Airlines reported a surge in bookings to South Africa ahead of the UK government’s dramatic travel review announcement on Thursday.

Virgin Atlantic told the Evening Standard it has seen a 150 per cent jump in bookings to the destination in the past few days, after experts tipped the country to be among dozens of countries likely to fall off the UK travel red list.

Travellers are especially keen to lock in flights around Christmas time, in South Africa sweltering summer, when airfares usually rocket to several thousands pounds.

Speculation had been growing around other red list countries like Brazil and Mexico, which industry experts thought would also be removed from the list.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapp announced on Thursday that 47 countries are coming off the red list, including a string of popular holiday destinations including South Africa, Argentina, Cuba, Thailand and Tunisia.

Being take off the red list means returning holidaymakers will not have to stay in quarantine hotels for 11 nights at a cost of over £2,200.

Virgin Atlantic operates services from Heathrow to Cape Town and Johannesburg three times a week. A spokeswoman for the airline said: “In advance of the Red list review today, we have seen our bookings to South Africa increase by 150% over the past four days, compared to the four days prior.

“The majority of bookings are for passengers originating from the UK however we are also seeing an increase in passengers originating from South Africa as well. The new bookings are for travel in November and December this year in particular around the Christmas period.”

In a further easing of restrictions, the Government has lifted its advice against non-essential travel to 32 countries and territories.

Bangladesh, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana and Malaysia are among the locations for which travel advice based on the risk of coronavirus has been relaxed, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Wednesday.

Britons will not longer be told to avoid all but essential travel to non-red list countries on Covid-19 grounds except in “exceptional circumstances” such as if the local healthcare system is overwhelmed, the FCDO added.

This should make it easier for people visiting those locations to obtain travel insurance.

Source: Evening Standard

The UK High Commission has announced that vaccinated Kenyans traveling to the UK will no longer have to quarantine.

UK High Commissioner Jane Marriott on Thursday said this takes effect on October 11.

Vaccinated Kenyans will also not need to take a Covid test upon departure.

A spokesperson for the British High Commission said:

“We are pleased to announce that from Monday, October 11, those vaccinated in Kenya will be able to travel to the UK without having to undertake any quarantine or take a Covid-19 test before departure. Thanks to our strong partnership with the Ministry of Health, we have completed the process to recognise vaccine certificates from Kenya.”

Marriott added that:

“This is great news for our peoples, Kenya-UK trade, and the tourism sector as we move closer to getting back to normal.”

This comes as the UK’s Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps announced that he will be making changes to the travel list, so that travelers visiting England have fewer entry requirements, by recognising those with a fully-vax status syringe from 37 new countries.

In his remarks, Kenya’s High Commissioner to the UK Manoah Esipisu said that the latest step is a boost to tourism and business travel.

Before traveling to England, fully vaccinated Kenyans will need to enter their Covid-19 test booking reference number on their passenger locator form.

After arriving in England, the travelers must take a Covid-19 test on or before day two.

The travelers must also book the Covid test if they will be arriving in England from abroad.

Also, travelers can compare and choose a test provider based on cost and whether they are available in their region.

“The government does not endorse or recommend any specific test provider – you should do your own research about them and their terms and conditions.”

Source: The Star

Kenya is seeking new aviation partnerships that will see Nairobi reach out to the Caribbean market, as President Uhuru Kenyatta argued for more trade, debt relief and vaccine equity for pandemic recovery.

On Wednesday, Kenya inked bilateral deals on aviation cooperation, environmental conservation and trade and investment, on his second day of his visit to the Caribbean island.

The arrangements touched on bilateral air services agreement, the first step for the two countries to allow airlines to enter cooperation and connections, and ease travel between the two regions.

Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo signed the deal on behalf of Kenya while Barbados Minister for Tourism and International Transport Lisa Cummins represented her country at a ceremony witnessed in Bridgetown by President Kenyatta and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley.

The two countries have had no direct connection for flights and travellers heading either way, and have to mostly transit through the United States.

The signing of the deal may not cut the length of the trip, but it gives airlines like Kenya Airways an easier access to the Caribbean through future code sharing.

The two sides also agreed to establish an entity called a Joint Committee on Trade and Investment, which will be the forum in which future trade agreements or negotiations can happen.

Though traditionally not trading partners, Kenya and Barbados say they are working on their historical connections on a common African ancestry to improve business ties.

President Kenyatta says the African continent and the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), the local bloc, can improve ties based on trade, tourism, sports and cultural fetes.

