Etihad Airways has announced a significant expansion of its Africa network, adding new routes to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ghana, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe from Abu Dhabi, as part of its continued global growth strategy.

The new services reflect investment in high-growth markets, supporting increasing connectivity across trade, cargo, and mobility.

The expansion builds directly on Etihad’s recently announced China growth, including increased frequencies and a deepened partnership with China Eastern Airlines. Together, these developments position Abu Dhabi as a key gateway between Africa, India, and Asia, enabling more efficient movement of goods, investment, and people between two of the world’s fastest-growing regions.

It also aligns with growing economic ties between the UAE and Africa, with increasing trade, investment, and commercial partnerships across sectors including energy, infrastructure, mining, and logistics. Abu Dhabi continues to strengthen its role in enabling these flows, supporting deeper economic engagement between the regions.

In parallel, it also complements Etihad’s strategic joint venture with Ethiopian Airlines, which this month marked 80 years of operations, further strengthening connectivity across the African continent.

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “Africa is a natural and compelling next step in Etihad’s network expansion. These are markets with strong underlying demand, driven by trade, investment, and population growth. Our role is to provide the connectivity that enables that growth.

“Demand for air connectivity across key African markets is outpacing existing supply, particularly in cargo and trade-linked sectors. This expansion is a direct response to that structural opportunity.

“By extending our network alongside our recent China expansion, we are enabling a more efficient corridor linking Africa, the Middle East, and Asia through Abu Dhabi. For passengers, this creates simpler, faster journeys. For cargo, it provides more direct and reliable access between two regions where trade is growing rapidly.”

The new services will provide direct links between African markets and Abu Dhabi, while enabling one-stop connections to China, India, across Asia, and throughout the Middle East.

DESTINATIONS

• Accra, Ghana: One of West Africa’s most welcoming and energetic capitals, where a thriving arts scene and the buzzing Osu neighbourhood make it an increasingly compelling destination.
• Asmara, Eritrea: A city frozen in elegant time, Asmara’s UNESCO-listed modernist and art deco streetscapes lend it an otherworldly atmosphere quite unlike anywhere else on the continent.
• Harare, Zimbabwe: A leafy, grid-planned capital at high altitude on the Highveld, where the National Gallery, vibrant Mbare market, and a warm-hearted population make it a city of charm and understated sophistication.
• Kinshasa, DR Congo: A major river city of some 17 million on the banks of the Congo, birthplace of soukous and rumba, and home to a cultural scene of extraordinary depth and creativity.
• Lubumbashi, DR Congo: The copper-rich capital of Haut-Katanga province in the DRC’s deep south, shaped by mining wealth, with the Lubumbashi Museum offering one of Central Africa’s finest ethnographic collections.
• Lagos, Nigeria: Africa’s largest city, a megapolis of more than 20 million people, where entrepreneurial energy and a globally influential music and food scene define the experience.

The addition of African routes enables single-connection journeys between key cities across Africa and Asia via Abu Dhabi, creating a more efficient and commercially relevant corridor for both passengers and cargo. This is particularly significant for sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and infrastructure, where speed, reliability, and direct market access are critical.

Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport sits at the centre of these flows, offering efficient connections across Etihad’s expanding global network, with geographic reach spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Freight capacity will play a critical role, with Etihad Cargo, the largest freighter operator between China and the Middle East, offering belly-hold capacity across all new services, with dedicated freight products tailored to the specific export and import profiles of each destination market. 

Source: ttnworldwide.com

A surge in global fuel prices is once again testing the resilience of the travel industry, as airlines grapple with rising jet fuel costs, shrinking margins, and growing pressure to cut capacity. Triggered by the ongoing Iran conflict and disruptions in key oil supply routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, the crisis is reshaping aviation economics and altering how—and where—people travel.

Across major markets, the impact is already visible. Airlines are scaling back operations, raising fares, and adjusting networks to cope with escalating fuel bills. Capacity cuts are being implemented globally, with some carriers trimming routes by up to 5 per cent while others reduce flight frequency or suspend less profitable connections altogether.

