Uganda Airlines has Monday launched its maiden flight to the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as it readies to establish scheduled flights to the Gulf nation later this year.

The national carrier is carrying 200 Muslim citizens making the trip for the Hajj pilgrimage aboard its 258 capacity Airbus A330 aircraft.

“We have had our maiden flight to Jeddah, and this is the first time it has happened in 40 years. It is a very historic moment for the country and us as an airline,” Uganda Airlines chief executive officer Jennifer Bamuturaki said.

Ms Bamuturaki added that another 250 passengers would be flown to Jeddah on Tuesday.

Ugandan Muslim pilgrims have in the past been forced to connect through other countries for their pilgrimage, making the journey long, expensive and tedious.

Hajj is an at least once-in-a-lifetime obligation for all able-bodied Muslims of financial means to make. Some two to three million people participate in the six-day ritual annually.

About 50 Ugandans heading to Mecca were stranded at the Khartoum airport when the deadly Sudan war pitting generals broke out in April.

According to Ms Bamuturaki, the airline plans to establish scheduled flights between Uganda and Saudi Arabia by September this year.

“The operator’s permit that we currently have will go up to July next year and we shall extend it to July (the year after). On our scheduled flights, we have a plan to start flying to Jeddah in September and we shall be doing three flights a week,” she said.

Currently, the airline flies regional routes –Nairobi and Mombasa in Kenya, South Sudan capital Juba, Kinshasa in DR Congo, and Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam, and Zanzibar in Tanzania. It also flies to Mogadishu, Somalia and Bujumbura in Burundi.

SOURCE: The East African

Aviation stakeholders have been working together for several years to reduce the impact of air travel on the environment. Sustainability has been the top priority, with airlines, airports, and manufacturers investing millions in research, new aircraft technology, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and other emission reduction initiatives. Although it is a top priority, not every airline can afford to invest the same funds to implement these environmental solutions. It is even more difficult in Africa, where carriers face significantly high operating costs due to insufficient infrastructure and a weakening economic climate.

Operating in a costly environment

The cost of operating an airline in Africa is much higher than in any other region, with fuel and maintenance being the most expensive costs. Charges for airlines are also 8% higher on the continent, which is weighing them down and preventing them from growing.

As global carriers continue recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has predicted that airlines in Europe, the Middle East, and North America will return to profitability in 2023. However, African airlines are expected to go through another year of combined losses and only start recording net profits after 2024.

In addition to financial limitations, these airlines face legal, political, and legislative barriers. As several governments do not prioritize aviation, these are some challenges African carriers have to navigate before focusing on environmental sustainability.

Balancing economic and environmental sustainability

The industry is working to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 mainly through sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), new aircraft technology and alternative propulsion systems, improving airport infrastructure and air traffic management systems, and carbon offsetting and reduction schemes. To achieve this, annual clean energy investment worldwide must increase to over $4 trillion by 2030.

These are significant figures which cannot be handled by airlines recording net losses every year. Before these carriers can invest in environmental schemes, they must focus on financial recovery. Asked if African airlines can prioritize environmental sustainability over financial sustainability, TAAG Angola Airlines CEO Eduardo Farein said at AviaDev;

“I think that is affordable, only under one condition; the airlines are still surviving, because the first thing to being sustainable is to stay alive. If the airline doesn’t exist, then we’re not talking about this, right? Then, even though everybody is sharing the same goals about the carbon footprint and all these questions, the first thing to say is whether this environment is survivable? My guess is that it will be extremely difficult that it will happen if certain conditions are not being addressed properly.”

To survive, African carriers will focus on proper financing and investing in new machines, among other initiatives that ensure economic stability. Similarly, it does not mean that these airlines will disregard environmental solutions and focus on making profits. Kenya Airways CEO Allan Kilavuka said;

“To me, sustainability talks about what we do to meet today’s needs but not compromising on the future. It talks about longevity, for the long-haul, so doing things that will not compromise our future, and that encompasses not just the environment. So that is what sustainability is all about, the social, economic, and environmental.”

He added that the African continent faces problems more significant than sustainability, including water shortages, poverty, and food security. Implementing some environmental solutions will increase the cost of air travel, preventing the growth and contribution of aviation on the continent.

Protecting the environment while growing economically

Airlink representative Linden Birns said that environmental and economic sustainability are not mutually exclusive. Environmental factors, fuel availability, inflation, and interest rates are codependent, affecting how an airline operates.

