RWANDA: Kigali International Airport Expansion

Rwanda Government has began plans to upgrade the airport. The new upgrade will see the airport increase its aircraft parking capacity, arrival terminal and the runway strip.

Managing Director of Rwanda Airports Company (RAC), Firmin Karambizi said “We are expanding the aircraft parking capacity and runway strip to increase the safety in case of unintentional excursion from the runway surface. We are also extending the arrival terminal.”

The arrival terminal will be extended to have an extra passenger processing area, allowing it to fully comply with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

Meanwhile, the service road - runway strip will be 3.1 kilometres, while the parking capacity will allow the airport to accommodate 18 aircrafts at ago according to Karambizi.

So far, RAC say over US$30 million has been invested in the upgrade of the airport during the last three years, allowing it to have a new apron, three taxiways, a hangar and an upcoming upgrade of airfield lighting.

These upgrade is aimed at reducing congestion at the check in and arrival areas, expand the departure lounge area, increase VIP comfort, and enhance baggage handling efficiency while promoting its reputation across Africa.

Regional Conflict, Crowded Air Space, Competition Threaten Gulf Airlines

The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) top official believes that political instability in the Middle East is posing a threat to the region’s airline industry growth.

The Middle East airline industry has not yet totally recovered from the Arab Spring – the 2010 series of protests and demonstrations across the region.

That’s the view of IATA CEO, Alexander de Juniac, who believes that continuing regional political instability is still affecting the industry.

The tourism industry in Egypt, for example, has not yet fully recovered from the impact of the Arab Spring, he said.

The geopolitical instability and security threats hovering in the region are not encouraging the development of air traffic.

What we have seen so far is that dynamic actors are able to overcome the challenges. But the more instability you have, the less attractive the region will be.

The CEO cited the blockade in Qatar, the war in Yemen, and the position of Iran and the Saudi-led countries as not being favourable conditions for air transport.

Speaking of the blockade, de Juniac said IATA believes that the world needs connectivity with Qatar.

We will help to establish normal connectivity between Qatar and the rest of the world.

We have practically helped the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to find an appropriate corridor for Qatar Airways and for the airlines flying to Qatar to be able to have access to the country.

He said that governments had the right to close their borders when they thought it is necessary.

They can do it but border closure has never been good news to the airline industry, he added.

Regarding the war in Yemen, de Juniac said that uncontrolled groups were firing short-range missiles.

When missiles are fired by a state army there is no problem because it applies ICAO regulations and warns airlines.

But when uncontrolled groups fire missiles, it is dangerous. That is what happened in Ukraine and it is now the case in Yemen.

The missiles are not fired precisely and, in that case, there may be a need to establish a no-fly zone.

He added that, that in the wake of the Malaysian airliner MH17 disaster a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down on July 17 2014 while flying over eastern Ukraine, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew, pilot awareness of missiles had increased.

The CEO also reacted to the third version of the Trump administration’s travel ban, which the US Supreme Court allowed to go into effect on December 4.

The ban bars most citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea from entering the United States.

There is little passenger traffic coming from those countries to the US.

There are no direct flights between these countries and the US and that is why we believe that the operational consequence will be limited, he said.

De Juniac said that Gulf airlines had been affected by various factors over the years. It’s not just political instability, they’ve also been growing at an incredible double digit pace. Now I think they are entering into normal waters, he said.

They are now growing like their peers. They are discovering the big world facing similar issues like replanning their networks, which is normal business.

Despite the political turmoil, IATA forecasts that Middle East carriers will see net profits improve to $600 million in 2018 – up from 300 million last year.

Demand in 2018 is expected to grow by 7%, outpacing announced capacity expansion of 4.9% which is the slowest growth since 2002.

According to IATA, the region’s carriers face challenges to their business models, and from low oil revenues, regional conflict, crowded air space, the impact of travel restrictions to the US, and competition from the new super connector - Turkish Airlines.

Despite the challenges, however, there is positive momentum heading into 2018.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Air Embargo Applies To Airlines From Qatar Or Registered There

The air embargo imposed on Qatar only applies to airlines from Qatar or registered there, the United Arab Emirates Civil Aviation Authority said Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain issued identical statements on the air embargo, which came into effect when Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Manama broke off relations with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting "terrorism".

