Turkish Airlines, the airline that flies to the more countries than any other in the world, made a new addition to its privileged services offered to guests in this rapidly evolving era of technology and digitalization where customer satisfaction has become increasingly important. The flag carrier has introduced the Flight Tracker digital globe for use in its Business Lounge, emphasizing the diverse and enjoyable aspects of digital channels, modernized with a solution oriented approach. With the Flight Tracker digital globe, guests will be able to track real-time locations of Turkish Airlines aircraft, flown destinations, current weather conditions, and experience the use of many different features such as flight information and Miles&Smiles membership. This technology, which is a result of extensive market research and presented for passengers’ appreciation, was launched with live flight information and destination data, along with a unique interface design exclusive to Turkish Airlines. On the new service of the flag carrier, Turkish Airlines Chief Marketing Officer Ahmet Olmuştur stated: “As Turkish Airlines, from the first day we were established, we have been working to provide our guests with a flawless travel experience, in addition to safety and comfort during their travels. With our new service, we offer our guests the opportunity to learn the weather of the destinations they will go to, and also the possibility to create a Miles&Smiles membership via QR code. We prepare and develop our solution alternatives according to the needs of our guests with the strength that the evolving and changing technology adds to our brand.” Turkish Airlines has raised the bar in its service approach by adding the Flight Tracker digital globe to its Business Lounge, where guests also enjoy spending time with the Hezarfen Flight Simulator, console games, a golf area and children’s play areas. SOURCE: breakingtravelnews
Qatar Airways announces a codeshare agreement with Air Seychelles, the flag carrier of the Republic of Seychelles, allowing passengers on both networks seamless travel to one of the world’s most exotic and unique destinations.
Qatar Airways serves over 160 destinations worldwide and connects travellers from Africa, America, Asia and Europe easily to and from Seychelles through its hub in Doha, Hamad International Airport (HIA), currently named the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’. Moreover, Qatar Airways Privilege Club members can also earn and spend Avios at almost 200 outlets at Qatar Duty Free (QDF).
Currently, Qatar Airways operates a daily flight between HIA and Seychelles International Airport (SEZ), located on the Island of Mahé, near the capital city of Victoria, with a morning arrival and evening departure from Mahé Island. Because of this new codeshare agreement, Qatar Airways will place its code on Air Seychelles’ operated flights between Mahé and Praslin and enable passengers to continue their journey conveniently using a single booking. Praslin is home to the pristine Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site along with palm-fringed beaches, like Anse Georgette and Anse Lazio, both bordered by large granite boulders. Passengers can book their travel with both airlines, through online travel agencies, as well as with local travel agents.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Our strategy of facilitating connectivity to African markets through partnerships is in line with this enhanced cooperation with Air Seychelles. Our two airlines are pleased to work together to benefit passengers with more travel choices and to support the tourism industry in Seychelles.”
Air Seychelles maintains its domestic network with a fleet of five Twin Otter TurboProps operating between Mahé and Praslin as well as charter flights. The airline celebrated 45 years in October 2022 and won the title ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline’ at the World Travel Awards held in Kenya.
Air Seychelles, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Captain Sandy Benoiton, said: “This new partnership will provide passengers with new connection opportunities and access to unique destinations from both networks.”
Travel will remain strong on the back of robust demand in select emerging economies even as a potential recession looms, a top executive at the World Travel and Tourism Council has said. “At the moment, the bookings we’re seeing are record breaking [and] when you survey people, and you ask what are their most important needs in life, travel is now number three,” Julia Simpson, WTTC president and chief executive, told The National in an exclusive interview. “We also have emerging middle classes. India is a massive growth market, China is an incredible market [and] the Japanese market is coming back.” The global travel and tourism sector is expected to reach $9.5 trillion in 2023, only 5 per cent below 2019 highs, the WTTC reported. Despite economic and geopolitical challenges, the industry grew 22 per cent to reach $7.7 trillion last year. An aggressive return to travel post-Covid-19 has resulted in bottlenecks and delays, particularly in the aviation industry. The sector has also been facing severe staffing shortages following the lifting of pandemic- related restrictions last year. “Demand is outstripping supply … the airlines at the minute can only fly 80 per cent of their capacity because there’s a backlog in the number of planes that people can buy and also in some parts of the world, there are some labour shortage pressures,” said Ms Simpson. “We’ve got people that may have left the sector [and] not all of them have come back, although that is beginning to improve.” Global passenger traffic rebounded to 15 per cent below its pre-pandemic levels in February, led by airlines in the Asia-Pacific region, which recorded the fastest growth, the International Air Transport Association said in a report last month. Total passenger traffic worldwide increased by 55.5 per cent on an annual basis in February, despite the uncertainty hanging over the global economy, Iata said. The global economy faces a “rocky” recovery as geopolitics, monetary tightening and inflation continue to weigh on growth, the International Monetary Fund said last month. The IMF lowered its global economic growth estimate for this year by 0.1 percentage points to 2.8 per cent, from what it previously projected in January, with the estimate below the 3.4 per cent expansion recorded in 2022 and the historical growth average of 3.8 per cent from 2000 to 2019.
