NairobiWalker
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- Oct 31, 2012
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.....and that means we at our worst are like you at your best. HAHAHA!!
Fastjet still awaits clearance for Nairobi flights as results again improve
Fastjet still awaits clearance for Nairobi flights as results again improve
- Thread starter Geza Ulole
- Start date
.....and that means we at our worst are like you at your best. HAHAHA!!
Geza Ulole
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- Oct 31, 2009
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Koborer
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- Apr 6, 2012
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With fleet modernization now out of the way, KQ can only move in a growth trajectory. Prophets of doom like you have always existed in history, but unfortunately for them have never shapped anything that can cause an alarm.
Geza Ulole
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- #205
yes but will make sense if do so in a fair competition environment like allowing competitors to operate in her market e.g. fastjet! i for one, my choice of a carrier has nothing to do with new fleet or not or modern or old but the values of my money of which i think fastjet offers no Dreamliner in their fleet but frequently serviced A319s that offer standard services acceptable worldwide
Koborer
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Who is blocking competition really? I mean we have several competitors of KQ freely flying in and out of Nairobi, the likes of SAA, Ethiopian airlines etc.
Geza Ulole
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Who doesn't have those airlines? the subject is fastjet stupid
Koborer
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If that is the case then this does not qualify to be called a competition and calling me stupid doesn't grant the license either.
Geza Ulole
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Posted on Thursday, 20 November 2014 12:06
Ethiopian Airlines eyes African aviation liberalisation in 2015
TEWOLDE GEBREMARIAM, CEO OF ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES, SAYS HEAVY TAXATION AND POOR INFRASTRUCTURE, MEANT AFRICAN CARRIERS HAD NOT DEVELOPED AS FAST AS THEY SHOULD
Ethiopian Airlines hopes a decision to open up intra-African aviation routes will be fully implemented in 2015, the airline's chief executive said on Thursday.Many African states adopted the Yamoussoukro Decision in 1999 to open up intra-African aviation routes but so far the decision has not been implemented by governments, meaning air travel between countries in Africa largely remains restricted.
Ethiopian will of course be taking advantage of that but the biggest beneficiary will be Fastjet
"The hubs that we see today in South Africa, Kenya, and Abuja are not developing as well as they should because inter-Africa traffic is still restricted," Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, told the CAPA World Aviation Summit in Antwerp.He said he hoped a meeting between heads of state in January 2015 would deliver progress.
"Ethiopian will of course be taking advantage of that but the biggest beneficiary will be Fastjet," he said, referring to the low-cost airline that has plans to create Africa's first pan-continental airline.
Gebremariam said this and other problems, including heavy taxation and poor infrastructure, meant African carriers had not developed as fast as they should to take advantage of predicted market growth.Airlines body IATA says eight of the 10 fastest growing markets in terms of percentage growth in passenger demand over the next five years will be in Africa.
Gebremariam said non-African carriers now accounted for 80 percent of travel between Africa and the rest of the world, up from 40 percent in the 1980s.
Read the original article on Theafricareport.com : Ethiopian Airlines eyes African aviation liberalisation in 2015 | East & Horn Africa
Follow us: @theafricareport on Twitter | theafricareport on Facebook
Ethiopian Airlines eyes African aviation liberalisation in 2015 | East & Horn Africa
Ethiopian Airlines eyes African aviation liberalisation in 2015
TEWOLDE GEBREMARIAM, CEO OF ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES, SAYS HEAVY TAXATION AND POOR INFRASTRUCTURE, MEANT AFRICAN CARRIERS HAD NOT DEVELOPED AS FAST AS THEY SHOULD
Ethiopian Airlines hopes a decision to open up intra-African aviation routes will be fully implemented in 2015, the airline's chief executive said on Thursday.Many African states adopted the Yamoussoukro Decision in 1999 to open up intra-African aviation routes but so far the decision has not been implemented by governments, meaning air travel between countries in Africa largely remains restricted.
Ethiopian will of course be taking advantage of that but the biggest beneficiary will be Fastjet
"The hubs that we see today in South Africa, Kenya, and Abuja are not developing as well as they should because inter-Africa traffic is still restricted," Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, told the CAPA World Aviation Summit in Antwerp.He said he hoped a meeting between heads of state in January 2015 would deliver progress.
"Ethiopian will of course be taking advantage of that but the biggest beneficiary will be Fastjet," he said, referring to the low-cost airline that has plans to create Africa's first pan-continental airline.
Gebremariam said this and other problems, including heavy taxation and poor infrastructure, meant African carriers had not developed as fast as they should to take advantage of predicted market growth.Airlines body IATA says eight of the 10 fastest growing markets in terms of percentage growth in passenger demand over the next five years will be in Africa.
Gebremariam said non-African carriers now accounted for 80 percent of travel between Africa and the rest of the world, up from 40 percent in the 1980s.
Read the original article on Theafricareport.com : Ethiopian Airlines eyes African aviation liberalisation in 2015 | East & Horn Africa
Follow us: @theafricareport on Twitter | theafricareport on Facebook
Ethiopian Airlines eyes African aviation liberalisation in 2015 | East & Horn Africa
Geza Ulole
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- Oct 31, 2009
- 76,175
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- #210
East African cooperation? NOT in the aviation industry it seems.
Posted November 25, 2014 by Aviation, Tourism and Conservation news - DAILY from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands in Uncategorized. Leave a Comment
KCAA RISKS TO BECOME EAST AFRICA'S OUTCAST REGULATORS AS WHISTLEBLOWER SPILLS THE BEANS
(Posted 25th November 2014)
image190
image191
This site has gained some level of notoriety of telling things the way they are, even if it means to step on toes as ministers, cabinet secretaries, government functionaries and others can well attest to. Conservation issues receive a gloves off attention level, as do a range of tourism related topics. Aviation ranks equally high here and many sources across the region constantly make sure that readers can get the latest news, often breaking news told first right here.
A recent article about the shenanigans of the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority in their dealings with their regional counterparts followed that tradition and led to prompt howls of protest and feigned outrage, which, lacking any foundation, were promptly ignored and in fact spurred further digging into the underhand tactics employed to keep regional airlines out of the Kenyan skies.
