there’s a risk this is a blip because in the long term international travel bans will linger as long as there are pockets of coronavirus outbreaks, new variant headlines, CDC updates and corridors that fail to materialize.

Source: Skift

Plans are underway to reduce air travel charges in East Africa to ease the free movement of people, goods and services.

The process includes the harmonisation of air travel policies of each partner state, examination of the factors that determine air ticket costs and development of uniform air travel regulations.

A meeting of Transport and Communication ministers from the EAC partner states chaired by Kenya has since issued a directive to the East African Community secretariat to initiate the process.

“It was proposed that the EAC Secretariat convenes the meeting in consultation with the hosting Partner States and the outcomes of the Forum be channelled to EAC policy organs through the Sub-committee on Air Transport,” said Wavinya Ndeti, Kenya’s chief administrative secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works, adding, “On Liberalisation of Air Transport in the EAC, the regulations have been developed and the process of finalising these regulations is ongoing.”

The 17th sectoral council of EAC on Transport, Communications and Meteorology, chaired by Kenya’s CAS Ms Ndeti also directed partner states through the EAC Secretariat to review and harmonise charging mechanisms, fees and taxes to reduce ticket costs and increase demand for air travel.

“We are aware of the directive and the transport and communications ministers are due for another meeting probably before the end of the year to provide the policy framework under which the changes would take place,” said Peter Mathuki, EAC Secretary General.

EAC has one of the most expensive flight routes in the world per seat costs led by the Nairobi to Entebbe, Nairobi to Kigali and Nairobi to Dar es Salaam routes.

Air transport in East Africa in general is expensive by international standards going by the current high passenger airfares and freight charges. The expensive rates on both passenger and cargo flights contribute to the high cost of doing business in the region.

A passenger airline ticket between Entebbe and Nairobi costs $380 on average while that between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam is between $350 and $400 for economy class.

It is estimated that 43 per cent of air ticket prices in EAC comprise of regulatory charges and taxes, landing and parking rates, with regulatory fees accounting for up to 24 per cent.

“When you look at the breakdown of an airline ticket from Dar es Salaam to Nairobi, most of the charges are just government tariffs. If all those are removed, it will reduce the fares and ease free movement of goods and services,” said Dr Mathuki, adding, “It could be cheaper to travel within East Africa. In fact it could be less than $100 if the EA partner states removed all those tariffs.”

The EAC Secretariat has written to regional airlines requesting them to submit the list of all air ticket charges for review and harmonisation. The proposed harmonisation will result in reduction of air fares within the regional routes.

“Yes, the EAC has written to us. They want to know the taxes and the tax regimes of different airlines whenever they travel to different countries,” said Allan Kilavuka, CEO, Kenya Airways.

“The big question is for EAC government to interrogate the tax regime in order to harmonise travel fares. It is imperative to note that KQ taxes that are paid are different from Uganda airlines or any other airline, when they are in their country of origin,” he added.

A study by the East African Business Council titled Costs and Benefits of Open Skies in the East African Community, released on August 3, said that harmonisation of air travel could lead to a reduction in air fares by nine per cent; and a 41 percent increase in frequencies which would stimulate demand.

“Research has repeatedly found that liberalisation has led to increased traffic volumes, greater connectivity and choice and lower fares,” said John Bosco Kalisa, CEO of the EABC.

“Furthermore, the benefits of air service liberalisation extend well beyond the aviation industry, it contributes to greater trade and tourism, inward investment, productivity growth, increased employment and economic development,” he added.

The study established that liberalisation between Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda could result in an additional 46,320 jobs and $202.1 million per annum in GDP.

Indeed, the high cost of air transport in the region is attributed to the slow pace of liberalisation.

Source: The East African

The British Airways has resumed direct flights between Nairobi and London despite Kenya remaining on the United Kingdom’s travel red list.

The Kenyan government termed political the move by the UK to keep it on the red list due to a spike in coronavirus infections.

For Kenya, remaining stuck on the red list in the latest update to international travel by Britain has dealt a huge blow to tourism, which was banking on a lifting of the restrictions for a boost. Still, the resumption of the flights brings good tidings to the industry.

In a statement, British Airways said its first passenger flight between Nairobi and London was on Sunday.