High inflation could also pose a risk to the travel and tourism industry’s recovery, Ms Simpson said. Although airports and airlines try to avoid passing higher costs on to their customers, “it has to be paid for” at the end of the day. “That is why you will see some higher fares in the market and also higher prices in hotels,” she added. Meanwhile, Ms Simpson also called for an increase in sustainable aviation fuel production using economic incentives. SAF, which is made from resources such as agricultural waste, green hydrogen and cooking oil, is widely considered to be the most significant contributor to helping the sector reach its net-zero emissions target by 2050. Countries could consider introducing policies similar to the US Inflation Reduction Act, which provides SAF producers with a tax credit of $1.25 per gallon, Ms Simpson said. Current SAF production only meets 0.1 per cent to 0.15 per cent of the requirement, despite a 200 per cent jump in production last year, according to the WTTC. “One of the big problems with SAF at the minute is it can cost up to five times as much as jet fuel. Now, aviation is a very price-sensitive business … that’s why we need the financial offsets [and] some form of grants or subsidies,” said Ms Simpson. SOURCE: The National News
The Emirates Group today released its 2022-23 Annual Report, reporting its most profitable year ever on the back of strong demand across its businesses. Emirates (airline) achieved new record profits, a complete turnaround from its loss position last year. Both Emirates and dnata (Dubai National Air Travel Agency) saw significant revenue increases in 2022-23 as the Group expanded its air transport and travel-related operations following the removal of nearly all pandemic-related restrictions around the world.
For the financial year ended 31 March 2023, the Emirates Group posted a record profit of AED 10.9 billion (US$ 3.0 billion) compared with an AED 3.8 billion (US$ 1.0 billion) loss for last year. The Group’s revenue was AED 119.8 billion (US$ 32.6 billion), an increase of 81% over last year’s results. The Group’s cash balance was AED 42.5 billion (US$ 11.6 billion), the highest ever reported, up 65% from last year mainly due to strong demand across its core business divisions and markets.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group, said: “We’re proud of our 2022-23 performance which is not only a full recovery, but also a record result. This achievement would not have been possible without HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, whose leadership has been critical to our success today and through the years. The architect of Dubai’s progressive economic policies, HH Sheikh Mohammed is also the engine behind the Emirates Group’s trajectory. Without his drive and support, Emirates will be half the size of what we are today.”
Due to lack of transparency, a Kenyan High Court has ordered a fresh valuation of charter carrier Bluebird Aviation (Kenya) amid a buy-out dispute between shareholders, reports Standard Media in Nairobi.
According to ch-aviation.com, Commercial Court division Judge Njoki Mwangi has set aside a valuation report tabled in court last year valuing the shares of founder Adan Abid Yusuf at KES320 million Kenyan shilling (USD2.3 million), according to the Nation Media Group.
The judge found there was no transparency and independence in the preparation of the valuation report compiled by RSM (East Africa) Consulting Ltd on behalf of Yusuf’s partners, former Kenya Air Force officers Hussein Farah and Hussein Mohammed and pilot Mohammed Abdikadir, who each own 25% of the company. The airline was founded in 1992 to transport shipments of miraa or khat to Somalia, a stimulant plant native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
However, a shareholder fallout has seen Yusuf file multiple legal actions against his partners over the years, resulting in the High Court directing his partners to buy him out three years ago. The valuation report assessed the value of the carrier’s aircraft, land and buildings at Nairobi Wilson, reviewed its balance sheet and prepared a financial model incorporating historical performance over the preceding three years. Upon conclusion, the report was prepared and shared with the parties, and the money was wired to a judiciary account. Yusuf’s shares were transferred to Abdikadir.