In the past it was the Tanzanians under fire for treating airlines, for instance those registered in Uganda, as foreign inspite of EAC agreements to the contrary and, besides often demanding a 48 hour clearance time also prohibited traffic beyond the main gateways, forcing passengers to change planes to fly into the national parks. Today though the tables were turned on the Kenyan regulators for blatant violations of the spirit and the letter of relevant EAC agreements, and a whistleblower has come forward to share some of the going on's behind the scenes at recent meetings in, of all places, Bali, where the ICAN Conference took place which brought the two delegations face to face.
Information received from meetings between the Kenyan and Tanzanian delegation on the sidelines of ICAN, indicates that not all was well and that the two sides did not see eye to eye over where the bilateral relations in the aviation sector were heading. The emails seen needed to be 'sanitized' to protect the identity of the source but the contents narrated below do correctly reflect the tone and substance of the exchanges between the two sides.
The Kenyans reportedly started off by denying that they were given an agenda for the meeting, sending the talks immediately in the wrong direction, something which even several 'time out' requests could not fix later on as they failed to then find the right words to get the exchanges back on track.
Tanzania, taken aback by the intransigence of their colleagues, which bordered almost on insult, did apparently go as far as giving a deadline of end January 2015 to resolve the dispute or else take countermeasures, i.e employ punitive action over Kenya's failure to give traffic rights to Fastjet which had been properly designated by Tanzania to fly from Dar es Salaam to Nairobi. The understanding here is that non-compliance may result in the reduction of frequencies permitted by Tanzania for Kenyan airlines flying on the route with other measures implied but not spelled out.
Tanzania's patience clearly ran out when it was pointedly mentioned that the delegations had not come to Bali for 'massages' but to discuss bilateral air service agreements, signaling to their counterparts that they were not going to be a punch ball in this game of thrones, who controls the airways in East Africa.
Things only got worse when the two delegations were not even able to agree on minutes of the meeting of the previous day with interpretations of a 'principal place of business' and 'effective regulatory control' among the contentious items, leaving them to merely acknowledge that meetings had taken place but without formal minutes agreed upon and signed.
Rarely have relations on a technical level between the two countries' aviation regulators hit such lows with the potential to substantially derail other areas under discussion between the two countries in a wider East African context.
Other aviation sources from Tanzania have also entered the fray when asked to comment and one usually well informed individual suggested that the Kenyan side in fact is currently seeking an increase in frequencies in their favour, further inflaming the already volatile situation caused by the endless delays in granting traffic rights to a Tanzanian registered airline which for all intent and purpose meets the ownership requirements of having 51 percent of the company's shares controlled by Tanzanian citizens.
'The language these guys understand is one of strength. Our TCAA is entitled to carry out ramp checks for as long as it takes to send the message to their Kenyan counterparts. Perhaps that should be the first measure because if a flight delays for an hour or two every time they land, such a message will not be, cannot be ignored. The Kenyans are playing not only us but you in Uganda too and the Rwandans also. This coalition of the willing you people have created should in fact give you better treatment but it seems where the interests of Kenya's aviation sector are concerned it is sheer protectionism. Sitting on 5th freedom traffic right applications, which Uganda has granted to Fastjet and to RwandAir to fly from Entebbe to Nairobi, is a problem you need to deal with. We will deal with their refusal to grant Fastjet Tanzania, a designated airline by the way, the rights to fly from Dar to Nairobi but unless this gross violation of EAC agreements is addressed on the EAC platform and made public what is really going on behind the scenes, they think they get away with anything. If they do not change their minds this will blow up big time in their faces and while we will all be losing, the biggest losers will be the Kenyan airlines until their CAA concedes and accepts we are equals and not their juniors' let the source fly off the cuff, but on condition of strict anonymity, needless to mention.
It appears clear that behind the scenes the proverbial knives are out and are being sharpened and specific countermeasures are obviously being discussed which may come into effect very soon, in fact sooner than the exchange above between the delegations on the sideline of the ICAN meeting might suggest.
This is to no little part spurred by the general perception Tanzania has of being left out deliberately from the so called coalition of the willing and the alleged attempts to isolate the country from EAC infrastructure projects and logistical agreements signed between three of the partner states.
The EAC Head of State Summit in Nairobi, ahead of which the various ministerial working groups will meet, may well touch on these pending aviation issues to have the politicians intervene and give directives to the bureaucrats to avoid further damage, because if not, this entire saga can turn very nasty with passengers being the primary victims as regulators fight for supremacy in the East African skies.
In closing did a Kenyan source with close insights into the operations of the licensing committee say in a phone conversation: 'I told you who wrote letters to object and what was written in those letters. The Kenyan airlines are afraid of the competition Fastjet will bring which is why their application for an air service license may not even be resolved at the first licensing hearing of 2015 but dragged out way longer. Our regulators are subject to government oversight and if government owns shares in an airline which loses a lot of money they are easily swayed to extend further protection. This is not over by a long shot and it does not matter what protocols and agreements say, as by the way the Tanzanians themselves keep doing when they keep our airlines out of their national parks'. A right proper powder keg this has become and the fuses are short and getting shorter it seems.
Watch this space for future updates to get breaking and regular aviation news from across Eastern Africa.
East African cooperation? NOT in the aviation industry it seems. | ATC News by Wolfgang H. Thome
http://www.eturbonews.com/52918/whistleblower-spills-beans-kenya-civil-aviation-authority
MY TAKE
The January deadline is too far why not being end of this month? I am fed up with the kind of protectionism KCAA is advocating towards KQ! Pretty sure Tanzania will not be the only country taking retaliatory measures Uganda is planning the same and as i said by next year KQ will make a loss of US$400 mln if Kenyan authorities are not careful!
Posted November 25, 2014 by Aviation, Tourism and Conservation news - DAILY from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands in Uncategorized. Leave a Comment
KCAA RISKS TO BECOME EAST AFRICA'S OUTCAST REGULATORS AS WHISTLEBLOWER SPILLS THE BEANS
(Posted 25th November 2014)
image190image191This site has gained some level of notoriety of telling things the way they are, even if it means to step on toes as ministers, cabinet secretaries, government functionaries and others can well attest to. Conservation issues receive a gloves off attention level, as do a range of tourism related topics. Aviation ranks equally high here and many sources across the region constantly make sure that readers can get the latest news, often breaking news told first right here.
A recent article about the shenanigans of the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority in their dealings with their regional counterparts followed that tradition and led to prompt howls of protest and feigned outrage, which, lacking any foundation, were promptly ignored and in fact spurred further digging into the underhand tactics employed to keep regional airlines out of the Kenyan skies.