Although stakeholders are engaging to enhance aviation’s contribution to Africa’s development, the current connectivity is essential for the market’s growth. Additionally, there are no railways or roads to connect distant destinations, so aviation plays a pivotal role in moving people and goods around the continent.

African airlines are participating in more achievable initiatives to reduce the impact of aviation on the environment. These include recycling, new technology, system development, strategic routes and schedules, and flying on the best path to reduce fuel burn. Some recent milestones include Ethiopian Airlines’ A350 delivery using SAF and Kenya Airways’ most sustainable flight between Nairobi and Amsterdam.

Moving forward, the continent’s growth depends on the growth of the aviation sector. African airlines will not focus on environmental sustainability at the expense of economic growth because air travel remains critical, essential, and even the only option in some regions.

Air connectivity and emissions in Africa

Africa is home to about 1.4 billion people, nearly 18% of the world’s population. Due to the lack of connectivity and closed borders, the continent only contributes about 2.1% of global air travel. Similarly, about 80% of air travel in the continent is provided by non-African carriers.

Aviation accounts for about 2.5% of global emissions. According to the figures, African carriers contribute about 0.005% of global CO2 emissions, a significantly low percentage. Additionally, Africa’s top three biggest airlines have a combined fleet of about 270 aircraft.

African stakeholders will eventually invest in SAF and other environmentally impactful activities. However, as the lowest carbon emitters, they are calling for assistance from the larger carriers operating over 500 aircraft and significantly contributing to the CO2 emissions, so they can work together towards the common goal.

The potential of SAF production in Africa

Given the fast land, feedstock, population, human capital, and resources that Africa has, there is great potential to produce SAF on the continent. Although it would make SAF for African airlines cheaper, it would still be more expensive than fossil fuels.

Another challenge is getting the authorities and governments to invest in SAF production. They are tackling other issues like water, food, and electricity shortages, housing, and other challenges that have been placed ahead of aviation. Uganda Airlines CEO Jenifer Bamuturaki said:

“We are grappling with losses, and now we’re expecting to go back to our governments and say you need to invest in this thing called SAF. Even having the governments understand how the aviation and airline industry operates is a great challenge.”

Although African carriers will prioritize survival and economic growth, they will simultaneously invest in environmentally friendly solutions. Among these is the implementation of the Single Air Transport Market (SAATM) to promote point-to-point travel and reduce the amount of fuel burnt flying between certain destinations.

SOURCE: Simpleflying

EgyptAir has announced the expansion of its Airbus A321neo fleet and the introduction of these advanced aircraft on several new routes to Europe. This strategic move comes as part of EgyptAir’s ongoing efforts to enhance its connectivity and provide passengers with an unparalleled travel experience.

The latest schedule update reveals the addition of Airbus A321neo on key routes, commencing from late-June 2023. These routes include the bustling cities of Istanbul and Paris, with daily flights operating between Cairo and each destination. Passengers can look forward to the convenience of increased frequency and the superior comfort and efficiency offered by the state-of-the-art A321neo aircraft.

Effective June 21, EgyptAir will operate daily A321neo flights between Cairo and Istanbul. This development is set to strengthen the ties between these two vibrant cities and provide travelers with greater flexibility in their travel plans. Additionally, starting on the same day, EgyptAir will introduce the A321neo on its daily flights between Cairo and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. This marks a significant milestone for EgyptAir, as it becomes the first operator in Africa to deploy the A321neo on its European network.

Furthermore, the A321neo is scheduled to serve other prominent destinations in Europe. EgyptAir’s daily flights between Cairo and Amsterdam will benefit from the cutting-edge capabilities of the A321neo aircraft. Passengers will enjoy a seamless and comfortable journey, with the frequency set to increase to five weekly flights from July 2 and four weekly flights from August 26.

The A321neo will also operate on EgyptAir’s popular Cairo-Dubai route, allowing passengers to experience the unmatched efficiency and luxury of this modern aircraft on a daily basis until July 22, 2023. Similarly, passengers traveling between Cairo and Kuwait City will have the opportunity to enjoy the comfort of the A321neo, with daily flights available.

In addition to these exciting developments, EgyptAir is planning to introduce the A321neo on its Cairo-Madrid route, with daily flights scheduled. Furthermore, from September 23, this route will see an increased frequency of five weekly flights, underscoring EgyptAir’s commitment to providing exceptional connectivity between Egypt and Spain.

