Budget airline East African Safari Air Express (formerly Fly-SAX) will resume flights between Nairobi and Isiolo after a nearly 15-month hiatus from the route on Friday next week.

The company, which rebranded to East African from Fly-SAX, a sister airline to Fly540 Kenya, said the new flights would originate from Wilson airport twice a week.

The route will be served by a Beechcraft-1900 aircraft that carries 16 passengers.

“We have done it before from September 2017 and withdrew operations in June 2018. We are now resuming operations starting October 11, 2019, after getting regulatory approvals from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority,” said airline’s director George Kivindyo.

The airline halted its services from the route citing poor performance.

“We will fly twice a week moving into daily flights subjected to support from the relevant stakeholders,” he said.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/companies/Fly-SAX-resumes-Isiolo-flights-after-15-months/4003102-5296302-f0px7az/index.html

Kenya Airways (KQ) and Oman Air have expanded their existing codeshare to increase the number of destinations where the two carriers can connect passengers.

The codeshare expansion effected Wednesday will allow seamless connectivity to Oman Air guests travelling beyond Nairobi to Entebbe and Johannesburg.

“Similarly, Kenya Airways guests can now extend their travel beyond Muscat (Oman) to Karachi (Pakistan) and Lahore (Pakistan),” said KQ in a statement.

The previous codeshare, which commenced in August 2017 between the two airlines, has been covering services between Muscat and Nairobi.

KQ says it would use the partnership to extend its services to tourists as well as to travellers visiting friends and families in Oman through the cultural links that Oman shares with the coastal parts of Kenya and Tanzania.

“This cooperation also expands our footprint in the Middle East through the Muscat gateway and is consistent with KQ’s strategy to improve its network efficiency, grow through partners while focusing on the high yield corporate and leisure segments,” said KQ Chief commercial officer Ursula Silling

Other destinations to be added through codeshare are Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Bangalore (India), Chennai (India), New Delhi (India), Hyderabad (India) and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).

“We are very happy with the extension of this codeshare which offers our guests an opportunity to travel beyond Nairobi and Muscat,” said Abdulaziz Al Raisi, Oman Air CEO.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/companies/KQ–Oman-Air-add-more-routes-in-codeshare-deal/4003102-5294950-9cpcj8/index.html

The Kenyan aviation industry supports up to 620,000 direct and indirect jobs including employment in the tourism sector, a study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has concluded.

The aviation industry contributed nearly Sh330 billion ($3.2 billion) to Kenya’s economy, or 5.1 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the IATA report.

The findings are among highlights of the Importance of Air Transport to Kenya study which was conducted by Oxford Economics on behalf of IATA.

“The study confirms the vital role that air transport plays in facilitating more than $10 billion in exports, some $4.4 billion in foreign direct investment and around $800,000 in inbound leisure and business tourism for Kenya,” said Muhammad Albakri, IATA’s regional vice president for the Middle East and Africa.

“However, by adopting policies that ensure a competitive operating environment for the airlines, Kenya could reap even greater dividends from aviation,” he added.

According to executives surveyed by the World Economic Forum, Kenya’s transport infrastructure quality score places the country sixth out of 37 African countries surveyed and 78th globally.

Kenya was ranked 31st out of the 37 African countries for cost competitiveness in the air transport industry, based on air ticket taxes, airport charges and Value Added Tax.

On visa openness, Kenya was ranked 10th out of the 37 African countries which were in the survey.

Around 130,000 aircraft land and take off from one of Kenya’s five main airports every year.

The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is the key gateway and handled more than 5.8 million passengers in 2014.

“While Kenya’s air transport infrastructure ranks highly among African states, it is important that heavy fees, taxes and charges do not hold aviation back,” Mr Albakri said.
“We are very encouraged by the news that the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has embarked on a study to review Airport charges downwards.”
Mr Albakri who is soon making his first visit to Africa in his new capacity, also expected to visit Kenya.

During his visit to Nairobi, the IATA official will be meeting with key industry stakeholders including officials from the government, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, KAA and the African Airlines Association.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/companies/Kenya-aviation-industry-supports-620-000-jobs/4003102-3980024-ylro5yz/index.html

Kenya Airways has pulled out from two West African countries, Gabon and Benin effective October 14, 2019.

Reasons for the withdrawal is the routes are no longer profitable to the firm which is already saddled with huge losses.

Travelers to the two destinations, beyond this date, will be rerouted or re-booked through KQ partner airlines.

“We have made the necessary arrangements to continue serving our customers who had made forward bookings through our existing cooperation with partner airlines to ensure no disruption to their travel,” said Kenya Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Ursula Silling.

The decision to suspend flights to two cities of Libreville and Cotonou is in line with the airline’s strategy to align its network worldwide. Kenya Airways will continue to optimise its network in order to serve its customers better while adapting to the constantly changing market demand.

Kenya Airways, which is being renationalised to save it from mounting debts, saw its first-half pretax loss more than double from a year earlier to Sh8.56 billion.

