Mombasa governor Abdulswammad Shariff Nassir has called for the implementation of the open skies policy to enable international flights to land directly in Mombasa.
Nassir says this will accelerate growth of the tourism sector in the region as more international tourists will be coming to the island.
“We are pushing for the open sky policy so that Mombasa can have access to 320 cities in the world,” Nassir said
Mombasa is one of the coastal counties depending on the tourism industry to generate revenue and source of employment for thousands of residents.
The industry suffered a blow due to the coronavirus pandemic which led to the suspension of travel, therefore crippling the sector.
Governor Nassir, however, noted that he has held meetings with players in the industry to strategize on how the business will stay afloat, saying that easing restrictions and introducing incentives among other interventions will help attract global flights land at the Mombasa International Airport.
Stakeholders want more scheduled flights to Mombasa but the challenge facing some of the operators include frustrations in applying for licenses.
Some of the airlines that used to travel to Mombasa directly include Qatar Airways, KLM Royal Dutch, and Emirates among others.
“We need to improve international tourism and by bringing these airlines then it directly translates to foreign exchange and opportunists for our people. This will be a game changer,” Nassir added
Source: NTV Kenya