In the past it was the Tanzanians under fire for treating airlines, for instance those registered in Uganda, as foreign inspite of EAC agreements to the contrary and, besides often demanding a 48 hour clearance time also prohibited traffic beyond the main gateways, forcing passengers to change planes to fly into the national parks. Today though the tables were turned on the Kenyan regulators for blatant violations of the spirit and the letter of relevant EAC agreements, and a whistleblower has come forward to share some of the going on's behind the scenes at recent meetings in, of all places, Bali, where the ICAN Conference took place which brought the two delegations face to face.
Information received from meetings between the Kenyan and Tanzanian delegation on the sidelines of ICAN, indicates that not all was well and that the two sides did not see eye to eye over where the bilateral relations in the aviation sector were heading. The emails seen needed to be 'sanitized' to protect the identity of the source but the contents narrated below do correctly reflect the tone and substance of the exchanges between the two sides.
The Kenyans reportedly started off by denying that they were given an agenda for the meeting, sending the talks immediately in the wrong direction, something which even several 'time out' requests could not fix later on as they failed to then find the right words to get the exchanges back on track.
Tanzania, taken aback by the intransigence of their colleagues, which bordered almost on insult, did apparently go as far as giving a deadline of end January 2015 to resolve the dispute or else take countermeasures, i.e employ punitive action over Kenya's failure to give traffic rights to Fastjet which had been properly designated by Tanzania to fly from Dar es Salaam to Nairobi. The understanding here is that non-compliance may result in the reduction of frequencies permitted by Tanzania for Kenyan airlines flying on the route with other measures implied but not spelled out.
Tanzania's patience clearly ran out when it was pointedly mentioned that the delegations had not come to Bali for 'massages' but to discuss bilateral air service agreements, signaling to their counterparts that they were not going to be a punch ball in this game of thrones, who controls the airways in East Africa.
Things only got worse when the two delegations were not even able to agree on minutes of the meeting of the previous day with interpretations of a 'principal place of business' and 'effective regulatory control' among the contentious items, leaving them to merely acknowledge that meetings had taken place but without formal minutes agreed upon and signed.
Rarely have relations on a technical level between the two countries' aviation regulators hit such lows with the potential to substantially derail other areas under discussion between the two countries in a wider East African context.
Other aviation sources from Tanzania have also entered the fray when asked to comment and one usually well informed individual suggested that the Kenyan side in fact is currently seeking an increase in frequencies in their favour, further inflaming the already volatile situation caused by the endless delays in granting traffic rights to a Tanzanian registered airline which for all intent and purpose meets the ownership requirements of having 51 percent of the company's shares controlled by Tanzanian citizens.
'The language these guys understand is one of strength. Our TCAA is entitled to carry out ramp checks for as long as it takes to send the message to their Kenyan counterparts. Perhaps that should be the first measure because if a flight delays for an hour or two every time they land, such a message will not be, cannot be ignored. The Kenyans are playing not only us but you in Uganda too and the Rwandans also. This coalition of the willing you people have created should in fact give you better treatment but it seems where the interests of Kenya's aviation sector are concerned it is sheer protectionism. Sitting on 5th freedom traffic right applications, which Uganda has granted to Fastjet and to RwandAir to fly from Entebbe to Nairobi, is a problem you need to deal with. We will deal with their refusal to grant Fastjet Tanzania, a designated airline by the way, the rights to fly from Dar to Nairobi but unless this gross violation of EAC agreements is addressed on the EAC platform and made public what is really going on behind the scenes, they think they get away with anything. If they do not change their minds this will blow up big time in their faces and while we will all be losing, the biggest losers will be the Kenyan airlines until their CAA concedes and accepts we are equals and not their juniors' let the source fly off the cuff, but on condition of strict anonymity, needless to mention.
It appears clear that behind the scenes the proverbial knives are out and are being sharpened and specific countermeasures are obviously being discussed which may come into effect very soon, in fact sooner than the exchange above between the delegations on the sideline of the ICAN meeting might suggest.
This is to no little part spurred by the general perception Tanzania has of being left out deliberately from the so called coalition of the willing and the alleged attempts to isolate the country from EAC infrastructure projects and logistical agreements signed between three of the partner states.
The EAC Head of State Summit in Nairobi, ahead of which the various ministerial working groups will meet, may well touch on these pending aviation issues to have the politicians intervene and give directives to the bureaucrats to avoid further damage, because if not, this entire saga can turn very nasty with passengers being the primary victims as regulators fight for supremacy in the East African skies.
In closing did a Kenyan source with close insights into the operations of the licensing committee say in a phone conversation: 'I told you who wrote letters to object and what was written in those letters. The Kenyan airlines are afraid of the competition Fastjet will bring which is why their application for an air service license may not even be resolved at the first licensing hearing of 2015 but dragged out way longer. Our regulators are subject to government oversight and if government owns shares in an airline which loses a lot of money they are easily swayed to extend further protection. This is not over by a long shot and it does not matter what protocols and agreements say, as by the way the Tanzanians themselves keep doing when they keep our airlines out of their national parks'. A right proper powder keg this has become and the fuses are short and getting shorter it seems.
Watch this space for future updates to get breaking and regular aviation news from across Eastern Africa.
East African cooperation? NOT in the aviation industry it seems. | ATC News by Wolfgang H. Thome
http://www.eturbonews.com/52918/whistleblower-spills-beans-kenya-civil-aviation-authority
MY TAKE
The January deadline is too far why not being end of this month? I am fed up with the kind of protectionism KCAA is advocating towards KQ! Pretty sure Tanzania will not be the only country taking retaliatory measures Uganda is planning the same and as i said by next year KQ will make a loss of US$400 mln if Kenyan authorities are not careful!
Nilikweleza Tz si tishio, let them ban KQ, precision will do the job, Ug might chose not to fight for fastjet as its not their company (I'm yet to hear them complaining) and Rwanda a deal can be worked out btw. KQ and Rwandair (I'm sure Rwandair is not too enthusiastic about a foreign player competing in their primary route). If TCAA could take action they could have already, they just issue threat after threat after threat, they are in no position to act
Geza Ulole
Platinum Member
- Oct 31, 2009
- 76,175
- 107,756
- Thread starter
- #212
The main shareholder wants KQ out of PW! he is pushing for a KQ's Dubai equity swap with undisclosed Dubai firm! BTW don't underestimate Uganda, have granted Fastjet both a permit to establish Fastjet Uganda and 5th freedom right! I don't see why they should not fight for an airline that affordability is compared to none! And as we speak fasthet must be arranging for local Ugandan shareholders
Geza Ulole
Platinum Member
- Oct 31, 2009
- 76,175
- 107,756
- Thread starter
- #213
[h=2]Kenya Airways announces suspension of New Delhi flights as cost cutting measures come into effect[/h]Posted November 26, 2014 by Aviation, Tourism and Conservation news - DAILY from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands in Uncategorized. Leave a Comment
WILL THE LADIES' TOUCH HELP CHANGE KENYA AIRWAYS' FORTUNES?