However, Yusuf challenged the report arguing that the KES320 million was a speculative figure. He was supplied with the report on December 6, 2021, but the airline’s audited financial statements for the financial years from 2017 to 2021 were not provided as backup.
The judge directed the four parties to appoint a new valuer. If the value of the airline is found to be less, the airline would be refunded from the amount already deposited in the judiciary account. If the value is found to be more, the airline would have seven days from the new report being filed to top up the difference. The sum held in court will be released to the applicant’s (Yusuf’s) advocate within seven days of filing the new valuation report in court. Yusuf will bear the cost of the new valuation.
According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, Bluebird Aviation operates a fleet of ten (mostly leased) aircraft, including four DHC-8-100s, one DHC-8-Q400, three DHC-8-Q400(PF) freighters, and two F50s
International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said African airlines saw overall cargo volumes decline 6.2 percent in March 2023 compared to March 2022.
The latest update of the global aviation body indicated that capacity was 4.1 percent below March 2022 levels.
According to logupdateafrica.com, “This was an improvement in performance compared to the previous month (-7.4 percent). Notably, Africa to Asia routes experienced significant cargo demand growth in March.” Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs), fell 7.7 percent in March compared to March 2022 (-8.1 percent for international operations).
“This was a slight improvement over February 2023 performance (-9.4 percent) and half the rate of annual decline seen in January and December (-16.8 percent and -15.6 percent, respectively). At this point, it is unclear if this is a potentially modest start of an improvement trend or the upside of market volatility. Irrespective of this, March performance slipped back into negative territory compared to pre-Covid levels (-8.1 percent).”
Capacity (measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres, ACTK) increased 9.9 percent YoY. “The strong uptick in ACTKs reflects the addition of belly capacity as the passenger side of the business continues to recover.”
Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA says: “Air cargo had a volatile first quarter. In March, overall demand slipped back below pre-Covid-19 levels and most of the indicators for the fundamental drivers of air cargo demand are weak or weakening. While the trading environment is tough, there is some good news. Airlines are getting help in managing through the volatility with yields that have remained high and fuel prices that have moderated from exceptionally high levels. Looking ahead, with inflation reducing in G7 countries, policy makers are expected to ease economic cooling measures and that would stimulate demand.”
Regional performance
Asia-Pacific airlines saw their air cargo volumes decrease by 7.3 percent in March 2023 compared to the same month in 2022. This was a slight decrease in performance compared to February (-5.4 percent). “The drop in demand suggests that air cargo traffic in the region has not yet stabilised following China’s reopening in January. Available capacity in the region increased by 23.6 percent compared to March 2022 as more belly capacity came online from the passenger side of the business.”
North American carriers posted the weakest performance of all regions with a 9.4 percent decrease in volumes compared to the same month in 2022.
“The transatlantic route between North America and Europe saw traffic declining at an accelerated pace throughout March. Capacity increased 0.4 percent compared to March 2022.”
European carriers saw the most substantial improvement in demand in March over the previous month. Airlines in the region saw volumes decrease by 7.8 percent in March 2023 compared to the same month in 2022. This was an improvement in performance versus February (-15.9 percent). “Airlines in the region continue to be most affected by the war in Ukraine. Capacity increased 8.8 percent in March 2023 compared to March 2022.”
Middle Eastern carriers experienced a 5.5 percent year-on-year decrease in volumes in March 2023. “This was also an improvement to the previous month’s decline (-7.1 percent). The demand on Middle East-Europe routes has been trending upward in recent months. Capacity increased 9.7 percent compared to March 2022.”
Latin American carriers had the strongest performance of all regions in March despite posting a decline in performance over the previous month. “Carriers in the region reported a 5.3 percent decrease in cargo volumes in March 2023 compared to March 2022. This was a drop in performance compared to February which saw a 2.9 percent decline. Capacity in March was up 12.9 percent compared to the same month in 2022.”