“This is one area where we are hoping to find great success that will make it easy for the business men and women, those seeking to re-engage with the African continent, to be able to do so without having to wait for visas from third parties,” President Kenyatta said.

“I think that all of us recognise now that we are in a marathon and not a sprint. And that we have had, in the past, to become resilient, and this generation of Kenyans and Barbadians must be resilient to the times whether those times are affected by the pandemic or whether they are affected by the climate,” Ms Mottley said, referring to the pandemic effects.

President Kenyatta also used the visit to reiterate his call for supportive debt relief and vaccine access for poor countries, arguing they will be the two most important areas to help the world fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

He told an audience on Tuesday that the world must learn from the “flawed” multilateral system that has largely failed to bring on board everyone, but argued developing countries will bank on reduced debt burdens, more vaccines and easier channels of trade to recover.

Source: The East African

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen. Jeje Odongo has revealed that Uganda Airlines is planning to launch direct flights from Entebbe to Guangzhou, in China.

Odongo made the announcement on Tuesday during the virtual celebrations for the 72nd Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China, also known as National Day the People’s Republic of China.

“The national carrier, Air Uganda plans to launch direct flights from Entebbe to Guangzhou once the regulatory procedures are completed. With the re-establishment of Uganda Airlines, we shall have direct connectivity between our two countries, which is a great opportunity for business, and people-to-people interaction,” he said.

Odongo also said that Uganda is committed to working with China to expand its economic and commercial ties especially in areas such as tourism, investment and trade.

“The potential for cooperation in these areas is much greater than it is now. We are ready to work with you on how to facilitate greater access of Ugandan products to the Chinese markets, greater access of Chinese tourists visiting Uganda, and facilitating more investments from China to Uganda,” Odongo told the Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, H.E Zhang Lizhong.

The Minister said the private sector is key in these efforts, and therefore, there is a need to encourage more business-to-business interaction between both countries.

Source: Red Pepper

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on the South African government to step up its support for the air transport industry amid the COVID-19 crisis to facilitate the recovery of industries supported by aviation such as travel and tourism and unlock the job opportunities and other economic benefits they provide.

“South Africa’s air transport and tourism sector’s contribution to GDP all but evaporated with the COVID-19 crisis which coincided with the closure of one airline and the deep restructuring of two others. In 2019 aviation supported 364,000 jobs in South Africa. Because of COVID-19, about 298,000 of those jobs have been put at risk. It’s a significant impact for over 80% of jobs to be lost if connectivity is not restored. As South Africa’s foreign trade and tourist markets begin coming back online, it is crucial that steps are taken to ensure no more jobs or opportunities are lost,” said Kamil Al Awadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East.

Key priorities to support and sustain the recovery of South Africa’s air transport and tourism sectors include:

Financial Support and Relief to the air transport industry: South Africa’s entire airline industry requires support and financial relief if it is to fulfill its role as an economic enabler and job creator.  Government has several levers at its disposal to assist all carriers and service providers, both public and privately-owned.  Besides cash or financial guarantees, they include reductions, waivers, and discounts on user charges and taxes on air travel and aviation and wage subsidies.

Adopting an inter-operable digital platform for COVID-19 testing and vaccination certificates: As passenger numbers increase in the recovery, digitally managing travel health credentials will be essential to avoid queuing and crowding at airports. IATA Travel Pass and the African Union’s Trusted Travel Pass are both tools that can help governments efficiently and conveniently verify traveler health credentials.

Increasing intra-Africa connectivity: The African Union’s Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) is intended to unlock travel and economic benefits within the continent. An IATA-commissioned econometric study found that the full implementation of SAATM across the continent would create 14,500 new jobs for South Africa and add US$283.9 million to its GDP.

IATA also urged the South African government to ensure the effective functioning of the South African International Air Services Licensing Council to enable the granting of operating licenses for new routes and increased frequencies on existing routes to South African carriers.  

“The prolonged absence of a functioning South African International Air Services Licensing Council is exacerbating the crisis by preventing new routes and competition, further curtailing options for international travelers, inhibiting trade, and delaying the creation of jobs,” he added. 

Equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines

With low vaccination rates across Africa, the continent and its people are vulnerable and the economic recovery from COVID-19 is at risk. Moreover, with more countries lifting travel restrictions for those vaccinated, the freedom of movement will be limited until vaccines are universally available. With 13.9% of South Africa’s population fully vaccinated, the challenge is particularly acute.