The embargo bans "all Qatari aviation companies and aircraft registered in the state of Qatar" from landing or transiting through the airspace of the Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, according to the statements published by the national agencies of the three countries.

The ban does not apply to aviation companies and aircraft not registered in Qatar and the three neighbouring countries, and which wish to cross their airspace to and from Qatar, they said.

An exception is made for private planes and charter flights to or from Qatar, which require permission to transit through the airspace of the three countries, the statements said.

A permission request must be submitted 24 hours in advance and include a list of the names and nationalities of both crew and passengers, as well as the nature of cargo on board.

Qatar Airways Monday called on the UN's aviation body, the International Civil Aviation Organization, to declare the Gulf boycott illegal and a violation of a 1944 convention on international air transport.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said the move by Saudi Arabia and its allies was an "illegal blockade".

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are among several countries which last week announced the suspension of all ties to Qatar over what they say is the state's support for extremist groups and its political proximity to Shiite Ir

RUSSIA: Russia Has Significant Potential In Developing Domestic And Incoming Tourism

Last year, Russia made it to the top 10 of the world's most visited countries.

Russia ranked 43rd, ahead of Turkey, in the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index in 2016, said Oleg Safonov, Head of the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism.

The Russian Federation generally records over 30 million international tourist arrivals annually, a number, which will most certainly go up given the expected tourist volumes for the upcoming FIFA Confederation Cup and even more so for the 2018 World Cup, said Fang Liu, Secretary General, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Tourism generates strong fiscal revenues. In 2016, tourism had an economic impact of ca. RUB 250 billion, said Georgy Poltavchenko, Governor of St. Petersburg.

Russia is underinvested in tourism. If you are looking at the big international picture, you can always see countries which have good infrastructure and which are quite dynamic in pushing tourism.

They have proportion of tourism in the GDP of approximately 10%. Russia is below this level, said Klaus Mangold, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, TUI.

It is no secret that many museums have not been renovated since the Soviet times, said Dmitry Mironov, Acting Governor of Yaroslavl Region.

Potential barriers to visiting Russia include visas, having cheap flights, making sure that there are quality facilities, said Olivier Gremillon, Managing Director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Airbnb Inc.

Promoting Russian tourism inside and outside the country is impossible without having a tourist brand. 146 out of 195 countries do have tourist brands. Unfortunately, our country is one of the few without such a brand, said Oleg Safonov.

It is hard to overestimate the importance of this programme, as it covers the entire country from its Western to the Far Eastern borders and all the way from the North to the South.

This is a key consideration. Without the public-private funding and cooperation schemes, we are doomed to fail in maintaining the high growth rates, said Oleg Safonov.

Russian tourism has a significant potential waiting to be unlocked by private investors. What we need is a serious private investor who knows how to do business," said Svetlana Orlova, Governor of Vladimir Region.

We must recognise the importance of small tourist initiatives as an add-on to the big tourist projects.

We need to engage with intellectuals and enthusiasts who come up with interesting initiatives and know how to implement them,said Sergey Bachin, General Director, Roza Khutor.

We need to put new programmes in place. We work to promote such high-potential areas as industrial and culinary tourism. This year, we are going to pilot an underwater archaeology diving project at the Rybinsk Reservoir,” said Dmitry Mironov.

Several years ago, we introduced visa-free 72-hour visits to St. Petersburg for cruise passengers coming from the EU.

I believe that this was a good and useful initiative, and we should apply it to other means of transport, too, said Georgy Poltavchenko.

High quality tourist infrastructure. We are only starting to address this high priority infrastructural challenge. It requires increasing the number of hotel rooms, constructing new accommodation facilities, developing itineraries, and offering efficient transportation solutions, said Sergey Bachin.

We believe that building a strong tourist brand will effectively promote and stimulate both domestic and incoming tourism in Russia,said Oleg Safonov.

On Friday, the Russian Tourism Road Show, arranged by the Russian Federal Tourism Agency, took place in the Japanese capital of Tokyo.

The event was aimed at introducing Russia’s tourism potential to Japan.

"There are huge opportunities as far as tourism cooperation between Russia and Japan is concerned," head of the Russian embassy’s consular department Mikhail Sergeyev said addressing the show. He added that the two countries’ governments were striving to boost tourism ties between Russia and Japan and develop tourism business in Russia.

"In the coming years, many interesting international events are going to take place in Russia, including the FIFA World Cup," a spokesman for the Japanese association of tourist agencies said adding that it was the perfect time to visit Russia.