International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said African airlines saw overall cargo volumes decline 6.2 percent in March 2023 compared to March 2022.
The latest update of the global aviation body indicated that capacity was 4.1 percent below March 2022 levels.
According to logupdateafrica.com, “This was an improvement in performance compared to the previous month (-7.4 percent). Notably, Africa to Asia routes experienced significant cargo demand growth in March.” Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs), fell 7.7 percent in March compared to March 2022 (-8.1 percent for international operations).
“This was a slight improvement over February 2023 performance (-9.4 percent) and half the rate of annual decline seen in January and December (-16.8 percent and -15.6 percent, respectively). At this point, it is unclear if this is a potentially modest start of an improvement trend or the upside of market volatility. Irrespective of this, March performance slipped back into negative territory compared to pre-Covid levels (-8.1 percent).”
Capacity (measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres, ACTK) increased 9.9 percent YoY. “The strong uptick in ACTKs reflects the addition of belly capacity as the passenger side of the business continues to recover.”
Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA says: “Air cargo had a volatile first quarter. In March, overall demand slipped back below pre-Covid-19 levels and most of the indicators for the fundamental drivers of air cargo demand are weak or weakening. While the trading environment is tough, there is some good news. Airlines are getting help in managing through the volatility with yields that have remained high and fuel prices that have moderated from exceptionally high levels. Looking ahead, with inflation reducing in G7 countries, policy makers are expected to ease economic cooling measures and that would stimulate demand.”
Regional performance
Asia-Pacific airlines saw their air cargo volumes decrease by 7.3 percent in March 2023 compared to the same month in 2022. This was a slight decrease in performance compared to February (-5.4 percent). “The drop in demand suggests that air cargo traffic in the region has not yet stabilised following China’s reopening in January. Available capacity in the region increased by 23.6 percent compared to March 2022 as more belly capacity came online from the passenger side of the business.”
North American carriers posted the weakest performance of all regions with a 9.4 percent decrease in volumes compared to the same month in 2022.
“The transatlantic route between North America and Europe saw traffic declining at an accelerated pace throughout March. Capacity increased 0.4 percent compared to March 2022.”
European carriers saw the most substantial improvement in demand in March over the previous month. Airlines in the region saw volumes decrease by 7.8 percent in March 2023 compared to the same month in 2022. This was an improvement in performance versus February (-15.9 percent). “Airlines in the region continue to be most affected by the war in Ukraine. Capacity increased 8.8 percent in March 2023 compared to March 2022.”
Middle Eastern carriers experienced a 5.5 percent year-on-year decrease in volumes in March 2023. “This was also an improvement to the previous month’s decline (-7.1 percent). The demand on Middle East-Europe routes has been trending upward in recent months. Capacity increased 9.7 percent compared to March 2022.”
Latin American carriers had the strongest performance of all regions in March despite posting a decline in performance over the previous month. “Carriers in the region reported a 5.3 percent decrease in cargo volumes in March 2023 compared to March 2022. This was a drop in performance compared to February which saw a 2.9 percent decline. Capacity in March was up 12.9 percent compared to the same month in 2022.”
The airline started service to the country nearly 60 years ago.
After a hiatus of nearly two decades, Ethiopian Airlines restarted service to Pakistan this week. With 110 passengers onboard, the flight arrived in Karachi on Monday, formally completing the prerequisites to re-launch the service.
The airline will operate multiple flights per week between Addis Ababa and Karachi. Jamal Bakir Abdullah, the Ambassador of Ethiopia, said the service promotes trade and tourism between both countries.
A warm welcome
According to SAMAA, Ethiopian officials, diplomats, and a trade delegation flew in on Monday’s flight that completed the prerequisites. They were welcomed by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and his team, as well as other Pakistani officials, including Sharjeel Memon, Nasir Shah, Ikramullah Dharejo, and Murtaza Wahab.
The new flights come as several foreign airlines have faced challenges operating in Pakistan. Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew spoke about the airline returning to Pakistan.
Improving trade and the economy
The resumed service is expected to strengthen the relations between both countries and boost the economy. The airline will operate four flights per week, according to ARY News.