‘Reuniting families’

“We are honoured to be playing our part in reuniting families and friends with their loved ones after such a long time apart. The safety of our customers and colleagues has always been at the heart of everything we do. We know some customers won’t have flown for a long time, we can assure them we have a range of Covid-19 measures in place to provide stress and hassle-free travel,” said Senior Vice President Middle East and Africa Airport Operations Sohail Ali.

The airline, which will be operating two flights on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) said it has also introduced a number of measures at the airport and on-board to ensure the safety of its customers and crew.

“These include social distancing measures, the wearing of face masks and hand sanitiser stations. Customers will also receive details of how they can prepare for their journey, including information on discounted testing providers. To help customers navigate the changing entry requirement and facilitate a seamless journey, they can download the VeriFLY app before departing to London,” the statement read.

The airline said the digital health app allows customers to combine their travel verification documents and Covid-19 test results in one place and confirm their eligibility with a few simple steps. Anyone travelling into the UK from a red list country must be a British or Irish national, or have residence rights. They must be Covid-19 negative before travelling. Additionally, they must quarantine at appointed hotels at their own cost.

The Kenyan government and tourism stakeholders have complained about the red list, which is hurting its tourism and sabotaging the economy. Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala termed the move political, and wondered why India had been removed from the red list.

“The traffic light Covid-19 protocols are now political because you cannot compare infection rates and the number of deaths in Kenya with that of the UK, it is incomprehensible. These are political statements. The delta variant came from India, how come India has been removed from the red list?” Mr Balala posed.

The CS said countries sanctioning their citizens to travel within their states is meant to boost local tourism and build economies. However, he said Africa has an opportunity to tap into its 1.3 billion population and urged its states to invest in intra-continental tourism.

Invested heavily

“Why can’t we open up the continent to Africans? This is the agenda [for] which we are here in Cape Verde as the council of ministers. Without creating a new segment and diversifying our source market, we would be subservient to the source market and it would be used politically against us,” he added.

He assured international tourists that Kenya has invested heavily in vaccination to keep both its citizens and visitors safe. The CS blamed the global hoarding of vaccines for the insufficient doses in Kenya.

“That’s why we do not receive an equivalent share of the vaccine. Africa wants to vaccinate its people but we don’t have enough vaccines. Production of vaccines is from the advanced world or the source markets where they come from,” he added.

Kenya is a popular tourism destination for Britons. The UK has been a top tourism source market for Kenya. In 2019, it emerged fourth in the ranking, with 181,484 tourists visiting the country. The UK last week made some changes on the countries in red, amber, and green lists, with Kenya remaining on the red list, eight months since it was first placed there. Mr said Kenya is not out of the woods yet.

“We will return to normality in two years. 2024 is the time tourism will go back to normal. Health is going to be the first agenda on everyone’s mind when travelling, so we need to vaccinate our people so that travellers can feel Kenya is safe,” he said during an interview with a local TV station. The CS urged Africans to improve infrastructure and connectivity on the continent to boost intra-African tourism.

‘Major achievement’

“It will be a major achievement,” he said. The tourism sector depends on summer travel from Europe and America, between June and September. There were high hopes in the industry that Kenya would be upgraded from red to amber on the back of a recent visit by President Kenyatta to the UK.

Failure to upgrade Kenya to the amber list will see Britons keep off the country to avoid being slapped with a huge bill on return, because all citizens returning from red list countries are required to isolate for 10 days in a hotel at a cost of £2,285 (Sh347,320). The tourism industry lost Sh80 billion in the first six months of last year as the country grappled with the effects of Covid-19, which saw countries close their airspaces.

Hotelier Mohammed Hersi and Kenya Coast Tourists Association (KCTA) Chairperson Victor Shitakha also lamented over the red list. They urged the government to prioritise the sector whose international numbers have slumped due to the pandemic.

“Our government should push the UK to remove us from the red list like India,” said Mr Hersi, during an interview with a local TV station.

This comes as Mombasa County continues to market the city to attract more international and regional tourists.

The county’s Department of Tourism has been conducting massive campaigns to lure tourists to the destination, which has seen it sign a tourism partnership with the Ukrainian government.

“We had a very interactive and insightful engagement with tour operators and travel agents in Odessa, where we had an opportunity to pitch on the different tourism products, trade, and investment opportunities in Mombasa. We also impressed upon them on the need to increase the number of charter flights flying directly into the coastal city of Mombasa,” said Governor Hassan Joho on his Facebook page.

