Kenya’s national carrier has suspended flights to and from Guangzhou starting from Friday 31, 2020.

Kenya airways made the decision after the recent outbreak of the Corona Virus in China which has so far claimed over 130 lives.

The airline however clarified that their services between Nairobi and Bangkok remain operational.

“Our consultation with the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs will continue and we will provide updates as the situation develops.

Once again, our care and concern for our staff and customers remains at the centre of the decisions we are making about this situation and I would like to reiterate that the safety and security of our staff and passengers remains our highest priority.” 31st January 2020, the statement read.

Previously, KQ had issued waivers for passengers who had already booked tickets.

Following the Corona Virus Outbreak being experienced in China Kenya Airways Guests To

& From Guangzhou maybe offered the following options:

FOR WHOLLY UN-UTILIZED TICKETS:

• Full refund is allowed
• Refund penalties are waived
• Refund application should be submitted on or before 29th February 2020

FOR PARTIALLY UTILISED TICKETS:

• Refund less 70% of the return fare paid
• Refund penalties are waived
• Refund application should be submitted on or before 29th February 2020

REBOOKING:

• Change of Reservation Penalty waived.
• No show penalty waived.
• The new travel dates must be made, and tickets reissued by 29th February 2020
• Should the guest wish to make further changes, Normal ticket rules will apply.

Please Note:

This waiver applies to booked and ticketed guests travelling to/from Guangzhou between

17 th January – 31 st March, 2020. Rebooking must be complete by 29th February 2020.

Our Source: Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) and Kenya Airways (KQ)

 

Following the Corona Virus Outbreak being experienced in China Kenya Airways Guests To&From Guangzhou maybe offered the following options:

FOR WHOLLY UN-UTILIZED TICKETS:

• Full refund is allowed
• Refund penalties are waived
• Refund application should be submitted on or before 29th February 2020

FOR PARTIALLY UTILISED TICKETS:

• Refund less 70% of the return fare paid
• Refund penalties are waived
• Refund application should be submitted on or before 29th February 2020

REBOOKING:

• Change of Reservation Penalty waived.
• No show penalty waived.
• The new travel dates must be made, and tickets reissued by 29th February 2020
• Should the guest wish to make further changes, Normal ticket rules will apply.

Please Note:

This waiver applies to booked and ticketed guests travelling to/from Guangzhou between 17Jan – 31Mar2020.

Rebooking must be complete by 29th February 2020.

For queries contact contactcentre@kenya-airways.com

Our Source: Kenya Airways

Since the beginning of the year2020 Kenya has experienced an influx of Locusts in the Northern part of the country which borders Ethiopia and Somalia.

The Food &Agricultural Organization (FAO) arm of the United Nations did raise the red flag in July 2019 when the swarms were spotted in parts of Arabian Peninsula including Saudi Arabia and Oman then followed Eritrea and neighboring Ethiopia.

The desert locusts feed on vegetation posing no danger to human beings. The main effect is that they eat the pasture and invade farms. When they invade pasture it affects both domestic and wild animals with reduced pasture. The Kenyan government and African

Union, which is equivalent of European Union are pulling effort towards eradication of the swarms at early stages of egg incubation.

How does it affect Tourism & Travelling? One reassurance we have been given is that the said pesticide that is used is not harmful to humans or any other mammals hence does not pose any danger. In many places they are doing localized spraying on ground as opposed to aerial spraying. The localized ground spraying is targeting the places where the locusts have laid their eggs for incubation and the aim is to stop them from hatching.

We wish to also clarify that the said locusts invasion is not anywhere near our major tourist circuit areas of Masai Mara, Amboseli, lake Nakuru or Kenya Coast. Some swarms have been spotted in Samburu and parts of Laikipia but both national government and the county government are working round the clock to deal with the menace. We wish to confirm that these invasions have not affected the game drives, hence there is no reason for any agent or client to cancel their planned visit to Kenya. They equally do not pose any danger to flying since they are low flying insects.

Do locusts attack Humans? Locusts do not attack people or animals. There is also no evidence that suggests that locusts carry diseases that could harm human or any other mammals if anything it is considered a highly nutritious delicacy.

Finally the invasion seem to be turning North West back to South Sudan away from Kenya and hopefully it stays that away. The map below from FAO has captured the route of the swarms clearly.

We shall keep you posted in case of any new development. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with KTF Safety Security Centre for any clarification or concern.

Mohammed Hersi

Chairman

Kenya Tourism Federation

Our Source: Kenya Tourism Federation

Airlines based in North America, Europe and Asia are canceling flights to China as authorities there seek to contain the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.