(Posted 26th November 2014)
The recently concluded Annual General Meeting of Kenya Airways, held last week at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi, also provided the opportunity for shareholders to vote two new board members into office, filling two vacancies which arose through retirement of the previous office holders who did not offer themselves for re-election.
Both positions were taken by ladies, both from the financial services sector, giving hope that their expertise will come in handy at board meetings in dealing with the financial challenges the airline presently faces.
Mrs. Wanjiku Mugane, who presently runs Fedha Connect, previously headed Standard Chartered Securities and also served on the board of directors of Equity Bank while her new co-director, Mrs. Armstrong-Ogwapit, currently works at the Housing Finance Corporation as Director for Strategic Projects.
Other long serving board members include the Chairman of the Board Mr. Evanson Mwaniki, Dinesh Kapila, Muli Nduva, Dennis Awori, Dr. Kamau Thugge, A. Makatiani, Vincent Rague, Ron Schipper and Pieter Elbers, the latter two representing KLM which is, besides the Kenyan government, the second largest shareholder in Kenya Airways. Also on the board serve the new Group Managing Director and CEO Mbuvi Ngunze and Finance Director Alex Mbugua.
In a related development has Kenya Airways yesterday announced the suspension of flights to New Delhi following a review of the performance of routes vis a vis load factors and related considerations, and it is understood that this ongoing review, aimed to save money following the losses announced during the AGM for the financial year 2013/14 and the H1 2014/15 Investor's Briefing two weeks earlier. Said a source close to the airline when making enquiries yesterday as the news about the Delhi route became known: 'Every route will now have to pull its weight. When a route cannot break even or make profits within a certain period of time, it will have to make way to use the aircraft on routes which make financial contributions. While it has not been said explicityly, even the plan to connect every African political and commercial capital by the end of next year may be pushed further because right now, making money is the primary objective. The suspension of flights to West Africa's Ebola zone has left a deep hole in revenues and the airline now does what must be done to reverse the losses and return to profitability. That will require some sacrifices and cost savings on all fronts will be paramount to achieve that goal'.
Welcome to the new faces on the Kenya Airways' board of directors.
Kenya Airways announces suspension of New Delhi flights as cost cutting measures come into effect | ATC News by Wolfgang H. Thome
WILL THE LADIES' TOUCH HELP CHANGE KENYA AIRWAYS' FORTUNES?
(Posted 26th November 2014)
The recently concluded Annual General Meeting of Kenya Airways, held last week at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi, also provided the opportunity for shareholders to vote two new board members into office, filling two vacancies which arose through retirement of the previous office holders who did not offer themselves for re-election.
Both positions were taken by ladies, both from the financial services sector, giving hope that their expertise will come in handy at board meetings in dealing with the financial challenges the airline presently faces.
Mrs. Wanjiku Mugane, who presently runs Fedha Connect, previously headed Standard Chartered Securities and also served on the board of directors of Equity Bank while her new co-director, Mrs. Armstrong-Ogwapit, currently works at the Housing Finance Corporation as Director for Strategic Projects.
Other long serving board members include the Chairman of the Board Mr. Evanson Mwaniki, Dinesh Kapila, Muli Nduva, Dennis Awori, Dr. Kamau Thugge, A. Makatiani, Vincent Rague, Ron Schipper and Pieter Elbers, the latter two representing KLM which is, besides the Kenyan government, the second largest shareholder in Kenya Airways. Also on the board serve the new Group Managing Director and CEO Mbuvi Ngunze and Finance Director Alex Mbugua.
In a related development has Kenya Airways yesterday announced the suspension of flights to New Delhi following a review of the performance of routes vis a vis load factors and related considerations, and it is understood that this ongoing review, aimed to save money following the losses announced during the AGM for the financial year 2013/14 and the H1 2014/15 Investor's Briefing two weeks earlier. Said a source close to the airline when making enquiries yesterday as the news about the Delhi route became known: 'Every route will now have to pull its weight. When a route cannot break even or make profits within a certain period of time, it will have to make way to use the aircraft on routes which make financial contributions. While it has not been said explicityly, even the plan to connect every African political and commercial capital by the end of next year may be pushed further because right now, making money is the primary objective. The suspension of flights to West Africa's Ebola zone has left a deep hole in revenues and the airline now does what must be done to reverse the losses and return to profitability. That will require some sacrifices and cost savings on all fronts will be paramount to achieve that goal'.
Welcome to the new faces on the Kenya Airways' board of directors.
Kenya Airways announces suspension of New Delhi flights as cost cutting measures come into effect | ATC News by Wolfgang H. Thome
Geza Ulole
Platinum Member
- Oct 31, 2009
- 76,175
- 107,756
- Thread starter
- #214
[h=2]Happy Second Birthday to Fastjet[/h]Posted by Aviation, Tourism and Conservation news - DAILY from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands inUncategorized. Leave a Comment
FASTJET TANZANIA CELEBRATES SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF TAKING TO THE AIR
(Posted 28th November 2014)
image215
image216
Two years can be an eternity for a startup airline and there are examples in East Africa that some did not survive even the first two months of operations before folding again. Not so with Fastjet Tanzania which is tomorrow celebrating their second birthday after taking to the skies for the first time on 29th of November with their maiden flight from Dar es Salaam to Kilimanjaro and Mwanza.
Since then did Mbeya come on line as a third domestic destination served out of Dar and were four international destinations added, Johannesburg, Lusaka, Harare and Entebbe.
Yet, inspite of fleet average load factors well into the 70 percent range and on time performances consistently in the low 90 percent range has this still to translate into black ink on the bottom line of the company's balance sheets, a reminder of the challenges airlines face in Africa and the deep pockets needed to turn startup losses into sustained profitability.