The Russian Tourism Road Show involved various Russian regions, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Republic of Buryatia and Primorsky region.

Factors That May Cause You A Bad Flight

On May 1 an Aeroflot Boeing 777 jet hit severe clear air turbulence on a flight from Moscow to Bangkok. As a result, at least 27 passengers were injured, with some suffering serious fractures and bruises.

According to data from Plane Crash Info, just 6 percent of all air accidents happen due to weather conditions. However rough weather often gets in the way of a pleasant flight and causes disturbances to the plane’s systems and sometimes contributes to pilot errors.

From the last few decades other external factors cause unpleasant incidents in the skies.

1. Fog

On Jan. 16, 2017 a Turkish cargo jet crashed near Kyrgyzstan’s Manas Airport claiming the lives of at least 37 passengers. The aircraft was supposed to make a stopover at Manas, near the capital city Bishkek, on its way from Hong Kong to Istanbul.

It crashed when trying to land in dense fog. The doomed plane ploughed on for a few hundred meters through the Dachi Suu village, home to hundreds of families. It damaged dozens of buildings.

Fog was also named among the factors that caused the Tenerife airport disaster on the Canary Islands in 1977. It was the deadliest accident in aviation history, claiming 583 lives.

Two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runaway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport). The fog was so thick that neither aircraft could be seen from the other and the air traffic controller could neither see the runaway nor the planes.

According to Aviation Safety Network (ASN) data, poor visibility conditions have led to 125 incidents since 1943, claiming more than 5,000 lives.

2. Heavy rainfall

Over the last two decades there have only been four cases when aircraft crashed due to heavy rainfall, according to ASN data. The most recent incident occurred in 2005 in Peru.

A Boeing 737 was approaching Pucallpa on its way from Lima but weather conditions deteriorated with “towering cumulus clouds, strong winds and heavy rainfall.” The crew was unable to land and the plane fell into swampland. 40 people died as a result of the crash.

A more recent incident happened in 2014 with a TransAsia Airways plane that attempted to land in a storm and crashed on a small Taiwanese island, killing 48 passengers and wrecking houses and cars on the ground.

3. Lightning strike

Thirteen people have died in plane crashes as a result of lightning strikes since 2000. According to ASN, seven such cases have been recorded in different parts of the world.

The deadliest incident occurred in 2001, when a plane from Barcelona to Algeria got into an area of severe turbulence and rain, and was hit by lightning. Control was lost and the aircraft crashed into the sea, claiming the lives of all 10 people on board.

In fact, lightning strikes airplanes quite often and usually this does not lead to tragic consequences as modern planes are designed to handle the electric charge and not pass it on to the electronic system of the liner and the passengers and crew.

For instance, in April 2017, a Wizzair Airbus A321 jet was struck by lightning on its way from Poland to Belgium, and two aircraft were hit by lightning in St. Petersburg when they were landing. No one was hurt in any of the incidents and the planes managed to land safely.

4. Volcanic ash

There are around 700 active volcanos in the world, and volcanic ash presents a huge problem for modern airplanes. Ash particles might get into the heated turbine blades, melt and cover the moving parts and stop the turbines.

The International Civil Aviation Organization has records of 83 “encounters” between aircraft and volcanic ash between 1935 and 2008. Eight of those led to temporary engine failure.

The most famous case is from 1982, when British Airways Flight 9 flew through an ash cloud produced by the eruption of Mount Galunggung in Indonesia.

The plane lost power in all four engines and descended from 37,000 feet (11,000 meters) to just 13,500 feet (4,100 meters) before the crew managed to restart three of the engines and land safely.

A similar incident happened in 1989 when KLM Flight 867 from Amsterdam to Tokyo flew through a thick cloud of volcanic ash from Mount Redoubt.

After losing power in four engines and descending more than 14,000 feet (4,200 meters), the pilot managed to restart the engines and landed the plane.

These incidents led to the creation of a network of Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers to watch and warn the airlines of the risk of potential volcanic eruptions. Since then there were almost no major incidents with planes entering volcanic ash.

5. Birds

According to ASN, since 1953 there have been 74 incidents involving collisions with birds. According to a Rossiyskaya Gazeta, there were 328 cases of such collisions in Russia and more than 5,000 worldwide in 2015.

