The plugin provides travel agencies with the latest information on government restrictions, lockdowns and safety measures across the globe – all within the agent workflow. It is available free-of-charge to all Travelport customers globally, using Travelport Smartpoint 8.2 or above, and can be downloaded directly from Travelport Marketplace.

The new tool provides detailed information on a range of topics, including: lockdown rules, entry requirements and quarantine measures for travelers. Country-level information can be displayed at the click of a button, allowing agents to advise their customers easily and instantly.

Kyle Moore, Global Head of Customer Strategy and Marketing, Travelport, said: “The travel ecosystem today is probably the most complex it has ever been, with government, airline, and hotel policies in every country constantly-changing. We’re making sure our agent partners no longer need to constantly leave their workflow to search for accurate and up-to-date information – greatly improving their efficiency in servicing their traveler customers.”

 The information in the Travelport COVID-19 Smartpoint Plugin is provided by global travel safety intelligence provider, Safeture, and is updated daily. “Our collaboration with Travelport will provide millions of travelers with the information they need to make informed decisions. With travel showing signs of a long-awaited recovery, creating this sense of security will be key to the reopening of economies and societies,” commented Magnus Hultman, Chief Executive Officer of Safeture.

“Working with the Travelport COVID-19 Smartpoint Plugin will allow our consultants to advise our customers with up-to-date destination information regarding this pandemic straight from the Smartpoint desktop. Travelport has turned this around quickly. It is great to know they are listening to the needs of the industry and are prepared to supply new leading-edge tools that can help aid recovery,” said Colin Boddy, Group Commercial Director, Meon Valley Travel Group.

“With the Travelport COVID-19 Smartpoint Plugin, we can provide reliable information to clients on the destinations they’re planning to travel to or through, without leaving the workflow. In this way, we’re able to continue providing a top-class service to clients who can confidently make travel choices and book flights,” commented Scott Pawley, Managing Director, Global Travel Management.

The plugin is the latest Travelport initiative to arm travel agents with the safety information they need and to support a safe, healthy, and responsible return to travel. In recent months, Travelport has:

– Created the travel technology industry’s first COVID-19 Resource Hub; compiling information such travel supplier policy trackers, relevant news, and guides. To-date, the company has registered more than 80,000 visits to the hub.

– Contributed to the formation of various World Travel and Tourism Council protocols aimed at supporting a strong industry recovery.

– Helped airlines to use the Travelport Rich Content and Branding merchandising solution to communicate safety information to travel agents.

– Worked with hotel groups to utilize descriptive space on the GDS screens to communicate safety information.

Source: https://ftnnews.com/technology/39888-travelport-launches-free-covid-19-smartpoint-plugin-for-travel-agencies

Kenya Airways resumed domestic flights with lower fares of Sh4,815 for a one-way ticket to Mombasa and Kisumu from Nairobi after being grounded since April due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Travellers took advantage of the reduced fares, nearly half its earlier charges, with the flights recording a 65 percent cabin load or seat capacity.

KQ, which flies to Kisumu and Mombasa on local destinations, grounded its fleet in April when the government restricted movement in and of Nairobi, Mombasa and Mandera three to curb the spread of Covid-19.

President Uhuru Kenya announced the easing of the restrictions last week, paving the way for the resumption of domestic flights Wednesday.

International flights will resume from August 1, offering a further boost to Kenya Airways, which had lost an estimated Sh10.6 billion in revenues in the six months to June.

The Sh4,815 fare is a record low for Kenya Airways on domestic routes and

is at par with ticket prices of its low-cost subsidiary, Jambojet. Rival Fly 540, which also resume flights, is charging Sh4,540 on the same routes.

“We saw about 65 percent of the cabin factor today (Wenesday) and there are positive signs that demand would rise,” KQ chief executive officer Allan Kilavuka told the Business Daily Wednesday.

“Kenyans do not typically book in time so it is difficult to tell foreloading (pre-booking.”

The morning and evening flights to Mombasa were fully booked, Kenya Airways said, a signal that the Kisumu route had empty seats.

Resumption of flights, SGR passenger train and long-distance bus travel are expected to boost Kenya’s tourism sector, which has lost Sh80 billion so far in revenue, about half of last year’s total, due to the coronavirus crisis.