“As the only flight connecting Pakistan with Africa, the planned service to Karachi will have a significant contribution in strengthening the diplomatic and economic relations between the two regions,” Tasew said to ARY News.
Nearly 40 destinations in Asia
Ethiopian’s Foreign Minister will reportedly fly to Karachi on the first flight of the regular operation on Tuesday. Abdulla mentioned that Ethiopia is a significant market and attracts trade from several diverse sectors in Pakistan, such as pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, etc.
To celebrate the resumed flights, Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs Misganu Arega and the delegation will visit Pakistan for two days. During the visit, both Arega and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, are expected to open the Embassy of Ethiopia from Islamabad, according to ARY News.
Karachi is the airline’s 37th destination in Asia. In March, the carrier finalized preparations to begin the flights. In July 1966, Ethiopian Airlines inaugurated service to Karachi and served the city until December 1971. Service then resumed in June 1993 and lasted until 2004. Currently, the carrier serves more than 145 domestic and international cargo destinations.
The Kenyan Government is seeking a Private Public Partnership (PPP), to build both a second runway and a new terminal building aimed at doubling the airport’s passenger handling capacity.
According to centreforaviation.com, slowly but surely Africa is starting to attract more external investment and management expertise into its airports, despite all the actual and perceived negatives about participating there.
Qatar Airways is involved with a new airport in Rwanda, and VINCI has multiple concessions across the Cape Verde archipelago. Chinese companies are thereabouts, always looking out for the main chance.
In Kenya the state airline tried to take operational control of Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the continent’s 11th busiest, in 2022. As the airport is the airline’s main base, Kenya Airways must have been concerned that two separate attempts to build a second runway there had floundered, the second one supported by the African Development Bank.
Now the government is seeking partners in a PPP to build both a second runway and a new terminal building. But such a commitment might not be attractive to many potential investors when traffic numbers remain low by international standards, and while concerns about political opaqueness remain.
This is part one of a two-part report.
New terminal and second runway to be built at Nairobi’s main airport; government hopes for PPP agreement.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Roads, Transport, and Public Works Kipchumba Murkomen said that the government intended to construct a new ‘state of the art’ passenger terminal at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Mr Murkomen added that the government was seeking a public private partnership (PPP) model for the works, which would include a new runway. The project will aim to double the airport’s passenger handling capacity.
Mr Murkomen said that this would solve the challenge facing the airport in terms of its capacity to serve passengers, which has led to “inefficiencies and breakdown in systems.” He also noted that it would “provide jobs, boost tourism, trade and investment, and enhance regional integration”.
He then went on to say that with the airport being a key port of entry for Kenya, it would be critical that the government worked on a PPP model that would facilitate the expansion of JKIA and “move to the list of the best airports in the world”.
He urged the board to work with the government, stakeholders and investors to achieve the plan, and asked the board to review the KAA Act 1991 so that it could “concur with current developments in the aviation sector”.
He concluded that there was a need to enhance security at JKIA and other airports in the country, both physical and cyber.
Need to reposition the airport as the main East Africa gateway and to tap into increased investor interest in the continent.
There are two factors in play here. Firstly, a need to reposition Nairobi Airport so that it can challenge others in East Africa – notably the existing and new Addis Ababa airports in Ethiopia – as the regional gateway, and secondly, so that it can tap into a small but viable increase in interest in investing in African aviation from outside the continent – such as Qatar Airways’ investment in the new airport at Kigali, Rwanda.
Steady traffic growth before the pandemic; capacity slowly recovering Passenger traffic grew steadily – if not spectacularly – at Nairobi from 2014 to 2019, before succumbing, like everywhere else, to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.
Capacity has not yet retrieved the position of 2019 but is narrowing the gap. As of the week commencing 17-Apr-2023, it stands at around 88% of what it was in the same week of 2019.
Kenya Airways and its LCC are dominant, hence also SkyTeam. The national carrier Kenya Airways is the dominant airline, with 49% of capacity and between 46% and 50% of movements between peak and off-peak.
The second largest airline by capacity is its fully owned LCC subsidiary Jambojet (15%).
Jambojet was established to help meet rising competition in Kenya Airways’ core markets from new independent LCCs.
Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport: system seats by airline, week commencing 24-Apr-2023
The LCC model is better established in East Africa than in other regions of the country but even so, in Kenya only 2.7% of international seats are ‘low cost’ and the domestic market accounts for just 6.5% (Jan-Apr-2023). The figures are marginally higher in East Africa as a whole.
At JKIA 16.55% of seats are presently offered by LCCs, which is an unexpectedly high amount, but even so it is not a burgeoning demand for budget travel that necessitates a new terminal building and runway.
A broad north-south network but remains weak to the Americas and Asia Pacific.
As expected, most of the capacity is on East African routes, followed by the Middle East and Western Europe. Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport: network map for the week commencing 24-Apr-2023
The single international country with the highest capacity is the UAE, followed by Tanzania, South Africa, the UK and Ethiopia. That suggests quite a broad network at Nairobi, and that is certainly the case, or at least it is on a north-south axis as the below map details.
There are many routes in East Africa and the Middle East and an adequate network in Europe for passengers via the main gateways, and for cargo.
Within recent memory there were few east-west routes across Africa, often necessitating a journey to a European or Middle East transit point to get between the two, but Nairobi does now have five destinations in that region.
The weak links are undeniably the Americas – with only one trans Atlantic service, to New York – and Asia Pacific, with two services to India (Delhi, Mumbai) and two Chinese ones (Changsha and Guangzhou, which began in Apr-2023).
Despite the airport’s elevation, at over 5,000ft (1524m), the single 4,200m runway should be adequate to handle most long-haul flights out of Nairobi, and that is another reason why ‘a second runway is needed’ can be discounted.
On the other hand, there are concerns about what happens when that runway is closed, as revealed later.
The only substantially longer routes that might be flown (that are not now) would be to the west coast of the US and Canada, to South Korea and Japan, and to Iceland (the two countries are coincidentally connected by the fishing industry, Iceland selling its advanced technology widely to African countries).
So the two main concerns behind this expansion seem to be capacity and planning for future growth.
Current utilisation of existing facilities is high on most days
Where capacity is concerned, usage is high. The chart below is for Thursday 27-Apr-2023 and shows all but one of the 24-hour blocks in use for departing and/or arriving flights (as measured by their seat capacity). Most other days are much the same.
All three major airlines alliances are present
JKIA also benefits from the presence of all three of the major airline alliances, and particularly SkyTeam (by way of Kenya Airways), which has 55% of the capacity – its main competitor in the region, Addis Ababa Bole Airport, has 97% of capacity on one alliance, Star.
There are two terminals. Terminal 1 is arranged in a semi-circular manner and is divided into four distinct parts rather than concourses.
Terminals 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1E are used for international arrivals and departures, and 1D is used for domestic departures and arrivals.
Terminal 2 is used by low-cost carriers, and right now is tiny by comparison, with less than 1,000 seats of capacity for the whole of the week commencing 24-Apr-2023.
Lufthansa, Eurowings Discover, and Brussels Airlines will increase their services to East Africa.
Air travel demand in Africa continues to increase, with passenger numbers edging closer to 2019 levels. The Lufthansa Group is responding to the demand by adding further capacity in East Africa.
For the first time in its history, Lufthansa will fly to Nairobi daily throughout the year. The group’s leisure airline, Eurowings Discover, will also increase its service to Kenya, while Belgium’s flag carrier will add more flights to its East Africa destinations.
Lufthansa’s schedule to Nairobi
Since the introduction of its operations in Kenya, the airline had not previously operated daily flights to the capital. Currently, Lufthansa operates flights between Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Airport (NBO) five times a week on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Starting June 3, the carrier will operate daily flights between the two cities. The Airbus A330 flight will depart Frankfurt at 11:25 and arrive in Nairobi at 20:30, while the returning flight departs Nairobi each evening at 22:25, arriving in Frankfurt at 05:40 the next morning. There will be numerous options for onward connections during the day.
Initially, the airline planned to enhance its Nairobi service for the summer flight schedule. However, the carrier will operate daily flights all year round due to positive booking trends. Lufthansa Group General Manager East Africa, Kevin Markette, said;
“Kenya remains a focus market for Lufthansa in East Africa, and the decision to maximize our offering into the country is largely driven by the significant increase in demand and resurgence in travel, coupled with the immense support of the local community within the region.”