It is worth noting that EgyptAir has leased seven A321neo aircraft from Aer Cap, a leading aircraft leasing company. The airline introduced the first two A321neo aircraft into service during the spring season, solidifying its position as the first operator of this advanced aircraft model in Africa. EgyptAir’s decision to reserve additional routes for the A321neo underscores its confidence in the aircraft’s performance, fuel efficiency, and passenger appeal.

SOURCE: Airspace Africa

RwandAir, the national airline of Rwanda, is making significant strides towards expanding its fleet and optimizing operations.

CEO Yvonne Makolo has unveiled the airline’s ambitious plan to double its fleet size by 2025-26, accompanied by a strategic focus on fleet rationalization. Additionally, progress is being made on the anticipated investment by Qatar Airways in RwandAir, further bolstering the carrier’s growth trajectory and enhancing its position within the African aviation industry.

Doubling the Fleet

RwandAir presently operates 13 aircraft, including three Airbus A330s, six Boeing 737s, two Bombardier CRJ900s, and two De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q400s. The airline is set to receive its 14th aircraft next month. This delivery marks a significant milestone in the airline’s pursuit of expanding its fleet. CEO Yvonne Makolo affirms the company’s commitment, stating, “Our goal is to double our fleet size by 2025-26 and we are on track for that.”

To ensure operational efficiency, RwandAir plans to streamline its fleet around three main aircraft types, while phasing out some of its regional aircraft. Yvonne Makolo emphasizes the airline’s intention, saying, “We are looking at what can replace the regional aircraft, both the CRJs and Q400s.” By concentrating on a more standardized fleet composition, RwandAir aims to simplify maintenance procedures, optimize crew training, and improve overall operational effectiveness.

Yvonne Makolo further specifies that while she is considering the acquisition of a fourth jumbo jet, but “The majority of our fleet will be made up of 737s.” This consolidation will enable RwandAir to enhance its operational capabilities and provide consistent service quality to its passengers.

Advancing Qatar Airways Investment

RwandAir’s collaboration with Qatar Airways is rapidly progressing, with the investment deal nearing its completion. Qatar Airways had expressed its interest in acquiring a 49% stake in RwandAir back in February 2020. Despite some delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the World Cup, both parties are confident that the agreement will be finalized in the coming months. CEO Yvonne Makolo provides an update, stating, “We are in the final stages of concluding the Qatar Airways investment, which experienced delays due to the impact of COVID-19 and the World Cup. However, we anticipate finalizing the agreement in the coming months.” This investment will not only bring substantial capital but also strategic benefits, including expertise sharing, network expansion, and operational synergies, fostering the growth and sustainability of RwandAir.

RwandAir and Qatar Airways have already established a successful codeshare agreement, facilitating a 3X-weekly service between Kigali and Doha. Additionally, the two airlines are working together to establish a cargo hub at Kigali International Airport, catering to the increasing demand for air freight services. Makolo highlights the significance of cargo operations, stating, “Cargo is a really key growth area for us and through the pandemic it was really the one revenue stream that was growing year-on-year.” The collaborative efforts extend beyond operations, with both airlines implementing a loyalty partnership, enabling customers to accrue and redeem points across their reciprocal route networks, as well as access airport lounges at their respective hubs in Doha and Kigali.

SOURCE: Airspace Africa 

The two flag carriers have signed a crucial interline agreement to increase their reach on the global market. Emirates (EK) and Kenya Airways (KQ) customers will have access to several new destinations on both airlines’ networks within a single itinerary.

The interline, signed today, will increase EK’s footprint in Africa to 148 destinations. It will also provide customers with enhanced travel options, including convenient baggage check-in to their final destinations.

The importance of the agreement

Emirates customers can fly to 28 destinations on Kenya Airways’ network, with Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (NBO) as the gateway into East Africa. From NBO, customers can seamlessly travel to Bangui, Bujumbura, Dzaoudzi, Juba, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Nampula, and Zanzibar, to mention a few.

Additionally, Emirates passengers traveling through its Dubai International (DXB) hub can book a single ticket to and from Mombasa Moi International (MBA). Mombasa sees a lot of annual arrivals as it is one of East Africa’s most popular tourist destinations.

EK has been flying to Kenya for about 23 years, while KQ has served the UAE for several years. The two carriers have played a pivotal role in strengthening Middle East-Africa travel, and the new interline agreement highlights the importance of these routes. Emirates Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim said;

“We are pleased to ink our first partnership with Kenya’s flag carrier. Kenya is a strategic gateway in our Africa network, and this new interline agreement will enhance connectivity for Emirates’ customers and provide them more travel choices across the continent. We look forward to deepening our relationship with Kenya Airways, offering greater network opportunities, and improving connections for both of our customers.”

