ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia Airlines Launches Direct Flights To Namibia

Ethiopia Airlines has launched direct flights to Namibia.

Although Kenya Airways signed a new code-share agreement with Air Namibia way back in 2013 for direct flights, the deal has not been implemented five years later.

The deal would have paved the way for direct flights between the airlines’ Nairobi and Windhoek hubs through Johannesburg in South Africa and Lusaka in Zambia.

The move would have extended the national carrier’s footprints in southern Africa region.

Under the code-share agreement, Kenya Airways was to place its ‘KQ’ code on Air Namibia flights from Johannesburg and Lusaka to Windhoek.

In turn, Air Namibia was to place its ‘SW’ code on Kenya Airways flights from Lusaka and Johannesburg to Nairobi.

Ethiopian Airlines took the opportunity to launch three weekly direct flights to Namibia in October and further signed a code-share agreement.

The idea of direct flights from Nairobi to Windhoek was conceptualised in mid 2000 when former Tana River Governor Hussein Dado was the Kenya’s high commissioner to Namibia.

The idea was pushed because Kenyans travelling to Namibia are compelled to get South Africa transit visas, which take a minimum of seven working days to process.

The direct flight was therefore aimed at cutting costs and delays.

Then Kenya Airways chief executive Titus Naikuni at the signing ceremony in Windhoek had said the move would facilitate convenient travel for passengers, and would enable the airline to contribute towards spurring sustainable development in Africa.

The two airlines, according to Naikuni, expected the agreement to allow them both to expand their regional network through their mutual services and facilitate the provision of competitive and convenient travel choices to their respective clients.


Tourism Observer

NIGERIA: Ethiopian Airlines Entertains Journalists In Lagos

Africa’s largest airline group, Ethiopian Airlines, hosted some Nigerian journalists to a boat cruise in Lagos for supporting the carrier for the 2017 operational year.

The airline said the boat cruise was a way of saying thank you to the journalists who had continued to be a source support to the carrier in the aviation industry.

Speaking during the cruise, General Manager of Ethiopian Airlines in Nigeria, Mrs Firihewot Mekonnen said the carrier will continue to deploy its best and newest planes to the Nigerian market.

Mekonnen disclosed that Ethiopian airlines which introduce the newest Boeing 787-900 to the Abuja route will also deploy it to Lagos in the coming days adding that the airline has always considered the Nigerian market as a vital aspect of its business.

She said Ethiopian has high regard for the Nigerian market which informed why the Airline is always bringing her newest aircraft to the country, including the first all-female flight in Africa.

Mekonnen said she is looking forward to African airlines dominating the African skies, instead of foreign airlines adding that, that is one of the reasons the airline is assisting some other African countries in setting up their own national carrier.

She added that the airline is ready to assist other countries with its technical knowhow.

She expressed satisfaction with the figures released by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA which showed the Airline as the leading carrier that lifted the highest numbers of passengers in Nigeria in 2017, ahead of other mega carriers.

Mekonnen noted that this is the first time an African airline will be leading in the airlift of passengers in Nigeria, beating other big airlines from Europe, America and Asia.

She said the airline is working hard to consolidate on that feat in their operations in the country.

She stated that she looked forward to the day when African carriers will have a larger percentage of the market share in the continent, noting that 80% of passengers are carried by non African airlines in the continent.

Mekonnen added that Ethiopian Airlines is poised to promote the growth of aviation in Africa so that African carriers can also take the lead in the airlift of passengers in Africa.

The Ethiopia Airline general manager in Nigeria stated that this was responsible for why it is helping to establish national carriers for some African countries.

She assured the journalists that the airlines will do everything in its power to bring the journalists together in order to brainstorm on issues bordering on the industry.



Tourism Observer

KENYA: Loss-Making Kenya Airways Should Get a Capital Injection

A Kenyan parliamentary committee said, loss-making Kenya Airways should get a capital injection from shareholders to aid its recovery but must overhaul its board and management team and meet other conditions first.

Shareholders in the airline, which has been losing money for the past three and a half years and took a bridging to stay in the air, include the government and Air France – KLM.

The recommendation by the Senate committee that was formed in June will go to the upper house of Kenya’s parliament. If approved, the government will be have to act, a parliamentary official said.

Last month, the airline reported a smaller pretax loss of 11.9 billion shillings ($117 million) in the six months to September and promised to cut costs and sell $146 million in assets in its attempt to return to profit.

“Given the importance of Kenya Airways to the Kenyan economy, the committee recommends that the shareholders inject new capital into the airline to facilitate the turnaround of the airline,” the senate committee said in a report seen by Reuters.

An spokeswoman for the airline said the company had just received the report and was studying it.

The senators set conditions for a bailout which include demanding major shareholders to overhaul the board and requiring a restructuring of the management team to ensure it had “sufficient skills and experience” to turn the company around.

It also demanded the hiring of a new marketing director with experience to turn around the ticketing system and “ensure proper accounting of revenue from market sales”.

The committee recommended that the Finance Ministry initiate a process of “providing a favourable tax regime”, including possible tax breaks to help the airline and support Nairobi’s bid to be come an aviation hub.

Kenya’s effort to create make a regional hub faces competition from next door Ethiopia, where state-owned Ethiopia Airlines has expanded to become Africa’s largest carrier.

BOTSAWANA: Air Botswana Stops Flights From Kasani Airport To Johannesburg

Air Botswana announced the suspension of its popular route between the South African capital, Johannesburg and the airport at Kasane, which is the gateway to the world famous, Chobe National Park.

The service has been suspended until January 01st 2016, when it will resume flying three times a week until 21st February 2016. These changes coincide with a major Government initiative which has seen the entire board of Air Botswana being sacked and the resignation of the General Manager, who was employed to turn the airline around both financially and operationally.

Despite this management turmoil and the announced flight cancellations, Air Botswana remains a favourite of Alternative Airlines and Botswana is still a must-see destination.

Press reports say that a new board will be appointed soon and an interim general manager has been found from within the Finance department.

In the last few years, Air Botswana has seen as increase in competition, as airlines such as Kenya Airways and Ethiopia Airlines have been granted permission to compete with the national carrier and the airline recently leased a 27 year old MD-83 jet to ensure the airline maintained schedule integrity, whilst its two owned aircraft are under operational review.

Air Botswana flights can be booked using Alternative Airines easy to use on-line booking facility and our experienced reservations team, experts in sorting out problems caused by airlines making last minute operational changes, are there to help, should you need them.

We will continue to recommend Air Botswana or offer a suitable alternative to encourage more people to visit this unrivalled part of Africa.