After the pandemic, Lufthansa was one of the first international airlines to resume regular commercial flights to Kenya. This signifies the important commercial and economic ties between Germany and Kenya and the carrier’s commitment to maintaining a direct connection for its customers in the regions.
Eurowings Discover’s increased schedule to Kenya
East Africa is a popular destination for business travelers and one of Africa’s main gateways for internationals flying through the rest of the continent. Furthermore, it is a popular destination for travelers seeking an idyllic holiday experience, with its diverse wildlife, nature reserves, and exquisite beaches.
Lufthansa has taken a step to enhance the Eurowings Discover flight schedule to Kenya for passengers seeking to explore East Africa. The leisure airline currently offers four weekly A330 flights to Mombasa (MBA) and two weekly connections to Kilimanjaro (KJO) and Zanzibar (ZNZ).
Eurowings will increase its Frankfurt-Mombasa schedule to five weekly A330 flights from June 20 until September 12. The additional capacity comes in time for the peak travel season and will allow the carrier to offer tourists much-needed flexibility when booking flights.
Brussels Airlines flights to Rwanda
It is important to highlight another European carrier’s operations in East Africa. Brussels Airlines will increase its flight schedule between Brussels and Kigali from four to five weekly. The increased capacity was intended to be a seasonal change but will continue throughout winter 2023.
The adjustment supports the airline’s daily flights between Brussels Airport (BRU) and Entebbe International Airport (EBB) and complements the existing twice-weekly flights from Belgium to Bujumbura. It is the only airline directly flying between Europe and the Burundian city.
Sustainability and high-quality travel offer
The Lufthansa Group remains committed to sustainability and its climate protection goals. The company aims to halve its Carbon Dioxide emissions by 2030 compared to 2019 and become carbon neutral by 2050.
In the next seven years, the group’s airlines will have at least 190 newly delivered and fuel-saving aircraft in service. The significant investment will reduce kerosene consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 30% on each flight. Kevin Markette concluded by saying;
“We believe that sustainable aviation will continue to enable us to benefit from a connected world, and by expanding the various airline schedules of the Lufthansa Group, we are maintaining a solid foundation and presence within East Africa. Our passion for connecting people, cultures, and economies, thus bringing the world within reach, together with providing our customers a consistent, high-quality travel offer across an extensive route network, remains a top priority for the Lufthansa Group.”
In our latest travel series, we look at how Russia plans to further its visits to Tanzania, which include direct flights from Moscow to Dar es Salaam, introducing Tanzanian music to Russians, and more. Our travel correspondent, Anganile Mwakyanjala, sat down with Russia’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Andrey Avetisyan, who shared more details.
Most Tanzanians know Russia as an academic destination, where some of our countrymen have studied; is there a more historic connection between our two countries other than that?
Russia’s gracious relations with Tanzania have a very long history, dating back to maybe the 18th–17th centuries, when the first Russian traveler and explorer, Russian businessman Vasiliy Junker, in 1880 found himself in East Africa, but that was mostly North Africa, through which all people traveled to India. If you speak about central East Africa, where Tanzania is situated, we can register some Russian travelers being here in the second half of the 19th century; some of them were traveling here together with famous explorers and travelers like Stanley Livingstone. This part of Africa was by then noted as terra incognita. Russia, of course, supported the liberation movement in Africa, including then-Tanganyika. Mwalimu Julius Nyerere was a good friend of my country, and we have fond memories of Mr. Nyerere. Since then, we’ve enjoyed very close and friendly relations with Tanzania. I am very happy to be here.
Russia is famous for its culture, heritage, and history. Since you’ve been here, what have you learned about Tanzania in these areas?
One of my priorities here as a Russian ambassador is to promote people-to-people relations between Russians and Tanzanians, including cultural exchange. We would like to bring more Tanzanian artists, musicians, and dancers to Russia to familiarize ourselves with Tanzanian culture. At the same time, we regularly bring Russian culture and music festivals to Tanzania. These two cultures, although so different, have many similar features.