The estimated losses include cancelled bookings for the high season months of July-October, said Mohammed Hersi, the chairman of the Kenya Tourism Federation, an industry lobby.

Tourism contributes 10 percent of Kenya’s annual economic output and employs over two million people, most of who have been laid off.

KQ will operate two flights to Mombasa and one to Kisumu every day as it monitors passenger demand.

Before the Covid-19 restrictions, the carrier would operate more than five flights a day on the Mombasa and Kisumu routes.

The low demand for flying started in March when the country registered the first case of the virus.

Mr Kilavuka said they are ready to start international flights in August 1, adding that flight routes will be based on capacity.

Kenya Airways said it plans to reduce the number of routes it serves and the frequency of flights, with passenger demand expected to remain depressed for at least 18 months.

STRUGGLING OPERATOR

The airline currently operates 42 aircraft on routes to 56 destinations in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America.

It was struggling long before the outbreak, posting 2019 losses of nearly Sh13 billion compared to Sh7.56 billion the previous year.

The government has been working on a plan to renationalise the airline in an attempt to save the business after a 2017 debt restructuring did little to improve its outlook.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/shipping/KQ-resumes-local-flights-with-rockbottom-fares/4003122-5593960-kt3diq/index.html

 

Qantas Airways has effectively suspended all international flights from its schedule for the remainder of the year as airlines around the globe continue to contend with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Australian flag carrier has removed inventory for all international routes—except for a handful into New Zealand—through March of 2021, according to Executive Traveller. When an airline removes inventory, it means flights are no longer available for passengers to book and is usually seen as a precursor to cancellation. So although Qantas’ international routes have not yet been formally canceled, the flights are likely to be officially nixed in coming days.

Qantas Airways CEO Alan Joyce has alluded to the fact that the suspension of international flights could stretch even further into next year. Last month, Joyce said he doesn’t foresee the airline’s international route network significantly relaunching until at least July 2021, according to Australia’s 7News. “We have to position ourselves for several years where revenues will be much lower and that means becoming a smaller airline in the short term,” Joyce told 7News. Currently all Qantas international flights (except New Zealand routes) are canceled through October 2020.

The carrier has also grounded its fleet of double-decker A380 planes—typically used for long-haul international routes—for at least three years, and it has completely retired its six Boeing 747s, another superjumbo jet.

A handful of international airlines, including U.S. carriers, are still flying to and from Australia with cargo and essential travelers on board. Delta, for instance, restarted its Los Angeles to Sydney route on July 1, and United has operated its San Francisco to Sydney route throughout the pandemic. Air New Zealand and Qatar Airways are also currently operating routes between Australia and the U.S., according to the Australian Embassy.

Australia clamped down on the virus early, closing its borders to non-essential travelers and implementing both a ban on overseas travel for its residents and 14-day quarantine for anyone returning the country—and both measures are still in place. Qantas’ looming route suspensions come as many airlines are fighting to restart international operations. Despite a resurgence of the virus in multiple American cities, U.S. carriers such as Delta and United are relaunching routes into Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. United is hoping that by August, it will fly 25 percent of the international flights it operated in 2019.

Source: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/qantas-is-effectively-canceling-all-international-flights-until-march-2021

 

Transport CS James Macharia has flagged off the first Kenya Airways flight to Mombasa at exactly 10.10 am today, three months after flights into and out of the country were suspended. 

Another flight has also landed in Kisumu,

Speaking at the airport Macharia said “We now look forward to the international flights but let’s make sure that these local flights are the benchmark of success. If we don’t do it correctly, the opportunity to fly internationally may be reversed,” he warned.

As early as 5.00 am on Wednesday morning, the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi was a beehive of activity as KQ, Jambojet and Safari-link geared up for the resumption of local flights following the suspension of flights due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the cold weather, people from all over strolled in ready to experience the skies again.

KTN News reported that there were already long screening queues as airport authorities sought to take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of both the travellers and the crew.

As expected, no one is being allowed into the airport without wearing a mask.

There’s water and soap to wash your hands before the screening process begins, and someone to record your temperature.

The floors are marked with social distancing stickers to emphasize on the need of observing distance whilst you are being served, and stickers reminding you to wear a mask at all times.

Those who were at the airport early Wednesday morning say that the check-in process is slower than usual, what with all the safety measures in place.