Supply disruptions have compounded the situation. Roughly 20 per cent of global oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical chokepoint for jet fuel supply. Since the onset of the conflict, restricted shipping and refinery constraints have driven fuel prices sharply upward, in some cases doubling within weeks, while also forcing airlines to reroute flights along longer, more fuel-intensive paths.

The result is a cascading effect across the aviation sector. Airlines in Europe, Asia, and North America have begun cancelling flights, grounding aircraft, and introducing fuel surcharges as operating costs climb. Some carriers have warned that continued volatility could lead to bigger structural changes, including consolidation and reduced competition, as profitability comes under sustained pressure.

For the global travel ecosystem, the consequences extend far beyond airlines. Higher fuel costs are tightening connectivity, reducing route options, and increasing ticket prices, with travellers ultimately bearing the brunt through more expensive and less flexible journeys. Industry analysts note that the current disruption marks one of the most significant aviation cost shocks since the pandemic, with long-term implications for route planning and network expansion.

In Kenya, the ripple effects of this global fuel surge are being felt across the entire travel and tourism value chain. Fuel prices remain a defining factor in the cost structure of the industry, influencing everything from transport logistics to tour pricing and overall travel demand.

At the operational level, higher fuel costs are directly raising the price of road transfers, safari vehicles, airport shuttles, and long-distance travel. For tour operators, particularly those running itineraries across circuits such as Nairobi, the Maasai Mara, Amboseli, and coastal destinations, fuel volatility is translating into increased operating expenses that must often be passed on to customers.

The aviation-linked segments of the sector are equally affected. Rising jet fuel costs feed into broader airline pricing, while also increasing the cost of ground handling, airport operations, and support services. For travel agents and wholesalers, this creates ongoing pricing instability, forcing frequent adjustments to packages and narrowing profit margins.

Members of the Kenya Association of Travel Agents and other industry players say this volatility is complicating business planning. Fixed-price contracts are becoming harder to sustain, and suppliers are increasingly renegotiating terms to reflect fluctuating input costs.

Consumers are also responding to these pressures. As travel becomes more expensive, domestic tourism is showing increased price sensitivity, with discretionary travel—such as weekend getaways and group tours—more likely to be postponed or scaled back.

In key hubs such as Nairobi and coastal destinations like Mombasa, operators are being forced to strike a careful balance between maintaining competitiveness and absorbing rising costs. The challenge is to ensure Kenya remains an attractive destination even as global pressures push prices upward.

At the same time, the industry is adapting. Travel businesses are optimizing routes, investing in fuel-efficient operations, and leveraging digital tools to reduce inefficiencies. Collaboration across the value chain is also becoming more critical, as stakeholders seek collective strategies to manage costs without compromising service delivery.

As the global energy market remains volatile, fuel prices are increasingly shaping not just the cost of travel, but the structure of the industry itself. From global airline capacity decisions to local tour pricing in Kenya, the effects are interconnected—highlighting how geopolitical developments thousands of miles away are directly influencing the pace and affordability of travel on the ground.

Source: Fortune.com

Kenya’s tourism and travel industry is entering a critical phase where strong recovery is no longer the central challenge. Sustaining that growth is. After a period of rebound marked by rising visitor numbers and revenues, the sector is now grappling with deeper structural questions around resilience, digital transformation, shifting airline distribution models, and the need for stronger industry coordination.

According to the Kenya Tourism Sector Performance Report 2025, the industry generated approximately KSh0.5 trillion in earnings while recording an estimated 7.9 million tourists, including 2.7 million international visitors and 5.2 million domestic travellers. While these figures underscore a robust recovery, they also highlight the scale and complexity of managing continued growth in an increasingly competitive global environment.

Globally, travel demand is also expanding, but at a more moderate pace. Industry data shows international tourist arrivals grew by about 4 per cent in 2025, reinforcing the reality that destinations are competing more aggressively for market share. At the same time, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has pointed to rising operational pressures, including fuel costs and capacity constraints, which continue to shape airline pricing and route decisions, factors that directly affect travel agents and the broader tourism value chain.