Parliament voted in July to renationalise the loss-making airline, which is labouring under a mountain of debt and has had three changes of chief executive in the past five years as it struggles to compete with regional rivals.

The government plans to buy out minority shareholders including Air France-KLM’s 7.8 per cent stake.

The carrier said its first-half revenue rose 12.2 per cent from a year earlier to 58.55 billion shillings, which Chief Financial Officer Hellen Mathuka attributed to the launch of new routes and more frequent flights.

Source: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2001342566/kenya-airways-stops-flying-to-gabon-benin

Low-cost carrier Jambojet has received approvals from the Rwandese Civil Aviation Authority to start flying to Kigali, the first of several routes the airline has lined up in its regional expansion plan.

Speaking while unveiling a newly acquired De Havilland Dash 8 – Q400 aircraft, Jambojet chairman Vincent Rague said the carrier was looking eager to operate on the route.

“Kigali is one of the routes we have been pursuing in our expansion plan. Once we have everything in place, we will begin operations,” Mr Rague said.

Mr Rague said the African aviation sector had an opportunity to grow adding that more players were coming on board “as there is enough space for everyone.”

The new aircraft brings to six the airplanes operated by Jambojet. It is also the first of four aircraft that were expected this year to boost the airline’s capacity as it looks to soar into more African destinations.

Jambojet chief executive Allan Kilavuka said plans were afoot to fly to more African destinations saying, “and that is why we are expanding our fleet.”

“The addition of this aircraft to our fleet brings the average age to 3.7 years, making us the airline with the youngest fleet in Africa and possibly across the world,” he said.

Jambojet currently flies to five local destinations namely; Malindi, Ukunda, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret and one regional destination -Entebbe, Uganda -from its hub in Nairobi.

It also flies to Bujumbura, Burundi on behalf of the national carrier.

The International Air Transport Association’s data shows that low-cost carriers account for about a quarter of all flights internationally, but less than 10 percent in Africa.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/economy/Jambojet-gets-nod-to-fly-into-Kigali-/3946234-5279982-2mcepdz/index.html

Qatar Airways last Tuesday won major global awards at the 2020 Airline Passenger Experience Association’s (APEX) Passenger Choice Awards in Los Angeles.

The airline won three awards for Best Seat Comfort, Best Cabin Service and Best Food & Beverage and was also named ‘2020 Five Star Global Airline’ in the APEX Official Airline Ratings.

The Middle East country received thumbs up from voters drawn mainly from passengers using the world’s highest-rated travel app, TripIt.

The travel app is widely recognised as the industry’s benchmark for excellence.

“To follow our success in the regional Passenger Choice Awards with a further three global APEX accolades is a huge achievement for our airline, and a tribute to the loyalty of our passengers from across the world,” said the airline’s group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker.

“As we focus on going from strength-to-strength over the coming year, we look forward to building upon this incredible foundation of success and will continue to set the highest of benchmarks to distinguish us from our competitors,” he added.

Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, is one of the fastest growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world.

It has modern fleet of 186 aircraft flying to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across six continents.

Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance one world, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 160 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/news/Qatar-Airways-wins-global-awards-for-good/539546-5274996-7wi5xi/index.html

Kenya’s aviation sector growth is expected to double in the next two decades, a move that is expected to boost the Gross Domestic Product by $11.3 billion, says International Air Travel Association (IATA).

The IATA says the growth will result from an increase in journeys made through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) that is expected to grow by additional 11.3 million passengers, creating over 449,000 jobs.

“Over the next 20 years the Kenyan market could more than double in size, resulting in an additional passenger journeys and a $11.3 billion boost to GDP by 2037,” says IATA regional vice president Muhammad Ali Albakri.

IATA recently published a study on the value of aviation in Kenya, which showed that the sector and tourism contributed $3.2 billion to GDP in 2017. Currently the sector accounts for 4.6 percent of Kenya’s economy and supports 410,000 jobs.

However, IATA has identified four key areas that the government needs to address in order to promote aviation growth and bring even more value to the country. This include improving operational efficiency at JKIA if the facility is to remain a competitive connecting hub in the region.

“Improving operational efficiency at JKIA is essential if Nairobi is to remain a competitive connecting hub and East Africa’s main air cargo hub,” the agency says.

The second item that IATA wants the government to work on is the implementation of Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM). The move, argues the agency, will open Africa skies and ease the movement of the airlines across the continent.

For Kenya to achieve this, IATA says Kenya ought to anchor its regulatory framework in law.

In 1988, a number of African countries came together with the view of creating an open airspace for ease of movement and boost trade on the continent in what was called Yamoussoukro Declaration.

In 2000, the decision was endorsed by heads of state and government at the Organisation of African Unity, — now African Union— and became fully binding in 2002.

However, to date, not much has been done in regard to adoption of the open skies policy by member states as 14 nations have not ratified the treaty.

African nations are protecting their airlines from stiff competition, putting in doubt whether the dream of open sky policy will be achieved.

Mr Albakri says African nations are hurting their economies by protecting their national carriers by failing to implement open sky policy.