Source: Nation

Southern Africa is all set to receive its newest carrier: Zambia Airlines. The new flag carrier of its home country will begin operating flights from 30th September, starting with domestic and regional routes. The carrier is backed by Ethiopian Airlines, which took a 45% stake in the startup airline in 2018.

Takeoff

According to ch-aviation, Zambia Airlines has announced the date of its first flight. The startup carrier will kick off flights on 30th September, said the airline’s board this week. The airline has been in the works since late 2018 but has been delayed due to regulatory hurdles and later, the pandemic.

However, three years later, Zambia Airlines is ready to get off the ground. The carrier is owned by the state-backed Industrial Development Corporation (55%) and Ethiopian Airlines (45%). The pair have invested $30 million in capital to prepare the carrier for operations. Ethiopian is a major backer, providing the leased fleet and training dozens of pilots and crew for operations.

25 cabin crew and five pilots have been trained and type-rated at Ethiopian Aviation Academy. Zambia Airlines will begin operations with a fleet of three aircraft, consisting of two DHC Dash-8-Q400s and one Boeing 737-800.

Routes

Zambia Airlines is targeting the domestic and Southen African market upon its launch. The two turboprop Q400s will serve domestic routes from Lusaka to Livingstone, Ndola, and Solwezi. Meanwhile, the 737 will be deployed on flights to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Harare, Zimbabwe.

However, ZN will not be without competition. Two other airlines operate a similar domestic network as the newcomer, Mahogany Air and Proflight Zambia. While both these airlines operate smaller aircraft, they will pose a challenge in the short term. However, as ZN grows, it is likely to secure a larger market share.

Ethiopian Airlines has no shortage of turboprops and narrowbodies. The carrier flies four 737-700s and 16 -800s, a quarter of which are sitting inactive currently. The airline also has 21 Q400s, with three more scheduled for delivery. If ZN sees strong demand, it could even order its own fleet for the future.

New

Zambia has not had a flag carrier since 2009, when the erstwhile Zambian Airways (not to be confused with the historic Zambia Airways) went bankrupt. Since then, the aviation market has seen three startup airlines that have met some of the demand. However, there is space for a major carrier to boost capacity on domestic and international routes.

As Africa’s largest airline, Ethiopian has been eager to invest in new airlines and grow its influence. As neighboring South African struggles with bankruptcy, Ethiopian has been setting up and buying stakes in several airlines in recent years. The coming months will tell us more about Zambia Airlines and if it will be a success.

Source: Simple Flying

Ethiopian Airlines Group, the largest aviation group in Africa, has unveiled a new digital option dubbed My Sheba Space that enables economy class travelers to purchase one or more empty seats on board to get extra space and relax. 

Ethiopian has responded to COVID 19 pandemic by introducing passenger safety guidelines implementing social distancing and sanitization measures in its ultra-modern Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and within the aircraft. Reducing aircraft capacity and introduction of end to end passenger journey are among the initiatives Ethiopian has taken in its continued pursuit for elevated customer experience. 

Remarking on MyShebaSpace, Ethiopian Group CEO, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, said, “With our agility in customer centric service offering and market responsiveness comes the need to provide convenience to those who need it. MyShebaSpace is introduced to allow esteemed clients who prefer to secure extra space and enjoy comfort while in economy class cabin. Whatever we do to make people comfortable flying again is a manifestation of our desire to stay up, to offer better and be at the fore. We believe that our customers will enjoy the feeling of being in control of their journey.” 

With bundled on-demand services and predictive intelligence, MyShebaSpace will offer extra space with a reasonable top up starting from $30. MyShebaSpace is not just about letting passengers pay extra to guarantee an empty seat next to them, it is about the airlines unwavering commitment to offer diversified options in line with changing customers’ demand. 

MyShebaSpace requires a 72-hour window before flight time to secure extra seat and is accessible on Ethiopian website and mobile app for convenience. 

Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy-five years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success. Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the Pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 130 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents.

Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, Bombardier Q-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of five years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft.

Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025 that will see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with Seven business units: Ethiopian International Services; Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services; Ethiopian MRO Services; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian ADD Hub Ground Services, Ethiopian Airports Services and Ethiopian Express Services (Domestic). Ethiopian is a multi-award-winning airline registering an average growth of 25% in the past seven years.

Source: FTN News