British Airways, United Airlines, American Airlines, Air Asia, Cathay Pacific, Air India, IndiGo, Lufthansa and Finnair have announced plans to slash the number of flights they are operating to China or stop flying to the country entirely. Other airlines are offering customers refunds.

Airlines are taking action as the deadly coronavirus continues to spread. The virus has killed 132 people and infected over 6,000 people in China so far, with dozens more cases confirmed in places such as the United States, Japan, Germany and France.

British Airways, which is owned by International Airlines Group (ICAGY), said Wednesday that it has suspended all direct flights between Britain and China with immediate effect after the UK Foreign Office warned against all but essential travel to China.

The carrier operates two daily direct flights from London to China — one to Beijing (PKX) and one to Shanghai (PVG). The airline said it had suspended the flights until January 31 while it assesses the situation, but they were unavailable to book online through February 29. Passengers can still book BA flights to mainland China via connections in cities such as Hong Kong.

The carrier’s move comes a day after United Airlines (UAL) temporarily reduced its schedule between the United States and three cities in China.

The US airline said in a statement Tuesday that “significant decline in demand” had forced it to suspend flights from February 1 through February 8 between its US hubs and Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

In total, 24 round trips are affected: Hong Kong to San Francisco and Newark; Beijing (PEK) to Washington Dulles, Chicago O’Hare and Newark; and Shanghai (PVG) to San Francisco, Newark and Chicago O’Hare.

On Wednesday, American Airlines became the second US carrier to suspend some of its flights to China due to a drop off in demand. The airline said it is canceling flights from Los Angeles to Shanghai (PVG) and Beijing (PEK) from February 9 through March 27. It will continue to fly to Hong Kong from its Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles hubs.

American Airlines (AAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL) and United all extended change fee waivers through the end of February.

The Hong Kong government said in a statement that four local airlines, including flagship carrier Cathay Pacific (CPCAY), would gradually reduce the number of flights between the city and 24 destinations in China from 480 flights per week to 240 per week. The reduction will be in effect “until further notice.”

Air Canada (ACDVF), which has 33 weekly flights to China, has also canceled select flights due to a reduction in demand.

A spokeswoman for Germany’s national carrier, Lufthansa, said it has canceled all flights to and from China until February 9, and suspended bookings until the end of February. These measures also apply to its subsidiaries, Swiss International Airlines and Austrian Airlines. Flights to and from Hong Kong continue to operate normally.

Air Asia (AIABF), which has flights from Thailand and Malaysia to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, said it has suspended all flights to the city until February 29.

Air India said on Twitter that its flight between Shanghai (PVG) and Mumbai, which goes via Delhi, has been canceled from January 31 to February 14. IndiGo, its rival, has suspended flights from Delhi to Chengdu (CTU) from February 1 until February 20 due to a high number of cancellations by customers. The airline is also suspending flights from Bengaluru to Hong Kong starting next month.

Finland’s Finnair is canceling three weekly flights between Helsinki and Beijing (PKX) between February 5 and March 29, and two weekly flights between Helsinki and Nanjing (NKG) between February 8 and March 29, because of the suspension of group travel by Chinese authorities. It will continue to operate flights to Beijing (PEK), Shanghai (PVG), Hong Kong (HKG) and Guangzhou (CAN).

Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines have not suspended flights, but passengers and crew traveling from China will be subjected to additional screening at airports. Virgin Atlantic and Air France-KLM (AFLYY) said they are monitoring developments but continue to fly to China.

Our Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/29/business/british-airways-coronavirus/index.html

The National Health Department says while there is no cause for panic with the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus in China, it has beefed up surveillance at the country’s ports of entry.

“South Africans are assured that measures are in place to detect, manage and contain any cases of Novel Coronavirus should it come to our shores.

“So far, there are no suspected cases reported. However, due to the current risk of importation of inadvertent cases of 2019-nCoV from Wuhan City – China, Port Health authorities have enhanced surveillance of all travellers from Asia, especially China,” said Health spokesperson Popo Maja.

Fortunately, OR Tambo and Cape Town International Airports are the only Ports of entry with direct flights from Asia.

On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) China office reported a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China.

The cause was confirmed as a Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

Symptoms include fever and a cough with a few patients presenting with difficulty in breathing and bilateral infiltrates on chest X-rays.

As of the 21 January 2020, 270 cases were confirmed including at least four deaths in Wuhan City in China.

In a bid to keep the virus at bay, South Africa has developed and distributed clinical guidelines and case definitions to doctors and nurses in both the public and the private sectors. These include information on how to diagnosis and respond to a possible 2019-nCoV case.

“Provinces have activated outbreak response teams and are on high alert to detect and manage inadvertent cases that may arrive in the country,” said Maja.