Before boarding the plane, the airline crew remind you to keep your mask on.

There will be no social distancing observed inside the planes, instead, passengers will seat next to each other but are required to have a mask on for the duration of the flight. Authorities said that the air conditioning inside the planes is effective enough to ensure air circulation. 

Last week in an announcement, Transport CS James Macharia said that airlines would not have to drastically reduce the number of passengers for them to fly, because if they carried less than 75 per cent of their passenger capacity, they would incur more losses.

All planes have gone through maintenance for the period they were grounded hence you can be assured of standard safety measures.

Since the onset of Covid-19 and the stoppage of flights, the national carrier KQ is estimated to have incurred 100M USD in losses.

It has only been operating cargo and repatriation flights for the last three months.

Tourism CS Najib Balala and other government officials are expected to grace an inaugural ceremony at the Moi Airport in Mombasa County.

The resumption of flights will boost the tourism sector that has incurred huge losses as international flights resume on August 1.

Source: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001378855/reclaiming-the-skies-domestic-flights-resume-today#

Emirates plans to restore services to a further six destinations from 15 July to 15 August, bringing the carrier’s network to 58 cities.

The Middle Eastern carrier plans to resume flights to Geneva from 15 July, Los Angeles from 22 July, Dar es Salaam from 1 August, Prague and Sao Paulo from 2 August, and Boston from 15 August.

“We’ve seen an uptick in customer interest and demand since the announcement of Dubai’s re-opening, and also with the increased travel options that we offer as we gradually re-establish our network connectivity,” says chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim. “We continue to work closely with all stakeholders to resume flight operations while ensuring that all necessary measures to safeguard the health and safety of our customers and employees are in place.”

Passengers will be able to connect through the carrier’s Dubai hub or visit the city itself, as it has re-opened for visitors.

The airline has amended its booking policies to offer customers flexibility with their travel plans. “Customers who purchase an Emirates ticket by 31 July 2020 for travel on or before 30 November 2020, can enjoy generous rebooking terms and options, if they have to change their travel plans due to unexpected flight or travel restrictions relating to Covid-19,” it says.

Source:https://www.flightglobal.com/emirates-resumes-flights-to-six-further-destinations/139233.article

 

Low-cost carrier, Jambojet, has announced plans to resume flights to five local destinations with effect from 15th July 2020.

For a start, the airline will operate 4 weekly flights to Diani, 3 daily flights to Mombasa, 2 daily flights to Kisumu, 2 daily flights to Eldoret, and 1 daily flight to Malindi.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has exempted domestic flights from leaving the middle seat open. According to KCAA director-general, Gilbert Kibe, flying with the middle row seats empty will be unsustainable. Some airlines will be forced to increase ticket prices, creating a disadvantage to hundreds of passengers.

With international flights set to resume on 1st August 2020, Jambojet will be able to commence flights to its regional destinations of Kigali(Rwanda) and Entebbe(Uganda).

Jambojet is a Kenyan low-cost carrier that started operating in 2014. It is a subsidiary of Kenya Airways, with its headquarters in Nairobi. It flies to Malindi, Ukunda, Mombasa, Kisumu, Kigali and Entebbe, Uganda. The airline plans to expand to South Sudan, Tanzania, DRC, Comoros, and Malawi.

Jambojet is also seeking approval from KCAA to expand its cargo destinations, alongside operating direct flights between cities in Kenya without stopping at its hub in Nairobi.

If approved, the carrier plans to fly directly from Mombasa to Kisumu and from Kisumu to Eldoret- Malindi-Lamu.

 

Source: https://kenyanwallstreet.com/jambojet-resumes-flight-to-local-destinations/

 

Kenya’s tourism had a solid year in 2019, with market data showing a continued maturity of the sector. For starters, international arrivals rose above the two million mark year over year.

 

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) datat indicates that tourism receipts for the year soared by 3.9 percent to Sh163.6 billion from Sh157.4 billion in 2018 to mirror the steady rise in arrivals.

 

Arrivals in 2019 remained solid at Kenya’s major points of entries, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi and Moi International Airport in Mombasa.