The seriousness of the collision with a bird might depend on the size of a bird and on where it hits the plane. It might shut down the engine or smash a hole in different parts of the plane disrupting the air pressure inside. It can also lead to a loss of altitude and disruption of power or other critical systems.

The most recent incident happened on May 3 when a Turkish Airlines aircraft had to return to Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport after a collision with a flock of birds. A similar event occurred with a Belavia plane in March. The aircraft had to return to the Minsk Airport after a clash with a flock of birds.

Even though incidents happen quite often, fortunately they do not always lead to tragic consequences. All too often, however, the planes need to be repaired and some airlines try to sue the airports that are responsible for ensuring a secure takeoff.

UNWTO Accesses Chinese Travel To Africa

Addis Ababa, has recently hosted the 59th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa. Held between 18-21 April, the Commission included a High-level Meeting on Chinese Outbound Tourism to Africa, where regional representatives debated the potential that the sector brings to the continent.

Attended by 21 tourism Ministers from the African continent, the UNWTO Regional Commission for Africa has become the best platform to discuss tourism trends in the continent and the potential that Chinese tourism can induce at regional level.

The attendees also included Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Entertainment of Jamaica and Hongtao Wei, Vice Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration

The 59th edition of the Commission was complemented by a key interactive session on the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development which is being celebrated worldwide through 2017.

“We all come out of Africa, and went on to inhabit the world, making Africa the first source market in history. Africa is the future and Ethiopia is the soul and heart of Africa” said UNWTO Secretary-General Dr. Taleb Rifai, opening the event.

UNWTO Secretary-General received a Recognition Award from H.E. Mr. Muktar Kedir, Minister of Good Governance of Ethiopia to highlight his legacy to promote tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability.

During his intervention, Mr. Muktar Kedir, described his country ´as a unique land where the earliest ancestors of human beings first walks upright, we honestly expect Ethiopia to be one of the prime choices of tourists in the near future that makes them feel safe and enjoy their stay in this yet unexplored land´, he said.

The Commission served to motivate African Member States to undersign the African Charter on Sustainable and Responsible Tourism as well supporting the African Caravan on Sustainable and Responsible Tourism led by Morocco through activities to be organized and celebrated during the campaign of the International Year.

China has become a major investor in the African continent, contributing to infrastructure development and reshaping the economic landscape, and is the world´s largest outbound market since 2012 after recording double digit growth in expenditure every year since 2004.

The meeting witnessed a high level of participation not only from African governments but also private sector stakeholders who discussed the dynamics of the Chinese outbound market together with ways to provide guidance for policies and strategies to African Member States, Chinese stakeholders and African businesses.

The event was a combination of keynote presentations from UNWTO, IVY Alliance Tourism Consulting, AVIAREPS and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), interactive panels and roundtable discussions.

The Commission was informed that the 60th CAF will be hosted in Chengdu China within the framework of the 22nd Session of the General Assembly, to be held in September 2017. In addition, members of the Commission unanimously welcomed Nigeria´s expression of interest to host the 61st CAF to be held in 2018.

FRANCE: Aviation Emissions Deal Expected Next Year

A deal on limiting carbon dioxide emissions from aviation will likely be reached next year, no matter the outcome of this week's climate change talks in Paris, a senior IATA official said.

The aviation industry is not covered by the United Nations climate talks currently being held in Paris because it is organised under a separate UN body, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The latest draft of the climate change pact dropped any mention of aviation or shipping, although officials from Europe said they were working hard for a paragraph encouraging nations to curb the carbon output of these two industries to be put back in.

ICAO is working on options for a market-based system to enable airlines to reduce emissions by buying carbon offsets or allowances, plus a global CO2 emissions standard for aircraft. The organisation hopes to unveil the market-based system at a meeting next September.

"There is genuine momentum building behind the ICAO process and we're confident there will be a successful outcome at ICAO Assembly," Michael Gill, Director Aviation Environment at IATA, told journalists in Geneva.

Gill said among the main sticking points were how airlines would measure and report their emissions, and how the scheme would take into account the different rates of economic development both of countries and their airlines.

Gill, who had flown to Geneva from Paris for an IATA briefing to journalists and was returning to the talks, said there was a general sense in Paris that things were "in good shape" for a global agreement on climate change.

IATA expects an agreement on the stringency and the applicability of the CO2 standard to be reached by governments in February, Gill added.