Flights to Dubai

Kenya Airways passengers traveling through Dubai from Nairobi and Mombasa can access numerous routes on the Emirates network. They can fly to 23 destinations in South and West Asia, the Far East, the Indian Ocean, and the Middle East.

These destinations include Ahmadabad, Bangkok, Beirut, Jakarta, Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo. In Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, KQ only flies to Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN), Dubai International, Hong Kong International (HKG), and Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (MOB) airports.

The new agreement will boost KQ’s presence in the East, in line with its route development strategy. Speaking about the partnership, Kenya Airways Chief Commercial and Customer Officer Julius Thairu said;

“This partnership will provide the ideal gateway for our customers as we seek to increase our connectivity between Africa and the Middle East through Emirates’ hub in Dubai. Partnerships like these are key in aviation as they take advantage of mutual scale and efficiencies to provide customers with more seamless travel options.”

Flights between the UAE and Kenya

East Africa and Kenya have been important destinations for the Middle Eastern carrier over the years. Emirates began its service to Kenya, with flights between DXB and NBO in 1995. Today it operates 14 weekly Boeing 777 flights, having flown over 5 million passengers over the years.

It is also the only Kenya-bound carrier with private, enclosed first class cabins, offering premium customers its elegant and luxurious in-flight experience throughout the journey. The flights are usually about 4 hours and 30 minutes.

Similarly, Kenya Airways offers ten weekly B737-800 and B787 Dreamliner flights between NBO and DXB. KQ recently launched four weekly flights between MBA and DXB on the same aircraft. From today, it will provide new schedule choices to 23 eastbound destinations for Emirates.

Kenya-bound travelers can look forward to enjoying Emirates’ comfortable cabins, exclusive services, and its unmissable signature products. UAE-bound passengers can also enjoy Kenya Airways’ exceptional services with its friendly crew.

Source: Simple Flying

On Wednesday, LATAM Brasil and the South African carrier Airlink announced the signing of an interline agreement that will allow the travelers of the South American airline to access over 40 destinations in Africa. The new travel options will be available once LATAM restarts its route between Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) and Johannesburg Tambo International Airport (JNB) on September 2, with three weekly flights.

A new interline agreement.
LATAM Brasil and Airlink have inked a new interline agreement in which one company may sell flight segments of the other using its own code. LATAM will begin to gradually sell Airlink’s flights as of Tuesday, May 23, on its website. It will offer over 40 destinations in Africa operated by the new partner.

The new routes under LATAM’s interline agreement with Airlink are available starting on September 2. On that date, LATAM will restart flying to Johannesburg from Sao Paulo after a pause of more than three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The route between Brazil and South Africa will last nine hours. It will be operated by the airline’s Boeing 787-9 fleet, which seats 300 passengers (30 in premium business, 57 in premium economy, and 213 in economy).

Where does Airlink fly?
The South African carrier based in Johannesburg has a fleet of 62 aircraft, composed mainly of Embraer jetliners, according to data from ch-aviation. Through the new interlink agreement, LATAM passengers will be able to access more than 40 destinations across Africa. This includes sixteen destinations in South Africa, six in Mozambique, three in Zimbabwe, one in Tanzania, one in the Democratic Republic of Congo, three in Botswana, one in the island of St. Helena, one in Angola, three in Zambia, one in Lesotho, one in Kenya, two in Madagascar, two in Namibia, and one in
Eswatini.

Rodger Foster, CEO and Managing Director of Airlink, said the airline “is very proud of this partnership with LATAM as it enables connectivity between Latin America and all of Southern Africa, creating wonderful corporate and leisure opportunities.”

Meanwhile, Aline Mafra, LATAM Brasil’s Director of Sales and Marketing, added, “This is yet another example of how we have thought of a borderless airline network to bring Brazil closer to the world in a sustainable manner. This agreement makes our flights to South Africa even more attractive and full of possibilities. The new connectivity options from Johannesburg expand the offer to LATAM customers, who will now be able to reach important destinations on
the African continent such as Luanda, Nairobi, and Cape Town.”

This is Airlink’s second partnership announcement this year. In February, British Airways and the South African carrier announced a new codeshare agreement connecting British’s passengers with over 15 destinations across Southern
Africa. This includes destinations such as Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Skukuza in South Africa via Johannesburg and or Cape Town, and Windhoek and Walvis Bay in Namibia via these two South African cities.

SOURCE: Simple Flying