Based on currently available information, the World Health Organisation has not recommended any restriction of travel or trade.

“However, the department advises travellers to Wuhan should avoid contact with animals and are encouraged to practice good hand hygiene and cough etiquette in order to reduce the risk of infection with respiratory viruses,” said Maja.

The Health Department also urged the following precautionary measures:

‒ Avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections.

‒ Practice frequent hand-washing, especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment.

‒ Avoid visiting markets where live animals are sold.

‒ Travelers with symptoms of acute respiratory infection should practice cough etiquette (maintain distance, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing and wash hands).

 ‒ Health practitioners should provide travellers with information to reduce the general risk of acute respiratory infections, via travel health clinics, travel agencies, conveyance operators and at points of entry.

In case of symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness before, during or after travel, the department advised travellers to seek medical attention and share travel history with their healthcare provider.

Our Source: https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/sa-beefs-surveillance-amid-coronavirus-outbreak

Expansion and modernisation of the dilapidated Itembe airstrip in Bomet County has been hampered by lack of land.

The Kenya Airports Authority requires 40 acres for expansion and upgrade of the airstrip in a project that would see the runway expanded to 1.2km to meet the set international standards for such a facility.

The runway, which has been in poor state for the last 28 years, has been reduced to a training ground by driving schools, a cattle grazing field by villagers and a children’s playing pitch.

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) General Manager Fred Odawo in charge of projects engineering services, said the planned upgrade would not proceed until the national or county governments bought the required.

“Currently the airstrip land is 13.5 acres with a one kilometre runway. There is an urgent need for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport at the national government to purchase the land for the expansion,” said Mr Odawo.

Alternatively, he said the county government could volunteer to buy the land which has been identified and mapped for expansion of the facility located about three kilometres from Bomet town, and off the Silibwet-Kapkwen road.

Mr Odawo told Shipping & Logistics at the weekend that the upgrade would entail construction of a runway, an apron and terminal at the disused airstrip.

Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok urged the national government to set aside funds to purchase the land for expansion.

“Surveying of the land has been done alongside its valuation. We are appealing to the national government to allocate funds for the upgrade of the airstrip as a matter of urgency,” said Dr Barchok.

In the 2017/2018 financial year Sh125 million was allocated for the airstrip upgrade by the national Treasury, while in 2018/2019 fiscal Sh63 million was budgeted for the project.

However, half of the money has since been returned to the Treasury and KAA has Sh81.5 million in its coffers for the works.

“For years, the facility was key to evacuating patients on emergency basis from Tenwek hospital for specialised treatment in various hospitals in Nairobi and outside the country but has remained in a state of disuse for more than two decades as the runway is dilapidated,” said Mr Wesley Kiprotich, Bomet Deputy Speaker.

Mr Kiprotich said upgrade of the facility would make it easier for tourists to utilise it while travelling to and from the Maasai Mara in the neighbouring Narok County.

“Upgrade of the facility would also result in creation of direct and indirect job opportunities for the region’s residents. We are appealing to the national government to allocate money for purchase of the required land to expand the airstrip,” said Mr Kiprotich.

On September, 13, 2017, shortly after assuming office, the late former Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso toured the airstrip with officers from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) led by Engineer Joel Wagai, and officers from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).

The officials promised that the authority and the county government would immediately embark on modernisation of the facility.

Meanwhile the airstrip remains a shadow of its former self. Two uninhabited and rundown staff houses stand in the facility, along with cracked pit latrines, a wind soak compass, a gate and a fence that has been completely pulled down on one side.

Until early this year, the runway was used as a diversionary route by motorists as the main road was in a bad state, and also during the upgrade to bitumen standard of the Silibwet-Kapkwen road.

Upon its upgrade, which is now in limbo, the facility would make it easy for local and foreign tourists to travel from Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret to access the South Rift’s tourism circuit.

Tenwek hospital previously used the airstrip to transport medical and non-medical supplies channelled to the health facility by donors in the United States.

It was also utilised to evacuate patients to referral hospitals in Nairobi.

Leonard Langat, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Bomet branch chairman said there is an urgent need to upgrade the airstrip so as to boost business in the South Rift.

“With the high demand for avocados and green peas in the world market, and with the high investment in the horticulture sector in the region, Itembe airstrip would come in handy in easing transportation of the perishable goods to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for onwards freight to Europe and Asia,” said Mr Langat.

Our source:  https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/shipping/land-bomet-airstrip-upgrade/4003122-5435198-tce67f/index.html

National carrier Kenya Airways plans to send home some of its workers as its nationalisation starts in the next few days.