Within this evolving landscape, Kenya’s travel trade is confronting a convergence of issues. The shift toward direct airline distribution and digital booking platforms is redefining the role of traditional travel agents, forcing many to adapt their business models. At the same time, increasing demand for seamless travel experiences is accelerating the need for investment in technology, skills, and service delivery.

Sustainability has also moved to the forefront of industry priorities. As global travellers become more conscious of environmental and social impact, destinations and service providers are under growing pressure to embed responsible tourism practices into their operations. For Kenya, this presents both an opportunity to differentiate its offering and a challenge in ensuring standards are consistently applied across the sector.

Equally pressing is the need for stronger collaboration across the tourism ecosystem. Despite growth, the industry remains fragmented, with gaps in coordination between travel agents, airlines, hotels, technology providers, and policymakers. Stakeholders say aligning these players is essential to unlocking new opportunities, improving efficiency, and ensuring that growth is both inclusive and sustainable.

It is against this backdrop that the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) is convening its 2026 Annual General Meeting and Convention, positioning it not just as a routine industry gathering but as a necessary forum to address these emerging challenges.

Scheduled for June 4–6, 2026, in Mombasa, the convention is expected to bring together a broad cross-section of stakeholders to engage on the issues shaping the future of travel and tourism. The choice of venue, the PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort & Spa, provides the setting, but the focus is firmly on substance. Creating space for dialogue, alignment, and practical solutions.

Under the theme “The Journey: Built to Last,” the event reflects a shift in industry thinking, from short-term recovery to long-term resilience. Discussions are expected to centre on how to adapt to changing distribution models, leverage digital innovation, strengthen partnerships, and build a more sustainable tourism ecosystem.

For many in the industry, the need for such engagement has become increasingly urgent. As Kenya positions itself within a competitive global market, stakeholders say that platforms like the KATA convention are essential, not only for sharing insights but for shaping a coordinated response to the challenges ahead.

In that sense, the 2026 gathering represents more than an annual meeting. It is a reflection of an industry at a turning point, one that must now move beyond growth figures and confront the structural shifts that will define its future.

Passenger and cargo airline—748 Air Services is set to resume scheduled flight operations in Kenya this May, signaling a strong return to the domestic aviation market.

This comes amid renewed commitment by the airline to enhancing connectivity across the country.

The re-launch will see the airline’s scheduled services, known as Fly 748.com, reconnect Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) with key regional destinations.

It follows a period of strategic operational restructuring aimed at strengthening service delivery, reinforcing safety standards, and improving the overall passenger experience.

The return to the skies is part of the airline’s broader strategy to support tourism, trade, and regional mobility, management said yesterday, particularly in destinations that rely heavily on air transport for economic activity.

“Our re-launch marks a new chapter for Fly 748.com and for domestic aviation in Kenya. We are committed to providing dependable air services that connect communities, support businesses, and contribute to the growth of tourism and regional economies,” Head of Fly 748.com, George Oduor, said.

The airline will operate a fleet of Dash 8-Q400 aircraft, widely recognised for their reliability and efficiency on short-haul regional routes.

Initial routes will include Nairobi, Mombasa, and Ukunda, with fares starting from Sh6,500 one way.

The airline plans to progressively expand to additional destinations based on market demand.

Fly 748.com emphasised that safety remains its top priority, noting that the airline has worked closely with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) to ensure all regulatory and operational requirements are fully met ahead of the re-launch.

The airline is also accredited under the Basic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS) Gold Status, a globally recognised certification that underscores its commitment to the highest safety standards.

“The safety management system we have in place is robust and predictive, not reactive. Achieving BARS Gold Status, an accreditation by the Flight Safety Foundation, demonstrates our unwavering focus on safety, quality, and reliability,” Fly 748.com Chairman, Ahmed Jibril, said.

The airline is also advancing its environmental sustainability agenda.

Since 2022, 748 Air Services has been implementing an Environmental Management System aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and promoting responsible aviation practices.

This includes adopting technologies and operational measures to minimise emissions, prevent pollution, and exceed regulatory environmental standards.

“We conduct thorough assessments of our carbon emissions and are implementing targeted strategies to reduce our environmental impact, contributing to global climate action efforts,” said Oduor.