While Tanzanian authorities were described by company officials as 'extremely helpful' did Fastjet face an uphill struggle elsewhere, with in particular the South African authorities gathering black marks against their name as they stopped the inaugural flight on the very eve of the planned maiden service between Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg, choosing that very moment to ask for 'additional documentation' to throw a spanner in the works of Fastjet and give their own national airline another few weeks of exploiting the market with high fares. Kenyan regulators in the meantime did the same and worse when they deferred Fastjet PLC's application for an air service licence to set up a franchise airline in Kenya and are equally stalling Fastjet Tanzania's route rights between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, a bad example of protectionism and a clear violation of the spirit and letter of aviation protocols in place for the East African Community, COMESA and leave alone the Yamoussoukro Declaration they happily invoke when their own airlines run into similar challenges over traffic rights to other African countries.
Still, Fastjet carried nearly 900.000 passengers since its maiden flight two years ago in their Airbus A319 fleet, and were it not for regulatory shenanigans could well have reached the 1 million passenger mark in time for their second birthday.
Ed Winter, the CEO of Fastjet PLC which is based in the UK where it is listed on the London Stock Exchange, had this to say as the big day approaches: 'Affordable air travel is key to the growth of economies across Africa – particularly in the business and tourism sectors. It is expensive and time-consuming to build roads to connect cities, and it is inconvenient for people to travel over land.Even if there are existing airlines connecting two cities, the flights typically involve at least one stopover. Furthermore, the exorbitant fares charged by airlines on these routes exclude the majority of a country's citizens from enjoying the convenience and timesaving benefits of airline travel.In spite of major regulatory challenges encountered as we rolled out our international route expansion, the encouragement that we have received from the Tanzanian government has been remarkable – for which we are extremely grateful.We believe that there is great potential for the low-cost carrier model in Africa, and we are committed to working with governments across the continent to promote the benefits of competition in the aviation sector, that will in turn lead to better fares for passengers'.
To give passengers a piece of the proverbial birthday pie will Fastjet hold a one day special sale on the 03rd of December with domestic fares selling at US Dollars 20 PLUS TAXES AND REGULATORY FEES and US Dollars 50 PLUS TAXES AND REGULATORY FEES for their international routes.
Key objectives for the third year of operations will be the establishment of Fastjet Zambia where the company has recently obtained the initial regulatory approvals and licenses and is now working towards attaining their Air Operator Certificate, prerequisite to commence flight operations and to get regulatory approvals from the Kenyan authorities to set up Fastjet Kenya, a process made deliberately difficult by multiple objections filed by competitors as well as underhand tactics by the regulators in Nairobi. Other objectives for year three will be operationalizing fifth freedom rights given to them by the Ugandan CAA for flights from Entebbe to Juba, Kigali, Nairobi and Johannesburg.
Meanwhile though is a birthday party looming large on the horizon and on that occasion all the best and Happy Landings always to passengers and crews.
ATCL scrambles to resume flights to beat FastJet to the door to the skies | ATC News by Wolfgang H. Thome
FASTJET TANZANIA CELEBRATES SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF TAKING TO THE AIR
(Posted 28th November 2014)
image215image216Two years can be an eternity for a startup airline and there are examples in East Africa that some did not survive even the first two months of operations before folding again. Not so with Fastjet Tanzania which is tomorrow celebrating their second birthday after taking to the skies for the first time on 29th of November with their maiden flight from Dar es Salaam to Kilimanjaro and Mwanza.
Since then did Mbeya come on line as a third domestic destination served out of Dar and were four international destinations added, Johannesburg, Lusaka, Harare and Entebbe.
Yet, inspite of fleet average load factors well into the 70 percent range and on time performances consistently in the low 90 percent range has this still to translate into black ink on the bottom line of the company's balance sheets, a reminder of the challenges airlines face in Africa and the deep pockets needed to turn startup losses into sustained profitability.
While Tanzanian authorities were described by company officials as 'extremely helpful' did Fastjet face an uphill struggle elsewhere, with in particular the South African authorities gathering black marks against their name as they stopped the inaugural flight on the very eve of the planned maiden service between Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg, choosing that very moment to ask for 'additional documentation' to throw a spanner in the works of Fastjet and give their own national airline another few weeks of exploiting the market with high fares. Kenyan regulators in the meantime did the same and worse when they deferred Fastjet PLC's application for an air service licence to set up a franchise airline in Kenya and are equally stalling Fastjet Tanzania's route rights between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, a bad example of protectionism and a clear violation of the spirit and letter of aviation protocols in place for the East African Community, COMESA and leave alone the Yamoussoukro Declaration they happily invoke when their own airlines run into similar challenges over traffic rights to other African countries.
Still, Fastjet carried nearly 900.000 passengers since its maiden flight two years ago in their Airbus A319 fleet, and were it not for regulatory shenanigans could well have reached the 1 million passenger mark in time for their second birthday.
Ed Winter, the CEO of Fastjet PLC which is based in the UK where it is listed on the London Stock Exchange, had this to say as the big day approaches: 'Affordable air travel is key to the growth of economies across Africa – particularly in the business and tourism sectors. It is expensive and time-consuming to build roads to connect cities, and it is inconvenient for people to travel over land.Even if there are existing airlines connecting two cities, the flights typically involve at least one stopover. Furthermore, the exorbitant fares charged by airlines on these routes exclude the majority of a country's citizens from enjoying the convenience and timesaving benefits of airline travel.In spite of major regulatory challenges encountered as we rolled out our international route expansion, the encouragement that we have received from the Tanzanian government has been remarkable – for which we are extremely grateful.We believe that there is great potential for the low-cost carrier model in Africa, and we are committed to working with governments across the continent to promote the benefits of competition in the aviation sector, that will in turn lead to better fares for passengers'.
To give passengers a piece of the proverbial birthday pie will Fastjet hold a one day special sale on the 03rd of December with domestic fares selling at US Dollars 20 PLUS TAXES AND REGULATORY FEES and US Dollars 50 PLUS TAXES AND REGULATORY FEES for their international routes.
Key objectives for the third year of operations will be the establishment of Fastjet Zambia where the company has recently obtained the initial regulatory approvals and licenses and is now working towards attaining their Air Operator Certificate, prerequisite to commence flight operations and to get regulatory approvals from the Kenyan authorities to set up Fastjet Kenya, a process made deliberately difficult by multiple objections filed by competitors as well as underhand tactics by the regulators in Nairobi. Other objectives for year three will be operationalizing fifth freedom rights given to them by the Ugandan CAA for flights from Entebbe to Juba, Kigali, Nairobi and Johannesburg.
