International flights out of Kenya are set to resume from August 1^st while domestic flights are set to resume from July 15^th. This was confirmed by President Uhuru Kenyatta during the ninth Presidential address on the Covid-19 pandemic on 6^th July.

The opening up of the airspace is conditioned with strict conformity with guidelines and protocols issued by the Ministry of Health.

The resumption of domestic and international flights come as a sigh of relief for the Travel and Tourism Sector. Employers in the sector were rendered jobless, sent on unpaid leave or suffered pay cuts.

Travel Agents had closed shop as the Covid-19 unprecedented situated grounded the agency business to a halt.

 

All passengers flying with Qatar Airways in economy class will be required to wear face shields as part of health and safety measures announced by the carrier today in response to the risks posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Those shields are in addition to face masks or coverings, and will be provided by the airline.

Economy-class passengers must wear shields and masks throughout the flight, the Middle Eastern carrier states, except during drink and meal services.

Business-class passengers “are asked to wear their face shield and mask on board at their own discretion, as they enjoy more space and privacy”, the airline says.

All passengers will receive a complimentary “protective kit”, which will include a single-use surgical face mask, large disposable gloves and an alcohol-based hand-sanitiser gel.

The face shields will be distributed at check-in for Doha-origin flights, and at the gate for overseas-origin departures.

Qatar Airways has also confirmed that cabin crew will wear a “new protective gown” in addition to safety glasses, gloves and masks.

By mandating face shields, the airline’s measures go beyond those adopted by most other carriers, which tend to focus on face coverings only.

“Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, the safety of our passengers has been our highest priority,” states Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker. “As the largest international airline flying consistently throughout the pandemic, we have become one of the most experienced in safety and hygiene. We will continue to lead the industry in terms of the services offered to our passengers, so that they can travel with confidence.”

Speaking to FlightGlobal in June, Al Baker said he expects the global hunger for travel that is important to Qatar Airways’ business model will return, powered by a scientific breakthrough.

“The entire scientific community is working to defeat this pandemic and I’m sure there will be a breakthrough that will make people have confidence to travel again,” he said.

Source: https://www.flightglobal.com/strategy/qatar-airways-mandates-face-shields-for-economy-passengers/139121.article

 

The rapid spread of coronavirus has had a massive impact on many sectors of the global economy, with tourism being among the hardest hit. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) are joining forces to boost the recovery of the tourism sector across the 38 economies where the Bank invests.

According to analysis by UNWTO, all worldwide destinations introduced restrictions on travel in response to Covid-19 an unprecedented act. While some destinations are starting to ease restrictions, the crisis is far from over and this lockdown has led to a massive fall in international tourist arrivals.

In light of such unprecedented events, the EBRD and UNWTO have agreed to take immediate action to facilitate the recovery of tourism. The support is currently envisaged for a number of countries, including Albania, Armenia, Croatia, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, Jordan, Lebanon, Montenegro, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

The immediate response was designed along the three pillars of the UNWTO’s Tourism Recovery Technical Assistance Package. It includes measurement of the impact of Covid-19, recovery plans with incentives to revive the tourism sector, protocols to ensure the enhanced safety, hygiene and security of tourists and employees, marketing of measures that can boost tourism demand, capacity-building for tourism officials and training for tourism sector enterprises in adopting the new protocols. A key element is to preserve human capital as well as to adapt and strengthen inclusion.

The two organisations are longstanding partners and signed a first Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in 2015, which they renewed in 2019.

This cooperation expands the existing partnership and builds on the UNWTO’s recently adopted Covid-19 Tourism Recovery Technical Assistance Package, which includes three pillars through which the organisation plans to assist the sector: 1) economic recovery, 2) marketing and promotion and 3) institutional strengthening and the building of resilience.

The EBRD is committing all of its activity in 2020-21 to helping its regions counter the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with investment expected to reach up to €21 billion. The Bank will target all sectors of the economy, including tourism and hospitality which were particularly affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

 

Kenya has been awarded the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travel Stamp in recognition of the destination’s adoption of the global health and hygiene standardized protocols dubbed ‘Safe Travels’.

The announcement was made by Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Najib Balala during the unveiling of the Magical Kenya travel and tourism health and safety guidelines and protocols.

He said the recognition is timely as Kenya prepares to reopen the tourism and hospitality industry after months of closure.

To meet this recognition, Kenya sent the protocols drafted by National Tourism and Hospitality Protocols Taskforce to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for validation. This is in line with the Global reopening of Tourism and Travel Protocols.