For the first time in Tanzania, the head of state, Mama Samia, became the face of tourism promotion through the Royal Tour documentary. Did that persuade you to visit some of our tourist attractions, and how has your experience been?
We very much appreciate the economic policy of President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her efforts to provide opportunities for foreign investments, which include trade with Russia. We encourage Russian businesses to come here to take advantage of this opportunity. One of the most promising areas of this cooperation is tourism. Tanzania has been the most popular tourist destination for Russian tourists for years, especially in Zanzibar. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, the number fell sharply, and now we are trying to increase it again. But to increase the number of tourists, we need several factors to be in place. The most important thing to do to bring back the number of tourists to a high level is to establish direct flights from Russia to Tanzania.
At the moment, Russian tourists who want to come here have to pass through Ethiopia, the UAE, Turkey, and Oman, but we are now discussing with the Tanzanian Government and Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority the possibility of reestablishing direct flights. I think we will start with a charter flight before establishing regular commercial flights. We are now negotiating a new bilateral agreement with the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority; it is almost finished, and I hope it will be signed soon. I hope it will not only provide the opportunity to establish direct flights for Russians to come to Tanzania but also for Tanzanians to go to Russia.
What parts of Tanzania that you visited impressed you the most?
When I go to different parts of Tanzania on business trips, I find time to see places of interest too. I have visited Zanzibar several times, which is a destination one can only dream about when speaking about beaches, relaxing, and also seeing interesting places like Stone Town, which is a gem of Africa. I visited Ngorongoro, a unique place. I have visited Arusha National Park and Lake Manyara in the north. I have not yet been anywhere to the south of Dar es Salaam, but I am planning to go, and I hope my time here in Dar es Salaam will be enough to see many places that are worth visiting in Tanzania.
Tell us more about Russia’s cultural exchange programs.
We have an active Russian Cultural Center in Dar es Salaam. It promotes Russian culture, attracts Tanzanian artists to do exhibitions, and also offers cultural exchange. They have regular events like screening Russian films and organizing photo exhibitions about different parts of Russia.
Let’s talk about the upcoming Russia-Africa Summit. What are the expectations?
The upcoming second Russia-Africa Summit will take place in Saint Petersburg at the end of July, and we hope to see a large Tanzanian delegation. The summit will be accompanied by different events, like economic and cultural forums and youth conferences. This multifaceted event will provide a lot of opportunities for Russians and Tanzanians, among other Africans, to get to know each other and establish contacts.
First of all, it is important to establish business links in both countries. So far, Russia-Tanzania trade and economic relations are not very good, and we want to promote them. But I hear from both Tanzanian and Russian businessmen that the problem for them is establishing contacts with each other, and this summit in Saint Petersburg will be a good opportunity to find driving forces for their businesses.
What are the popular university studies Tanzanians take in Russia?
The most popular direction is medicine. The demand for doctors is growing. Although we have a lot of Tanzanian graduates every year from Russian medical universities, I hear from Tanzanian counterparties that they would like to send more people to study to become doctors. We can increase the number of doctors that graduate from Russian universities, and the number of Russian government scholarships for Tanzanians is growing every year. For example, for this school year, the number is 90, but we hope that for the next school year it will be a minimum of 120, and we hope for almost two hundred.
What can you say about the famous Patrice Lumumba University?
Yes, the Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University is one of the most famous and popular. Just two days ago, we had a delegation from Patrice Lumumba University participate in a Russian educational fair in Tanzania. Twice a year, several universities from all over Russia come to Dar es Salaam to present themselves to potential students.
How do you find Swahili cuisine?
Swahili cuisine is something I really like because it is very simple and natural, and that is actually what I love. Street food is tasty in Tanzania, and I highly recommend it to people who visit the country. I like Swahili food because they use a lot of vegetables and fruits of different kinds. Food from Zanzibar is different from that on the mainland. There are dozens of different types of bananas in Zanzibar; if you want to try them all, you need time. The fish and seafood in Tanzania are absolutely incredible, always fresh, and so nice.
Any final words?
I would like to invite all the leaders and citizens of Tanzania to visit Russia. To Russians who visit Tanzania and go back home, tell your friends and family about the experiences you had in Tanzania. Not only tell them, but show them the pictures you took in national parks and show them pictures of this beautiful country.