 

The sector kept growing from strength to strength in the year, supported in large part by continued political stability, an improved security situation, and the withdrawal of travel advisories by major tourist source countries. Hotel-bed occupancy levels grew by 6.3 percent while visits to national parks and game reserves improved notably.

 

International and local conferences grew by 6.9 percent and 14.4 percent respectively. Admissions at the Kenya Utalii College, which offers professional hospitality courses, rose by 9.8 percent to 2,706.

Fast forward to 2020 and the hospitality sector was the first to take a major hit from the Covid-19 crisis, which has seen travel restrictions introduced in all parts of the world.

According to data from the United Nations World Tourism Organisations (WTO), 44 destinations have restricted entries to certain tourists on the basis of country of origin.

In Kenya, the hospitality sector was the only one to register negative growth in the first three months of 2020.

From lost hotel revenues and a thinning aviation sector the magnitude of declining tourism is visible.

A Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) survey conducted between May and June, for instance, found zero forward hotel bookings. Meanwhile Kenya Airways has costs to worry about as other airlines prepare for flights within Africa and to long-haul destinations.

Economists predict the national carrier may see a Sh50 billion dip in revenues for the year, equivalent to more than one-third of the company’s 2019 gross figures from passenger and cargo before expenses. Domestic tourism has similarly taken a hit from Covid-19 mitigation measures.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel with the start of easing of restrictions last month. For instance, walk into the Nairobi National Park on any one Saturday or Sunday afternoon and spot the difference.

Hundreds of Nairobi residents are visiting the world’s only national park inside a capital city, with routine trips upcountry and to other popular destinations over the weekends restricted.

They are also taking a keen interest in nature and wildlife. As a conservationist, it is refreshing to see Kenyans spend more time enjoying and appreciating national parks and wildlife as part of their heritage.

Thre are more social media posts of Kenyans walking about the trails of the popular Karura Forest or feeding the giraffes at the Giraffe Centre.

The new interest could very well mark a turning point for the local hospitality industry.

A recent chat with a tourism stakeholder pointed me towards an ending stereotype — tourism ni ya wazungu (loosely translated as tourism is for white foreign visitors).

The new policy which placed domestic tourism at the heart of the country’s hospitality sector must now be capitalised upon.

As restrictions the world over remain in place particularly from jitters on pre-mature re-openings especially in Europe, the domestic market are set to remain as the go-to source for tourists.

International tourists will be the last ones to return under the new normal and most likely after the containment of the virus.

Currently, it is virtually impossible for one to travel into Kenya from the European Union (EU), for instance, as the customs union cuts off destinations that are yet to substantively manage the pandemic.

To keep the engine of local tourism roaring, the government must now endeavour to grow it in the near term. Already government data shows there was an annual local tourism capacity of up to 3.97 million tourists as of 2018.

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala recently halved entry fees at parks and game reserves for Kenyans in an attempt to attract more local tourists. Further, the Tourism ministry has issued a one-year moratorium on rents for hotels operating inside parks and other sites.

The two initiatives will serve to boost the local hospitality capacities and sustain the tourism industry over the near term. Moreover, the recently announced Sh537 billion stimulus package contains an allocation of Sh3 billion as soft loans to tourist facilities to support renovation works.

BUILD BRIDGES

With new working protocols already drawn up and out for implementation, the government must now seek to build bridges to push domestic tourism to an even higher level. One of the means to these ends would be a promotion of local tourism to the masses.

Advertising and marketing budgets must be now temporarily re-adjusted with a bias for local tourists.

Digital marketing remains a powerful tool to attract domestic tourism. Under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, the free movement of people will stimulate intra-Africa tourism.

Statistics show that over 60 million tourists visited Africa in 2019.

The world will slowly open up to our continent, with the magnificent attractions and exceptional warm African hospitality.

Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda are also looking at opening up flights and visitors into their countries in the near future. Beyond the pandemic, the Ministry of Tourism must still strive to keep the domestic market engaged to accelerate the industry into even greater heights.

Diaz is director Bidco Africa group director, EABC board member and Trustee Brand Africa. @DiazChrisAfrica

Source; https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/analysis/ideas/Homegrown-tourism-will-boost-industry-s-recovery/4259414-5590620-nq4f9nz/index.html

After four months Kenya is reopening its airspace for domestic and international travel, giving a reprieve to airlines whose financial have been on a nose dive since their aircraft were grounded in March.