Meanwhile though is a birthday party looming large on the horizon and on that occasion all the best and Happy Landings always to passengers and crews.
ATCL scrambles to resume flights to beat FastJet to the door to the skies | ATC News by Wolfgang H. Thome
Geza Ulole
Platinum Member
- Oct 31, 2009
- 76,175
- 107,756
- Thread starter
- #216
[h=1]Democratizing air transport - Fastjet makes flying affordable for Tanzanians[/h]BY PROF. DR. WOLFGANG H. THOME, PH.D., ETN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT | NOV 29, 2014
FASTJET TANZANIA CELEBRATES SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF TAKING TO THE AIR
Two years can be an eternity for a startup airline, and there are examples in East Africa that some did not survive even the first two months of operations before folding again. Not so with Fastjet Tanzania which today celebrated their second birthday after taking to the skies for the first time on November 29 with their maiden flight from Dar es Salaam to Kilimanjaro and Mwanza.
Since then Mbeya came on line as a third domestic destination served out of Dar and were four international destinations added - Johannesburg, Lusaka, Harare and Entebbe.
Yet, in spite of fleet average load factors well into the 70 percent range and on-time performances consistently in the low 90 percent range, this has still to translate into black ink on the bottom line of the company's balance sheets, a reminder of the challenges airlines face in Africa and the deep pockets needed to turn startup losses into sustained profitability.
While Tanzanian authorities were described by company officials as "extremely helpful," Fastjet faced an uphill struggle elsewhere, with in particular the South African authorities gathering black marks against their name as they stopped the inaugural flight on the very eve of the planned maiden service between Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg, choosing that very moment to ask for "additional documentation" to throw a spanner in the works of Fastjet and give their own national airline another few weeks of exploiting the market with high fares. Kenyan regulators in the meantime did the same and worse when they deferred Fastjet PLC's application for an air service license to set up a franchise airline in Kenya and are equally stalling Fastjet Tanzania's route rights between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, a bad example of protectionism and a clear violation of the spirit and letter of aviation protocols in place for the East African Community, COMESA, and leave alone the Yamoussoukro Declaration they happily invoke when their own airlines run into similar challenges over traffic rights to other African countries.
Still, Fastjet carried nearly 900,000 passengers since its maiden flight 2 years ago in their Airbus A319 fleet, and were it not for regulatory shenanigans, could well have reached the 1 million passenger mark in time for their second birthday.
Ed Winter, the CEO of Fastjet PLC, which is based in the UK where it is listed on the London Stock Exchange, had this to say as the big day approaches: "Affordable air travel is key to the growth of economies across Africa – particularly in the business and tourism sectors. It is expensive and time-consuming to build roads to connect cities, and it is inconvenient for people to travel over land. Even if there are existing airlines connecting two cities, the flights typically involve at least one stopover. Furthermore, the exorbitant fares charged by airlines on these routes exclude the majority of a country's citizens from enjoying the convenience and timesaving benefits of airline travel. In spite of major regulatory challenges encountered as we rolled out our international route expansion, the encouragement that we have received from the Tanzanian government has been remarkable – for which we are extremely grateful. We believe that there is great potential for the low-cost carrier model in Africa, and we are committed to working with governments across the continent to promote the benefits of competition in the aviation sector, that will in turn lead to better fares for passengers."
To give passengers a piece of the proverbial birthday pie, Fastjet will hold a one-day special sale on December 3.
Key objectives for the third year of operations will be the establishment of Fastjet Zambia where the company has recently obtained the initial regulatory approvals and licenses and is now working towards attaining their Air Operator Certificate, prerequisite to commence flight operations and to get regulatory approvals from the Kenyan authorities to set up Fastjet Kenya, a process made deliberately difficult by multiple objections filed by competitors as well as underhanded tactics by the regulators in Nairobi. Other objectives for year 3 will be operationalizing fifth freedom rights given to them by the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority for flights from Entebbe to Juba, Kigali, Nairobi, and Johannesburg.
African aviation Democratizing air transport - Fastjet makes flying affordable for Tanzanians - ...
FASTJET TANZANIA CELEBRATES SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF TAKING TO THE AIR
Two years can be an eternity for a startup airline, and there are examples in East Africa that some did not survive even the first two months of operations before folding again. Not so with Fastjet Tanzania which today celebrated their second birthday after taking to the skies for the first time on November 29 with their maiden flight from Dar es Salaam to Kilimanjaro and Mwanza.
Since then Mbeya came on line as a third domestic destination served out of Dar and were four international destinations added - Johannesburg, Lusaka, Harare and Entebbe.
Yet, in spite of fleet average load factors well into the 70 percent range and on-time performances consistently in the low 90 percent range, this has still to translate into black ink on the bottom line of the company's balance sheets, a reminder of the challenges airlines face in Africa and the deep pockets needed to turn startup losses into sustained profitability.
While Tanzanian authorities were described by company officials as "extremely helpful," Fastjet faced an uphill struggle elsewhere, with in particular the South African authorities gathering black marks against their name as they stopped the inaugural flight on the very eve of the planned maiden service between Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg, choosing that very moment to ask for "additional documentation" to throw a spanner in the works of Fastjet and give their own national airline another few weeks of exploiting the market with high fares. Kenyan regulators in the meantime did the same and worse when they deferred Fastjet PLC's application for an air service license to set up a franchise airline in Kenya and are equally stalling Fastjet Tanzania's route rights between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, a bad example of protectionism and a clear violation of the spirit and letter of aviation protocols in place for the East African Community, COMESA, and leave alone the Yamoussoukro Declaration they happily invoke when their own airlines run into similar challenges over traffic rights to other African countries.
Still, Fastjet carried nearly 900,000 passengers since its maiden flight 2 years ago in their Airbus A319 fleet, and were it not for regulatory shenanigans, could well have reached the 1 million passenger mark in time for their second birthday.
Ed Winter, the CEO of Fastjet PLC, which is based in the UK where it is listed on the London Stock Exchange, had this to say as the big day approaches: "Affordable air travel is key to the growth of economies across Africa – particularly in the business and tourism sectors. It is expensive and time-consuming to build roads to connect cities, and it is inconvenient for people to travel over land. Even if there are existing airlines connecting two cities, the flights typically involve at least one stopover. Furthermore, the exorbitant fares charged by airlines on these routes exclude the majority of a country's citizens from enjoying the convenience and timesaving benefits of airline travel. In spite of major regulatory challenges encountered as we rolled out our international route expansion, the encouragement that we have received from the Tanzanian government has been remarkable – for which we are extremely grateful. We believe that there is great potential for the low-cost carrier model in Africa, and we are committed to working with governments across the continent to promote the benefits of competition in the aviation sector, that will in turn lead to better fares for passengers."