748 Air Services will have operations at JKIA’s Terminal 2, with Mombasa and Ukunda (Diani) as key routes, amid expansion.

Source: the-star.co.ke

There is a kind of silence that is never empty.

It is the silence of dawn in the African wild—before engines, before footsteps, before even the confidence of the sun. And in that silence, something extraordinary happens: wings cut through air like whispered secrets, and entire economies begin to move quietly with them.

Across Africa, birdwatching is no longer just a hobby for binocular-wielding enthusiasts. It is becoming a serious pillar of ecotourism—one that blends conservation, community empowerment, and travel in a way few industries manage to achieve.

Sustainable birding tourism, as it is increasingly called, is built on a simple but powerful idea: that birds are not just scenery. They are indicators of healthy ecosystems, guardians of wetlands, forests, and grasslands—and now, unexpectedly, drivers of rural livelihoods.

In countries across the continent, from wetlands to highland forests, birders are travelling farther, staying longer, and spending more, often guided by local experts who know not just where to find rare species, but how to read the land itself. The experience is intimate, deliberate, and slow-paced—because birding does not reward haste. It rewards patience.

And patience, it turns out, is profitable.

Studies and tourism operators increasingly point to birdwatchers as some of the most committed travellers in the ecotourism sector. They do not come in crowds. They come in focused groups, often returning repeatedly, each visit driven by the pursuit of a single “lifer”—a bird they have never seen before.

This behaviour creates a unique tourism model: one that disperses visitors into remote areas, supports small community guides, and incentivises conservation rather than exploitation.

But the real shift is philosophical.

At the heart of sustainable birding is a recognition that birds only thrive where ecosystems are intact. No forest, no wetland, no grassland—no birds. And without birds, there is no birding tourism. In this way, conservation is not a slogan; it is the business model itself.

Organizations working in this space increasingly emphasize carbon awareness, community partnerships, and habitat protection as core elements of tour design. The logic is simple: protect the habitat, and the tourism follows naturally.

In practice, this means carefully curated itineraries that take travellers through protected reserves, community conservancies, and lesser-known biodiversity hotspots. It means training local bird guides who can identify species by call alone. And it means ensuring that tourism revenue flows back into the landscapes that sustain it.

In East Africa and beyond, this approach is reshaping how travel is experienced. A birding trip is no longer just about ticking species off a list. It is about listening—to ecosystems, to communities, and to the quiet negotiations between humans and nature.

There is also something deeply cultural about it. Birding routes often pass through rural landscapes where livelihoods depend on the same ecosystems that attract visitors. A wetland is not just a habitat; it is fishing ground, grazing land, and now, a tourism asset. The overlap is delicate, but increasingly, it is being managed with intention.

What emerges is a form of travel that feels less like consumption and more like participation.

At sunrise, when the first calls echo across a marsh or forest edge, birders stand still, binoculars raised, waiting for a flash of colour or movement. But what they are really witnessing is something larger: a model of tourism where the value is not extracted from nature, but sustained by it.

And in that exchange—between wings and watchers, silence and sound, economy and ecology—a new story of African tourism is being written.

A story where the smallest creatures carry some of the biggest economic and environmental weight.

And where, sometimes, the future of travel begins with nothing more than a bird in flight.

Source: getaway.co.za

Travel distribution is undergoing a profound shift. The field is no longer defined solely by legacy systems and traditional agency structures; instead, it now features a growing cohort of younger, more tech-savvy agents operating alongside established players. At the same time, the adoption of New Distribution Capability (NDC) technologies is reshaping the relationship between airlines and travel intermediaries, introducing both opportunity and disruption across the value chain.

These developments have created a period of transition marked by uncertainty. Older business models are coming under pressure, even as customer expectations evolve toward more personalized, flexible, and digitally enabled travel experiences. The result is an industry in motion—one that is being redefined not only by technology, but by changing notions of value and service delivery.

Within this context, Sabre Corporation has been deepening its engagement with partners across the region, including TNS Global, in a bid to strengthen its position in East Africa’s travel distribution ecosystem. Sabre Corporation has, in recent years, advanced its multi-source content strategy by integrating traditional and NDC-enabled airline offers into its global marketplace, enabling travel agencies to access richer and more dynamic content.