“With open sky policy, it means that more airlines will fly and the cost of air ticket will be affordable. This ( also) means that countries’ economies will benefit from this,” he said.

Kenya refused to grant Ethiopian Airlines a new route in December last year in what was an apparent protection of Kenya Airways against one of the most successful airlines in the region.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) applied brakes on Ethiopian Airlines’ quest of getting a license to operate scheduled passenger flights on the Johannesburg-Nairobi–Brussels route.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/shipping/IATA-sees-Kenya-aviation-doubling-in-two-decades/4003122-5276994-kv4lrn/index.html

Next week, more than 200 professionals in the travel industry are set to converge in Naivasha for the 2019 Annual KATA Convention.

Hosted by the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA), the industry captains discussing the changing and emerging trends in the travel sector. The convention will be held on September 27 and 28, 2019 at the Enishapai Resort and Spa.

The two-day event will bring together experts in the travel industry including the Vice President of the Universal Federation of Travel Agents Associations (UFTAA) who is also the CEO of the Israeli Incoming Tour Operators Association Mr. Yossi Fatael.

Also expected at the convention is the IATA Special Envoy on Aero-political affairs Mr. Raphael Kuuchi, President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents (NANTA) Mr. Bernard Bankole and the Rwanda Association of Travel Agents (RATA) President Ms. Uwizeye Louise as well as local industry players including government officials.

The forum comes at a time when the travel industry is keen on integrating the emerging technology trends in its trade, therefore, promoting growth. The theme of this year’s convention is ‘Travel in transition: Re-imagining Kenya’s future travel industry’.

“Discussions at the convention will focus on how industry players are dealing with the new changes happening in the industry which include but are not limited to technological, economic and structural disruptions, said KATA Chief Executive Officer Nicanor Sabula.

He further said that delegates will get a chance to engage top players in the travel industry and participate in conversations that will revolutionize the travel business. “The forum will further offer a perfect networking platform for delegates,” Mr. Sabula added.

The two-day event will be capped by the KATA at 40 celebrations to commemorate the association’s 40 years of existence.

The event has been put together through the concerted efforts of Travelport, the national carrier Kenya Airways and Amadeus. Other sponsors include Heritage Insurance, I&M Bank and Mastercard.

The KATA Convention is an annual forum that brings together travel professionals from the travel ecosystem which include travel agents, airlines, travel technology companies, regulators, financial institutions, insurance companies, training institutions among others to caucus on matters related to the industry and share knowledge and experiences.

Source: Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA)

The world’s commercial aircraft fleet is forecast by Airbus to more than double to almost 48,000 by 2038.

Of the expected 47,680-strong fleet, 39,210 aircraft will be new with 8,470 remaining from today.

This will result in the need for 550,000 new pilots and 640,000 technicians with traffic growth of 4.3% a year.

The European manufacturer believes that by updating fleets with latest generation fuel efficient aircraft such as the A220, A320neo family, A330neo and A350, it will “largely contribute” to  the “progressive decarbonisation” of the air transport industry.

This will enable the company to meet the objective of carbon neutral growth from 2020 while connecting more people globally.

Airbus has simplified its segmentation to consider capacity, range and flight type to reflect today’s evolving aircraft technology.

A short haul A321 is small while the long-haul A321LR or XLR can be categorised asmedium.

While the core market for the wide-body A330 is classified as medium, it is likely a number will continue to be operated by airlines in a way that sits within the large market segmentation along with the bigger A350 XWB, according to Airbus. This segment will also be served by the A380 at the upper end, although production of the superjumbo ends in 2021 due to falling demand.

This new segmentation gives rise to a need for 39,210 new passenger and freighter aircraft – 29,720 small, 5,370 mediumand 4,120 large – according to Airbus’ latest global market forecast for 2019-2038.

Of these, 25,000 aircraft are for growth and 14,210 are to replace older models with newer ones offering “superior efficiency”.

Airbus and US rival Boeing are expected to account for the bulk of the demand for the almost 40,000 new aircraft by 2038.

Airbus said: “Resilient to economic shocks, air traffic has more than doubled since 2000. It is increasingly playing a key role in connecting large population centres, particularly in emerging markets where the propensity to travel is amongst the world’s highest as cost or geography make alternatives impossible.

“Today, about a quarter of the world’s urban population is responsible for more than a quarter of global GDP, and given both are key growth drivers, aviation mega cities will continue to power the global aviation network.

“Developments in superior fuel efficiency are further driving demand to replace existing less fuel efficient aircraft.”

Chief commercial officer and head of Airbus International, Christian Scherer (pictured), said: “The 4% annual growth reflects the resilient nature of aviation, weathering short term economic shocks and geo-political disturbances. Economies thrive on air transportation. People and goods want to connect.

“Globally, commercial aviation stimulates GDP growth and supports 65 million livelihoods, demonstrating the immense benefits our business brings to all societies and global trade.”

Source: http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/343128/airbus-predicts-doubling-of-commercial-aircraft-fleet-by-2038