The announcement on Monday came as good news to local carriers that had been pushing for reopening, if only to cut their losses which have hit tens of billions of shillings in the last few months.

However, the industry recovery is expected to be slow with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) projecting that air traffic will not return to pre-Covid-19 crisis until 2023, meaning that airlines have to grapple with losses for at least two or three more years.

Locally, national carrier, Kenya Airways  (KQ) projects that it will recover from the shocks of the coronavirus pandemic in about the same period.

Basing on the anticipated low numbers, KQ, which had planned to acquire new aircraft and retire some of its old fleet, said it will revisit the matter in 2023 when it expects demand to pick up.

“With the shrinkage in demand at the moment, we have excess assets and there will be no need to acquire new aircraft,” said Allan Kilavuka in a response to the Business Daily.

Safarilink chief executive Alex Avedi said in an earlier interview that to manage their operating costs, they will start flying with a reduced fleet and adjust upwards as demand for passengers rises.

“Covid-19 effects on air travel are certainly going to last a number of years with no quick rebound to ‘the 2019 levels,” IATA Chief Economist Brian Pearce told Reuters recently.

Airlines normally rely on the cabin load factor to make profits and low numbers mean that it would be difficult for carriers to operate sustainably.

When he reopened the airspace on Monday, President Uhuru Kenyatta said carriers will be required to conform to all applicable guidelines and protocols from both the Ministry of Health, local regulators and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and any additional requirements applicable at the ports of departure, arrival or transit. The directive signals the introduction of stringent measures at airports, which may discourage travellers.

IATA has warned counties against being overzealous by requiring mandatory quarantine once the airspace is opened, saying it will hurt the confidence of passengers. It instead urges countries to follow the guidelines issued by health and aviation agencies.

“Deviations from the guidance and mandatory approaches, especially on quarantine and social distancing, will damage public confidence, make it harder to operate effectively, slow down the industry restart and increase the economic pressures already created by Covid-19,” said IATA.

“We therefore urge African states to urgently adopt these guidelines so that we can ensure the implementation of consistent, harmonised and effective measures across the region, a prerequisite for passengers to return to air travel in all confidence, and for the swift restoration of air connectivity,” it added.

Kenya become the second country in East Africa to open up its airspace after Tanzania. Rwanda announced that it will open for scheduled commercial flight operations on August 1, according to the country’s Ministry of Infrastructure with travellers, including those on transit required to show proof of Covid-19 tests.

Similarly visitors to Dubai will be required to show certificates proving they are not carriers of the disease before they can be allowed entry starting next week.

The stringent requirements are expected to be adopted by most countries as they open up their airspace for passenger aircraft in the next couple of weeks.

Meanwhile as passenger business prepares to resume, last month Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) released data showing that cargo airlines, not affected by Covid-19 helped to improve aircraft movement at the JKIA with data from indicating that cargo has only been down by 18 percent between March and May this year.

“Cargo business was not hit much because of the ongoing operations at the airport as the government did not restrict the freighters from operating,” said KAA acting managing director Alex Gitari.

The industry figure shows that on yearly comparison, cargo handled in 2019 was 90,000 tonnes compared with 74,000 tonnes that was evacuated through JKIA between January and May.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/shipping/Why-customer-confidence-will-be-key-to-keeping-airlines-in-sky/4003122-5589516-vw30jqz/index.html

 

Low-cost carrier Jambojet will resume flights to five local destinations on July 15, 2020 after the government lifted a ban on movement in and out of Nairobi, Mombasa, and Mandera counties.

The airline, which is a subsidiary of Kenya Airways, will operate three daily flights to Mombasa, two to Kisumu, two to Eldoret, one to Malindi and four weekly flights to Diani. 

This comes after President Uhuru Kenyatta moved to reopen the economy by lifting a ban on road, air and rail travel across the country that was in place to slow the spread of Covid-19. 

However, since the dusk-to-dawn curfew is still in place, it’s not clear what that would mean for the aviation industry since many airlines operate flights at night.

Meanwhile, Kenya Railways has also asked passengers to be patient as it prepares a new operational schedule for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).

Source: https://www.nation.co.ke/kenya/business/jambojet-revs-engines-as-it-readies-for-local-flights-1446114