To give passengers a piece of the proverbial birthday pie, Fastjet will hold a one-day special sale on December 3.
Key objectives for the third year of operations will be the establishment of Fastjet Zambia where the company has recently obtained the initial regulatory approvals and licenses and is now working towards attaining their Air Operator Certificate, prerequisite to commence flight operations and to get regulatory approvals from the Kenyan authorities to set up Fastjet Kenya, a process made deliberately difficult by multiple objections filed by competitors as well as underhanded tactics by the regulators in Nairobi. Other objectives for year 3 will be operationalizing fifth freedom rights given to them by the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority for flights from Entebbe to Juba, Kigali, Nairobi, and Johannesburg.
African aviation Democratizing air transport - Fastjet makes flying affordable for Tanzanians - ...
Geza Ulole
Platinum Member
- Oct 31, 2009
- 76,175
- 107,756
- Thread starter
- #217
[h=2]What next for Mombasa as another charter gets cancelled[/h]Posted by Aviation, Tourism and Conservation news - DAILY from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands inUncategorized. Leave a Comment
NEOS ANNOUNCES CANCELLATION OF ONE OF THEIR CHARTERS EFFECTIVE MID JANUARY
(Posted 07th December 2014)
While no one can say for certain what ultimately the reasons were for NEOS cancelling their Friday/Saturday rotation to Mombasa from the 16th of January 2015, at least until the start of the following high season 2015/16, recent events in Kenya may very well have influenced that decision, robbing the coast of yet another flight at a time when more are needed, not less.
Following the recent meeting of the recovery committee with Mombasa and Malindi based tourism stakeholders, and the more recent Presidential Investors Round Table, this bit of bad news laid bare some more nerves, already stretched to breaking point as the prospect of more empty beds during the upcoming high season now looms large.
In days long passed were beds at the Kenya coast going for a premium over the Christmas and New Year period and thereafter up to Easter but this year are special deals and offers already making the rounds, trying to induce visitors from Nairobi, upcountry and as far as Uganda and Rwanda.
'Our travel agent showed us the deals on the market but the airfare element remains high now that Air Uganda no longer flies nonstop to Mombasa. Changing planes in Nairobi is not optimal and the cost of Visa for my family comes to 250 US Dollars. If they really want our business so badly, they should drop the Visa charges for people like us. We lived in Uganda for 8 years now and were only once in Mombasa. The cost of tickets and the added Visa cost made sure of that. Now we fly to Dubai where the ticket sells for 399 US Dollars return, we need no Visa and we found a perfect resort at a price which brings the overall cost to slightly less than what we would pay for Mombasa' said an acquaintance from Kampala once again highlighting something often expressed here before, that in order to fully tap into the regional expatriate market a lot more needs to be done to increase numbers and keep them from flying to South Africa or the Gulf and spend their money there.
Meanwhile though are coast resort operators faced with some of the toughest choices they ever had to make, to stay open and struggle against financial losses mounting on them or close and join the growing list of hoteliers who already have or are considering to throw in the towel.
Said a Nairobi based regular source: 'When the president himself takes on the challenge, it is obvious that his ministers failed him. But now that the first two top honchos were sacked, yes sacked, even though that one [referring
to David Kimaiyo, former Inspector General of Police] said he retired, there is now space for some more who have failed to perform. It is make or break time for coast tourism now and if the high season goes down in history as the worst ever, I do not see how much longer after that the hotels can survive. The big expenditure items are utilities, taxes, wages and servicing bank loans or reduce overdrafts. Failing to settle a single one of them may cause closure because the taxman will put a padlock, the utility companies cut water and electricity and the banks are getting very impatient. Add to that the suppliers many of which now ask for cash payments. Our government has wasted a year and more, nothing the string of committees and experts told them has changed but they have not acted on key issues'.
The loss of yet another charter flight shows how thin the ice now is on which the coast tourism industry has to walk and how security incidents, even when hundreds of kilometres away, impact on the perception potential visitors have, prompting them to opt for other destinations, with Egypt making a strong return after a series of government interventions and incentives for the sector helped to turn the fortunes of the tourism industry around. Fodder for thought no doubt. For added information on Destination Kenya click on www.magicalkenya.com or else visit www.kws.go.ke
What next for Mombasa as another charter gets cancelled | ATC News by Wolfgang H. Thome
NEOS ANNOUNCES CANCELLATION OF ONE OF THEIR CHARTERS EFFECTIVE MID JANUARY
(Posted 07th December 2014)
While no one can say for certain what ultimately the reasons were for NEOS cancelling their Friday/Saturday rotation to Mombasa from the 16th of January 2015, at least until the start of the following high season 2015/16, recent events in Kenya may very well have influenced that decision, robbing the coast of yet another flight at a time when more are needed, not less.
Following the recent meeting of the recovery committee with Mombasa and Malindi based tourism stakeholders, and the more recent Presidential Investors Round Table, this bit of bad news laid bare some more nerves, already stretched to breaking point as the prospect of more empty beds during the upcoming high season now looms large.
In days long passed were beds at the Kenya coast going for a premium over the Christmas and New Year period and thereafter up to Easter but this year are special deals and offers already making the rounds, trying to induce visitors from Nairobi, upcountry and as far as Uganda and Rwanda.
'Our travel agent showed us the deals on the market but the airfare element remains high now that Air Uganda no longer flies nonstop to Mombasa. Changing planes in Nairobi is not optimal and the cost of Visa for my family comes to 250 US Dollars. If they really want our business so badly, they should drop the Visa charges for people like us. We lived in Uganda for 8 years now and were only once in Mombasa. The cost of tickets and the added Visa cost made sure of that. Now we fly to Dubai where the ticket sells for 399 US Dollars return, we need no Visa and we found a perfect resort at a price which brings the overall cost to slightly less than what we would pay for Mombasa' said an acquaintance from Kampala once again highlighting something often expressed here before, that in order to fully tap into the regional expatriate market a lot more needs to be done to increase numbers and keep them from flying to South Africa or the Gulf and spend their money there.