The airline’s acting chief executive Allan Kilavuka in a memo to staff last week said the layoffs and restructuring “is part of Operation Pride turnaround programme”, KQ’s chosen route to profitability.

“Roles will change; some maybe enriched while others are merged. I also want to be clear that as difficult as it is, some roles will disappear altogether, resulting in redundancies,” said Mr Kilavuka in the letter to employees, a copy which was seen by the Business Daily.

Mr Kilavuka has, however, pledged to make the planned redundancy humane “and will involve relevant stakeholders as required by the law.”

The planned retrenchment has sparked sharp reaction from the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (Kawu).

Kawu Union secretary-general Moss Ndiema in a letter to the airline says sending workers home will not address the “perennial financial malady currently facing the carrier.”

Instead, Mr Ndiema says, mismanagement and corruption at the airline ought to be addressed for a return to profitability.

He further argues that the airline is yet to notify the union of its intention to send home workers, adding that KQ must stop the exercise until the right procedure for layoff is arrived at.

“In view of the above, we urge you to put on hold the restructuring exercise, pending joint consultation between parties as envisaged by the law,” Mr Ndiema says in the January 28 letter.

The airline is planning to send home workers barely a month after it issued a profit warning for the year ending December, signalling its losses will widen beyond the Sh7.56 billion the national carrier posted last year.

This will sink it deeper in the red. The airline is already nursing half-year losses that more than doubled to Sh8.56 billion, complicating the recovery prospects.

The airline last reported a profit in 2012 when it closed with net earnings of Sh1.66 billion. Its worst performance was in 2016 when it booked a Sh26.2 billion loss. In 2017, it recorded a Sh10.2 billion loss.

Our Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/economy/KQ-to-lay-off-staff-in-restructuring/3946234-5435488-oxcevb/index.html

Direct flights to New York and new routes opened up by Kenya Airways  helped to lift visitor numbers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, shoring up tourism earnings.

Kenya Airways introduced over three new routes last year including Italy and Geneva, a move that has impacted positively on arrivals at the Kenya’s main port of entry, according to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA).

According to data from KAA, passenger numbers at the JKIA grew from 738,861 in 2018 December to 785,861 in the review period.

However, in the same month, regional airports, especially along the coastal towns registered a decline in number of passengers in what KAA attributes to low tourism activities.

But on overall, the number of passengers who used the airports went down in December, compared with the corresponding period last year, weighed down by low numbers in regional airports.

The number of passengers served by the airports in December this year was 1,093,401. This was a decline of about 5.4 percent compared to the traffic attained during the same month in 2018.

“It was only JKIA that managed to register some notable increase tied to the New York route as well as the new destinations in Europe such as Geneva and Fiumicino,” says KAA.

“Much of the decline in numbers was attributable to the coastal stations, namely Mombasa International Airport, Malindi, Ukunda and Manda tied to slower uptake of tourism related activities,” added the agency.

KAA says Ukunda and Manda Airstrips had fewer passengers mainly as a result of constrained charter operations, particularly by Air Kenya and East African Safari Air on the Ukunda-Wilson route.

It is around the same time when Silverstone Air pulled out of the market following a number of mishaps involving the carrier, which saw the regulator stall a number of its aircraft, before the airline eventually halted its operations.

According to the recent report from the Ministry of Tourism, US was one of the countries that registered higher number of tourism to Kenya, a move that helped in lifting earnings.

According to official data, revenue from tourism rose to Sh163.6 billion in 2019 from Sh157.4 billion recorded in 2018.

The direct US flights, launched in October 2018, are to date the most marketed route since Kenya Airways began its turnaround plan. The flights now offer the fastest connection from East Africa to New York City.

Former KQ chief executive Sebastian Mikosz said last year that while the Nairobi-New York route was crucial for the national carrier’s growth and positioning in the region, it would not form KQ’s financial lifeline.

“I do not consider it to be a lucrative route. There is nothing lucrative about flying to New York. The route is necessary but difficult,” Mr Mikosz said last year.

“New York is performing in the range that we expected. It is feeding our African network. It positions us differently.”

At least 105,084 passengers have been flown on the route in the past one year in the 594 flights made on New York route between October 2018 and November 2019.

KQ initially targeted a daily flight on the route but it cut to five days a week later, citing low demand during the winter season in the US.

The airline, however, resumed daily flight in June on the summer holiday peak to cater for high demand by American tourists visiting East Africa.

The half-year cumulative passenger numbers served at the airports to December 2019 were 6.5 million, a 2.2 percent increase when compared to the half-year position for last year.

Our Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/shipping/Direct-New-York-flights-lift-JKIA-tourism-arrivals/4003122-5435204-seac9k/index.html