Source: Tornos News

The first world fair to be held in the Middle East, Expo 2020 Dubai, opened on Thursday with a lavish ceremony of fireworks, music and messaging about the power of global collaboration for a more sustainable future.

Stars headlining the opening ceremony, which was projected in public spaces around the UAE, included Italian tenor singer Andrea Bocelli, British singer Ellie Goulding, Chinese pianist Lang Lang and Saudi singer Mohammed Abdu.

Dubai, the region’s tourism, trade and business hub, is hoping to boost its economy by attracting 25 million business and tourist visits to the world fair which has been built from scratch on 4.3 sq km (1.7 sq mile) of desert.

Many countries and companies are also looking to the expo – the first major global event open to visitors since the coronavirus pandemic – to boost trade and investment.

The full expo site will open its doors to exhibitors from almost 200 countries on Friday after being delayed for a year by the pandemic. Chosen eight years ago to follow the 2015 Expo in Milan, Italy, the event cost around $6.8 billion.

Dubai says it wants the Expo, an exhibition of culture, technology and architecture under the banner “Connecting Minds and Creating the Future”, to be a demonstration of ingenuity, and a place where global challenges such as climate change, conflict and economic growth can be addressed together.

The event will probably contend with a global reluctance to travel and many events will be streamed live online. But Expo still officially expects to attract more visits than Milan received and more than twice the population of the UAE.

“We are quite confident…that by being responsible in how we manage the situation with COVIV but also in how we put forward an exciting program for visitors, we will hopefully be able to thread the needle by opening up but remaining at the same time conservative and keep public safety first and foremost,” Reem Al Hashimy, Expo 2020 Dubai’s Director General told Reuters.

The Gulf state has relaxed most coronavirus restrictions but Expo requires face masks to be worn and for visitors over 18 to be vaccinated against, or test negative for, COVID-19.

Before the pandemic, the consultancy EY forecast that the Expo would over the course of its six months contribute 1.5% of the UAE’s gross domestic product.

Source: Reuters

Kenya Airways (KQ) and South Africa Airways (SAA) are considering a Pan-African Airline Group to fight back foreign carriers’ dominance of intercontinental traffic in the region.

This is a revisit of a similar plan eight years ago that sought to bring together KQ, SAA and Ethiopian Airways during the 44th annual meeting of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) in South Africa. 

The memorandum between Kenya’s national carrier and the South African counterpart touches on strategic positioning in global aviation, diversifying earning streams, and reinforcing regional partnership in Africa through diplomatic and commercial relations. 

This is expected to spur an increase in passenger traffic, cargo opportunities, and general trade by taking advantage of strengths in South Africa, Kenya, and Africa.

KQ chief executive Allan Kilavuka said the future of aviation and its long-term sustenance is hinged on cooperation.

”This will enhance customer benefits by availing a larger combined passenger and cargo network, fostering the exchange of expertise, innovation and adopting home-grown solutions to technical and operational challenges,” Kilavuka said. 

He added that KQ which is in financial turmoil is committed to its turnaround strategy.

”The pursuit of partnerships is one of the core strategic pillars that shall transform the airline by ensuring its financial viability while offering world-class services in Africa and the world,” Kilavuka said. 

The airline posted an Sh11.5 billion loss for the half-year to June with turnover during the period dipping nine per cent to Sh27.3 billion compared to Sh30.2 billion same period last year.

This was mainly on reduced passenger numbers in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic which continues to restrict global and domestic air travel.

SAA’s Interim CEO Thomas Kgokolo said this cooperation, which includes demand recovery and other cost containment strategies, will aid the recovery of both carriers in an increasingly competitive African airline environment.

”It will also enhance related Kenya and South Africa tourism circuits, which sectors account for significant portions of respective country growth domestic product, benefiting from at least two attractive hubs in Johannesburg, Nairobi and possibly Cape Town,” Kgokolo said. 

The after-effects of Covid-19 on the aviation industry have seen airlines rethink strategy, with the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) calling on members to unite. 

Other continents are already reaping dividends of consolidation.

Europe has for instance consolidated to three major airline groups – Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and British Airways/Iberia parent IAG – in a region of 27 countries.

In the United States, the United and Continental have come together along with Delta and Northwest. In Latin America, there have been mega-mergers in recent years with LAN and TAM and with Avianca and TACA.

According to AFRAA, Kenya’s national carrier, Ethiopian, and SAA currently offer about 650,000 weekly seats. This would make it roughly the 30th largest airline group in the world, slightly behind Avianca-TACA.