Meanwhile though are coast resort operators faced with some of the toughest choices they ever had to make, to stay open and struggle against financial losses mounting on them or close and join the growing list of hoteliers who already have or are considering to throw in the towel.
Said a Nairobi based regular source: 'When the president himself takes on the challenge, it is obvious that his ministers failed him. But now that the first two top honchos were sacked, yes sacked, even though that one [referring
to David Kimaiyo, former Inspector General of Police] said he retired, there is now space for some more who have failed to perform. It is make or break time for coast tourism now and if the high season goes down in history as the worst ever, I do not see how much longer after that the hotels can survive. The big expenditure items are utilities, taxes, wages and servicing bank loans or reduce overdrafts. Failing to settle a single one of them may cause closure because the taxman will put a padlock, the utility companies cut water and electricity and the banks are getting very impatient. Add to that the suppliers many of which now ask for cash payments. Our government has wasted a year and more, nothing the string of committees and experts told them has changed but they have not acted on key issues'.
The loss of yet another charter flight shows how thin the ice now is on which the coast tourism industry has to walk and how security incidents, even when hundreds of kilometres away, impact on the perception potential visitors have, prompting them to opt for other destinations, with Egypt making a strong return after a series of government interventions and incentives for the sector helped to turn the fortunes of the tourism industry around. Fodder for thought no doubt. For added information on Destination Kenya click on www.magicalkenya.com or else visit www.kws.go.ke
What next for Mombasa as another charter gets cancelled | ATC News by Wolfgang H. Thome
Geza Ulole
Platinum Member
- Oct 31, 2009
- 76,175
- 107,756
- Thread starter
- #218
1 DAY AGO
Uganda calls for an end to KQ monopoly to Kampala
Uganda is demanding an end to the monopoly enjoyed by national carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) on the Kampala-Nairobi route
A Kenya Airways Boeing 777-300ER at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Uganda is demanding an end to the monopoly enjoyed by national carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) on the Kampala-Nairobi route. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
In Summary
MWANIKI WAHOME
Uganda is demanding an end to the monopoly enjoyed by national carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) on the Kampala-Nairobi route, saying it is costing travellers from the country dearly after its national carrier was suspended in June for failure to meet basic safety aviation requirements.
During the 8th North Corridor Integration Projects Summit held last week in Nairobi, Uganda and south Sudan complained of the "high fares" charged by Kenya Airways, which has been enjoying monopoly for some time.
The summit was hosted by President Uhuru Kenyatta and attended by presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Paul Kagame of Rwanda at the Safari Park Hotel. The summit was also attended by representatives from South Sudan, Tanzania, Burundi and Ethiopia, which sent a special envoy.
As a result of the complaint, the heads of state directed that the formation of a single airspace be fast-tracked to facilitate seamless and cheaper movement of cargo and passengers in the region.
"The MoU we have signed is significant development as we now have single airspace that comprises four states. The bloc of countries will now go into specifics of management of the airspace and the air travel fares," said Louise Muhikiwabo, Rwanda's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation.
The push for a single airspace has been on the agenda of East African regional integration, having also featured in the 7th heads of state Summit. But the matter has gained urgency after Uganda and South Sudan complained.
During the 7th Summit, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan had committed to ensure that the single airspace is in place by end of 2015.
The heads of state directed the minister of infrastructure of Rwanda to convene an airline industry stakeholders meeting to finalise the 5th freedom traffic rights on Entebbe- Nairobi-Juba-Nairobi by end of this month to address outstanding issues. He is to report to the next Summit in February in Kigali, Rwanda.
The new development means the airspace in the region will be opened up for more airlines to introduce competition with the ultimate objective of reducing the air travel fares.
According to timelines travellers within the East African bloc might from next year enjoy easier and cheaper movement of cargo and passengers.
Uganda calls for an end to KQ monopoly to Kampala - Business - nation.co.ke
Uganda calls for an end to KQ monopoly to Kampala
Uganda is demanding an end to the monopoly enjoyed by national carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) on the Kampala-Nairobi route
A Kenya Airways Boeing 777-300ER at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Uganda is demanding an end to the monopoly enjoyed by national carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) on the Kampala-Nairobi route. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
In Summary
- During the 7th Summit, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan had committed to ensure that the single airspace is in place by end of 2015.
- According to timelines travellers within the East African bloc might from next year enjoy easier and cheaper movement of cargo and passengers.
MWANIKI WAHOME
Uganda is demanding an end to the monopoly enjoyed by national carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) on the Kampala-Nairobi route, saying it is costing travellers from the country dearly after its national carrier was suspended in June for failure to meet basic safety aviation requirements.
During the 8th North Corridor Integration Projects Summit held last week in Nairobi, Uganda and south Sudan complained of the "high fares" charged by Kenya Airways, which has been enjoying monopoly for some time.
The summit was hosted by President Uhuru Kenyatta and attended by presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Paul Kagame of Rwanda at the Safari Park Hotel. The summit was also attended by representatives from South Sudan, Tanzania, Burundi and Ethiopia, which sent a special envoy.
As a result of the complaint, the heads of state directed that the formation of a single airspace be fast-tracked to facilitate seamless and cheaper movement of cargo and passengers in the region.
"The MoU we have signed is significant development as we now have single airspace that comprises four states. The bloc of countries will now go into specifics of management of the airspace and the air travel fares," said Louise Muhikiwabo, Rwanda's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation.
The push for a single airspace has been on the agenda of East African regional integration, having also featured in the 7th heads of state Summit. But the matter has gained urgency after Uganda and South Sudan complained.
During the 7th Summit, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan had committed to ensure that the single airspace is in place by end of 2015.
The heads of state directed the minister of infrastructure of Rwanda to convene an airline industry stakeholders meeting to finalise the 5th freedom traffic rights on Entebbe- Nairobi-Juba-Nairobi by end of this month to address outstanding issues. He is to report to the next Summit in February in Kigali, Rwanda.
The new development means the airspace in the region will be opened up for more airlines to introduce competition with the ultimate objective of reducing the air travel fares.
According to timelines travellers within the East African bloc might from next year enjoy easier and cheaper movement of cargo and passengers.
Uganda calls for an end to KQ monopoly to Kampala - Business - nation.co.ke
Geza Ulole
Platinum Member
- Oct 31, 2009
- 76,175
- 107,756
- Thread starter
- #220
eti jambojet? open up the skies u fools:boxing:
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