According to industry communications, the company’s broader strategy reflects an intent to work more closely with travel trade partners as the sector evolves. The focus, increasingly, is on engaging emerging segments of the travel trade—particularly newer entrants to the agency space—and addressing their concerns and ambitions through collaborative approaches.

This includes working alongside industry associations such as the Kenya Association of Travel Agents, where capacity building and dialogue are becoming central to navigating the shift toward modern retailing. The underlying emphasis is on co-creation: building solutions jointly with agencies, rather than simply delivering systems to them.

As NDC adoption expands and distribution models continue to evolve, the implications for East Africa are significant. Agencies are being pushed to rethink how they package and sell travel, while airlines are redefining how offers are constructed and delivered across channels. In this emerging environment, collaboration is increasingly being framed not as optional, but as essential.

The direction of travel is clear: distribution is becoming more fragmented, more digital, and more responsive to end-user demand. And within that transformation, East Africa’s travel trade is positioning itself not merely as a participant, but as an active contributor to the next phase of global travel retailing.

Source: sabre.com

Western Kenya’s tourism circuit, spanning Kisumu, the Rift Valley, and the wider lake region, has long been regarded as one of the country’s most underexploited travel frontiers, despite its strong cultural identity, diverse attractions, and rising appeal among domestic and regional travellers. As Kenya continues to diversify its tourism portfolio beyond the traditional coastal and safari circuits, the western region is increasingly emerging as a strategic growth zone within a rapidly expanding industry.

This growth is unfolding against a backdrop of strong sector performance both locally and globally. The International Air Transport Association reports that global passenger demand rose by 6.1 per cent in February, while African airlines recorded the fastest growth worldwide at 11.9 per cent, underscoring the continent’s accelerating aviation recovery.

Kenya’s tourism sector has also posted robust results. According to the Kenya Tourism Sector Performance Report 2025, the country generated approximately KSh0.5 trillion in tourism earnings, while total tourist arrivals reached an estimated 7.9 million, comprising 2.7 million international visitors and 5.2 million domestic travellers. International arrivals grew by about 9 per cent year-on-year, rising from 2.47 million in 2024 to 2.7 million in 2025—more than double the global average growth rate. Domestic tourism remained a stabilising force, sustaining demand and cushioning seasonal fluctuations.

It is within this environment of expansion that the Western Kenya chapter of the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) is recording steady growth. Industry stakeholders note that the number of travel agents in the region has been increasing, driven by rising travel demand, improved awareness of industry opportunities, and stronger engagement between airlines and agents.

The growing chapter is also being reinforced through targeted capacity-building initiatives. KATA, in partnership with Skyward Airlines, recently convened a travel masterclass and training session at the Sarova Imperial Hotel in Kisumu, bringing together a significantly larger pool of agents than in previous engagements. The turnout reflected a clear upward trend in participation, with more agents entering the market and existing operators expanding their reach across western Kenya’s growing travel economy.

The session introduced a new airline booking system aimed at improving efficiency and simplifying the reservation process, equipping agents with tools to operate more competitively in a digital-first environment. Participants underwent hands-on training, reinforcing the shift toward technology-driven service delivery within the sector.

KATA Chief Executive Officer Nicanor Sabula and Western Region Liaison Grace Ogwa commended the agents for their dedication and enthusiasm, praising the strong turnout and active participation as a clear sign of the chapter’s growth and rising professionalism.

According to industry players, the increasing number of agents in the Western chapter is being driven by the region’s untapped tourism potential, improved air connectivity, and the gradual decentralisation of Kenya’s travel industry beyond Nairobi. Kisumu, in particular, is emerging as a key hub for travel activity in the lake region, with ripple effects extending into surrounding counties.

The expansion of KATA’s western chapter is seen not only as an organisational milestone, but also as a reflection of a broader shift in Kenya’s tourism landscape, one that is increasingly inclusive, decentralised, and driven by rising local enterprise.

With continued training, stronger airline partnerships, and growing agent participation, western Kenya is positioning itself as a rising force in the country’s travel ecosystem, with the KATA chapter playing a central role in shaping that trajectory.