The latest report by the association shows that while the big three airlines are big in the context of the African market, globally they are small relative to giant competitors such as Emirates, Air France-KLM and British Airways. 

Even if Kenya Airways, Ethiopian and SAA were to combine, they would account for just 37 per cent of Emirates’ revenue and about half the number of passengers.

One of the biggest challenges facing the industry is the lack of open skies.

Each African state negotiates its own bilateral agreements which have led to a highly restricted intra-Africa airspace but competing foreign airlines offering inbound tourism and trade connections being granted significant capacity rights.

”African airlines have the capacity but are not able to deploy it to access most of the continental market. Intra-Africa air travel accounts for just 26 per cent of total air passengers while regional trade is only 10 per cent,” AFRAA’s report reads in part. 

Source: The Star

Kenyans in need of urgent passports can now access specially accelerated applications.

According to a press release issued on Thursday, September 30, the Directorate of Immigration Services, there is a new service that will allow the issuing of urgent passports at Nyayo House.

Directorate General Alexander Muteshi revealed that a Special Desk had been set aside for applicants who need passports for urgent travel such as medical emergencies. 

The desk, dubbed counter 16, will be located on the ground floor of Nyayo House and will also cater for those seeking travel for studies and scholarships.

Those returning to work and official assignments abroad will also be given priority.  Applicants can present requests for rescheduling appointments for biometrics at the desk.

They will however be required to provide documentary evidence to prove that they require emergency or urgent passports.

Services will be available strictly by appointment booked on the e-citizen portal.

However, the immigration department strongly advised Kenyans against engaging with brokers who use unorthodox means to attempt to bypass the e-citizen appointment system.

It stated that it had put in place measures to detect attempts, warning that anyone who will be caught bypassing the online application would be denied access to the service.

On June 3, the Directorate of Immigration Services and Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) launched a passport delivery service that would see Kenyans countrywide get their passports delivered at their doorstep. 

Source: Kenyans.co.ke

Nairobi — The Department of Immigration and the National Police Service on Thursday embarked on a crackdown on Pakistan citizens reported to be transiting through the country to Saudi Arabia for greener pastures.

The two agencies launched the operation following a directive by Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho who ordered an immediate crackdown on foreigners following reports of illegal immigrants.

Sources indicated that close to 2,000 Pakistan citizens were picked from different hotel residences and bundled at Waiyaki Gardens Place, an apartment in Nairobi’s Mountain View area, where the verification exercise was being undertaken.

A foreigner picked up in the operation lamented saying the operation was unnecessary since they have valid transit visas to Saudi Arabia.

“We are being told we are here for verification. We are only labourers, poor people on transit to Saudi Arabia. We have come to Kenya to quarantine for 14 days before we travel to Saudi Arabia to look for greener pastures,” said Patel.

Patel did not disclose his second name so as to keep his identity confidential.

It also emerged that the foreigners had opted to transit through Kenya, the county having been listed among three African nations from where a cluster of nationals from certain countries can travel to the United Arad Emirates.

The transiting travelers raised concerns on how the manner in which the crackdown was conducted the crackdown saying they were being held incommunicado with no clarity on the next course of action.

“We came here last night; we have not slept even for a second. We have no food, no water. We have been bundled together with no social distancing,” a foreigner held following the operation said.

Patel Jera, a local agent for the foreigners, questioned the rationale for crackdown saying a majority of those targeted were in the country legally.

“It was not really done in a nice way. There were rumors that they are Pakistani in the country illegally, most of this people have gone through the airports and applied for visas. What was the necessity of bringing all this people over here? You could have just asked them for their passport instead of bundling them here, you can see the chaos, “he said

The agent warned that the crackdown could cost Kenya as foreigners preferring the country as a transit hub could switch to other destinations.

“The most preferred destination is Dubai, but it has its own issues at the moment due to COVID-19 restrictions. The influx is due to what is happening currently in Dubai. I hope it will not tarnish the hope to come back to Kenya. These foreigners have given us good business,” Patel said.

The directive by the interior ministry was issued after reports emerged of an influx of Pakistani nationals spotted in estates in Athi River within Machakos and Nairobi.

Kenya consequently suspended an agreement that Pakistani citizens grants visa-free entry.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday that the country will no longer admit visitors from Pakistan without entry visas, until further notice.

The Foreign Office cited a spike in the number of people traveling from Pakistan en route to Saudi Arabia and other destinations, through Kenya.

The ministry raised concern that Pakistani travelers were taking advantage of the visa-free agreement to violate COVID-19 quarantine regulations.

Source: Capital News