“I am delighted to announce that Kenya has been listed among the 80 global destinations certified and authorized to use the “World Travel and Tourism Council Safe Travel Stamp” together with our Magical Kenya Logo. This stamp will allow travelers to recognize Kenya as a safe destination once we reopen and implement the health and safety protocols” said CS Balala

The tourism and travel sector is undoubtedly one of the worst hit globally following the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Arising from the pandemic the tourism and wildlife sectors are experiencing unprecedented health and social economic crisis.

Locally, the crisis has crippled the industry due to the movement restrictions imposed by the government to curb the spread of the virus.

“The Protocols we have launched today will provide guidance for the tourism sector’s reopening as we look to actualize the tourism recovery initiatives that have been facilitated by the government going forward.  I appreciate the National Tourism and Hospitality Protocols Taskforce for developing this document that will form a basis for proper reopening of the sector” added Balala

The protocols will seek to achieve Institutional, Operational and Staff Preparedness to ensure service provision meets required guidelines aimed at preventing spread of COVID-19.

They will also Ensure a safe experience for visitors, rebuild trust and confidence, and Implement enabling policies and guidelines thus provide a step by step process of a careful reopening and restart of business in the tourism sector.

Source: https://www.kbc.co.ke/kenya-receives-world-travel-and-tourism-council-safe-travel-stamp/

President Uhuru says Kenya Airways (KQ) will resume operations in a few days. Uhuru, who spoke on Friday during a virtual conference sponsored by US-based Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), noted that the government will first allow the national airline to resume domestic flights.

The government will later set a date for KQ to resume international flights based on the global Covid-19 situation, Uhuru added.

“We’re doing everything we can to make sure we are back in the skies… we’re eager to open up, but we have to make sure we all stay safe,” he told the summit.

KQ has been grounded for the past three months following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has entirely disrupted the global aviation industry.

Kenya Airways CEO Allan Kilavuka this week disclosed the airline has lost an estimated Sh10 billion due to the Covid-19 crisis. Kilavuka said the losses could soar to Sh50 billion by the end of this year.

The carrier did not suspend cargo operations but this has not been enough to sustain the business.

Source: http://www.mwakilishi.com/article/business-news/2020-06-27/uhuru-gives-kenya-airways-green-light-to-resume-flights

 

Travel restrictions will soon be lifted following the launch of the Tourism and Travel, Health and Safety Protocols.

Interior CS Fred Matiang’i on Wednesday said the country is now safe for travel resumption.

“Kenya is ready for travel. Kenyans should know that,” he said.

 

 

Speaking during a meeting with other tourism stakeholders, Matiang’i said the country will continue to provide security for both locals and foreign travelers to curb the risk of accelerated infections.

“It’s now a reality that the virus could become endemic and we must all be prepared to live with it and resume normalcy under the prevailing circumstances as global efforts to find a vaccine continues,” he said.

Matiang’i reiterated that the sector continues to be among top priority in the government measures to restore the country’s economy. 

“We can’t sit back, play dead and wait for some magic so we can begin to live normally. There is no country that is an example of what we ought to be doing. Therefore we have to learn for ourselves,” he said.

His sentiments were echoed by Health Cs Mutahi Kagwe who said Kenyans need to learn to live with the virus.

In April, the government suspended all international travel in a raft of measures to control virus spread.

Consequently, major events across sectors including hospitality, design, sports, technology among others were cancelled to stem the spread of the disease.

 

Source: https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2020-07-01-matiangi-we-cant-play-dead-kenya-is-ready-for-travel/

 

Budget carrier Jambojet is seeking approval to fly between cities in Kenya without stopping at its hub in Nairobi and also expand into cargo business.

If it secures the regulatory nod, the carrier, for instance wants to fly directly from Mombasa to Kisumu and from Kisumu to Eldoret- Malindi-Lamu.

Jambojet is also seeking permission to expand its existing international destinations, which could see it fly to Dare Salaam, Zanzibar, Moroni, Bujumbura, Addis Ababa and Goma if the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) grants the approval.

“We are waiting for the comments from the public before taking it to our board for approval. Once it is approved, then they will immediately commence,” said KCAA Director- General Gilbert Kibe.

Mr Kibe said the airline is seeking permission to open other bases in regional cities such as Mombasa and Kisumu.

Currently, Jambojet flies to two international destinations in Kigali and Entebbe. The airline, a subsidiary of the Kenya Airways, had planned flights to Mogadishu but did not get the desired time slot, hence suspended the route.

In a gazette notice dated May 29, Jambojet also announed that it wants to vary its licence so that it could also enter into cargo business. At the moment, the airline only carries passenger cargo, operating from its base at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The fresh request comes at a time when the aviation industry is in turmoil following the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 that has seen airlines grounded.

It is not clear how Jambojet will manage the Addis Ababa route given that it is dominated by Ethiopian Airlines, which offers relatively lower price on tickets when compared with other carriers.

The carrier has been expanding its fleet and last year acquired four new aircraft as it sought to expand to regional countries.

According to the gazette notice, the airline will use aircraft B737, implying that the carrier plans to acquire a new high capacity aircraft for regional routes.

It will also deploy DHC8 and ATR72 based at the JKIA and Mombasa, meaning that Jambojet will have some of its airplanes based at the coastal city.

The Nairobi- Kigali route began in November last year while the Entebbe route started in 2018.

The airline has said before it sought to enable more passengers to fly affordably and reliably from its hub in Nairobi to the two destinations.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/companies/Jambojet-seeks-to-expand-into-cargo-business/4003102-5584550-5qpj61/index.html

KQ Chief Executive Officer Allan Kilavuka told journalists the airline is ready to resume flights by July in order to mitigate further losses associated with the global pandemic.

“Our estimates is that since January to date, we have probably lost around USD 100 million (Sh10 billion), when we estimate to the end of the year we will loose USD 400 million to 500 million (Sh40-50 billion),” Kilavuka said.

KQ posted a net loss of Sh12.98 billion for the year which ended December 2019, compared to the Sh7.558 billion loss posted a year earlier.

While affirming the airline’s readiness to resume flying, KQ’s Chairperson Michael Joseph pleaded with the government to open the skies in order to facilitate resumption of flights which will revive revenues generated from the airline-related businesses.

The Airline’s CEO affirmed that resumption of flights will reduce the financial burden felt by the tourism and hospitality sector, allow tourists to the country and secure jobs for many Kenyans.

“Our plea is that can we start flying as soon as possible, even if it is at reduced level, any commercial flights will help us a lot, so can we start earning revenue, bring  tourists to Kenya, bring business meetings, hotels will open, create more job and get more people to work,” he said.

“There is a limit to how much business can be conducted virtually,” the KQ Chairperson asserted.

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The government banned all international flights in March with the exception of cargo flights whose crew are limited to a maximum of three.

The situation was further compounded by ban on domestic flights which took effect when the government-imposed cessation of movement which is now in effect in Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Mombasa and Mandera counties.

KQ’s CEO further noted that the firm has suspended its expansion drive and will not launch new routes for the next two years due to financial inadequacies.

Upon resumption of flight operations, Kilavuka noted that national carrier will insist of wearing of mask by passengers, ruling out the possibility of adjusting sitting capacity in its aircraft to facilitate social distancing saying the reconfiguration may not be economically viable.

“We will not do social distancing because there is little scientific proof that there is extra risk of transmission. Reducing seats will be uneconomical and tickets will rise by 60 per cent,” he said while responding to a series of questions from journalists.

As of July 26, Kenya had reported 132 virus-related deaths. Documented infections since March 14 totaled 5,384 people with 1,857 patients having recovered since April 1.

Source: https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2020/06/kq-projects-sh50bn-revenue-loss-as-aviation-industry-reels-from-shutdown/

Ticketing and distribution specialist Hahn Air has signed contracts with seven new airlines this year.

Air Century, Cambodia Airways, Divi Divi Air, Eastern Airlines, Eastern Airways, Emetebe Airlines and Thai Smile Airways have now joined the Hahn Air partner portfolio which includes more than 350 airlines.

By using one or more of Hahn Air’s solutions, the seven new partners generate incremental revenue in additional markets.

“Hahn Air offers solutions for airlines of any business model”, comments Alexander Proschka, Executive Vice President Commercial.

 “For example, US carrier Eastern Airlines and Thai Smiles Airways from Thailand opted for our HR-169 product. They can sell their flights under their own two-letter-codes in the GDS while unlocking their non-BSP markets for indirect ticket sales. Our new X1-Air partners Emetebe Airlines, Eastern Airways, Air Century and Divi Divi Air outsourced their complete indirect distribution to Hahn Air Technologies. They can now sell their flights in Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport under the code X1. And finally, Dual Partner Cambodia Airways is combining the HR-169 and H1-Air products, thereby exploiting the full potential of primary and secondary markets.”

With its ticketing and distribution solutions, the German airline Hahn Air facilitates global business between travel agencies and airlines. 

Hahn Air holds contracts with all major GDSs and is a member of the IATA Clearing House, almost all IATA BSPs as well as the settlement systems ARC and TCH.

With this extensive technology infrastructure, Hahn Air enables its partner airlines to sell tickets through more than 100,000 travel agencies in 190 markets.

Alexander Proschka further said, “Our products are cost efficient, effective and quickly to implement and therefore particularly interesting for airlines looking to kick-start their business after the corona-induced restrictions.”