AFRICA: Radisson Blu Is The Leading Individual Hotel Brand In Africa

Radisson Blu has for a second year in a row, secured the leading position as the hotel brand with the most hotels under development and the most hotel deals in its pipeline in Africa, according to the recently published 2019 W Hospitality Pipeline Report.

Radisson Blu, part of the Radisson Hotel Group™ took over as the fastest growing hotel brand in Africa last year and has for a second year claimed the title with the recent release of W Hospitality Pipeline Report 2019, the most authoritative source on the growth of the hotel industry in Africa.

The report has ranked Radisson Blu as the leading individual hotel brand with the highest number of hotel deals and within this pipeline, the largest number of rooms and proportion of its pipeline actually under construction, in Africa.

The Group's upper midscale brand, Park Inn by Radisson, has also entered the same top 10 brand list, securing the fifth position.

We are thrilled to see our flagship brand, Radisson Blu, continuing to lead the way in Africa with the most hotel deals signed and the most hotel rooms under construction, than any of the other 120 hotel brands it was ranked against.

This is a true testament of our agility as a hotel group, as we can move quickly from deal signing to hotel opening. As referenced in the report, we had several hotels which were signed and opened within the same year.

This is aligned with our development strategy, as we expect our future growth to arise from existing hotel take-overs and new build hotels.

With economic headwinds in some African markets, we have identified further opportunities to exploit our vast knowledge and experience in converting unbranded, underperforming hotels, offices or apartment buildings and re-position them to the right brand and market segment within the Radisson Hotel Group brand portfolio, says Andrew Mclachlan, Senior Vice President, Development, Sub-Saharan Africa, Radisson Hotel Group.

This growth has spiked Radisson Hotel Group's portfolio in Africa to 99 hotels (20,500+ rooms) in operation and under development across 32 countries.

We aim to add a further 12 hotels to our African portfolio this year, which will take us well over the 100 hotel mark by year end and confidently on our way to securing 130 hotels by the end of 2022.

Our five-year development strategy focuses on creating scaled hotel growth in key cities and resort locations across Africa.

With a focus on scaled growth in key locations across Africa, we can offer guests multiple hotels across different brands and market segments, at various price points and improved local hotel performance with strong local procurement and cluster select services in the same city.

Cape Town, Johannesburg and Lagos are our three gateway cities in sub-Saharan Africa where we aim to have scaled growth and an ambition of up to ten hotels within the same city.

Dakar, Abidjan, Douala, Luanda, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Addis Ababa are cities where we aim to have between three and five hotels due to the size of the economy, market, long-term fundamentals and supply and demand opportunities.

In addition, we are not ignoring the smaller cities and larger towns across Africa where we've identified potential to penetrate the market with either our midscale Park Inn by Radisson brand or upscale Radisson, concludes Mclachlan.

AFRICA: Taxify Operates In More African Cities Than Uber.

Ride-hailing company Taxify is taking the fight for market share in Africa with Uber to places where Uber isn’t.

The Estonian company which has grown to become Uber’s biggest rival in Africa is pursuing an expansion strategy that’s focused on not only operating in major cities across Africa, like Uber does.

Taxify has also been expanding to smaller cities and now operates in more African cities than Uber.

In Nigeria, in addition to Lagos and Abuja, the only two cities where Uber currently operates, Taxify has launched operations in Ibadan, Nigeria’s largest city by land size, and Owerri, a bustling commercial center in the southeast.

While neither city matches Lagos or Abuja as urban centers, they have sizable business districts and populations of over 1 million people each.

In Tanzania, while Uber has stuck only to Dar es Salaam, Taxify operates there as well as in Dodoma, the nation’s capital and in Mwanza, a tourism hotbed on the shore on Lake Victoria.

In South Africa, Taxify continues to compete with Uber in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth but has also expanded to Polokwane.

It is set to also launch in East London later this month—a move that will see it surpass Uber for the number of African cities operated in. It will also mean Taxify operates more cities in South Africa than anywhere else.

Much of Taxify’s expansion has been bankrolled by its recent $175 million capital raise—a funding round which valued the company at more than $1 billion.

Taxify’s backers include Daimler, the German car giant and Didi Chuxing, the dominant ride-hailing business in China which is also known for backing Uber’s rivals elsewhere.

As it continues to grow and attempt to win over riders, Taxify’s lower commissions on fares are also a tactic to win over drivers.

For its part, Uber, which has now operated in African cities for five years, is also eyeing more expansion with Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Mauritius among potential targets.

And showing a willingness to adapt to local markets, it has also introduced lower cost ride-hailing options with rickshaws in Kenya and motorcycles in Uganda.


Tourism Observer

ZIMBABWE: Does Air Zimbabwe Have Only One Working Aircraft?

Boeing 767-200ER, the Air Zimbabwe plane that spewed fire from its left engine shortly after take-off from OR Tambo International Airport on April 28, is the airline’s only working aircraft.

A statement released by the airline on March 7 claimed that, due to equipment constraints, the aircraft is used to service all routes.

The aircraft underwent an engine change on March 3, which resulted in rescheduled and cancelled flights at the time.

Destinations via the airline include Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and Harare, the Zimbabwean capital city.

Flight UM462 was en route to Harare shortly after 7pm on April 28 when it experienced a malfunction on one of its engines, which resulted in a brief tailpipe fire.

This malfunction did not threaten the continuation of the flight or the safety of the crew and passengers, the airline stated. The plane landed safely in Harare at 8.35pm, about one and a half hours after the ordeal started.

Our engineers have commenced the required investigation and a report will be issued in due course, the airline added.


Tourism Observer

ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe Blessed With Duty Free Importation Of Spares

Efforts to improve the operations of Air Zimbabwe have received further boost following revelations that Government recently extended the dispensation for the national air carrier to import spares duty free.

Through statutory instrument 92/2019 Customs and Excise – Duty Rebate for Air Zimbabwe the Government extended, for the whole of 2019, the existing rebate on engine spares and aircraft components for Air Zimbabwe.

The debt ridden State owned airline was placed under the administration of Grant Thornton with effect from October 4 2018, amid a string of losses, in terms of the Reconstruction of State-Indebted Insolvent Companies Act.

Administrator Reggie Saruchena late last year said Air Zimbabwe revival was possible; promising a turnaround.

He said he had previously handled similar challenges. As operational and viability problems mounted at the national airline, Air Zimbabwe's passenger numbers plunged to about 230 000 per annum from a peak of 1 million in 1996.

Air Zim has also been struggling to meet its external obligations resulting in it being suspended from international aviation bodies, whose membership is critical for its global routes.

Air Zim assistant administrator Tonderai Mukubvu said that extension of rebate was welcome as it reduces the cost of aircraft maintenance.

The removal of import duty takes away a significant cost of maintenance. For instance, if a spare part costs US$4, it means that this reduces the cost of maintenance by the equivalent of the duty, Mr Mukubvu said in an interview.

Air Zim spares must all be imported because we do not have any local manufacturer, as such the removal of the duty cuts down on the foreign required to import from wherever since the duty is also charged in forex, he added.

He also said that the extension of the duty rebate on spares and components will enable the airline to save foreign currency.

The airline currently has two functional aircraft; one flying and servicing domestic and regional routes and another currently grounded and undergoing maintenance procedure, C-check.

Delivery of an Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft from the US is expected in the next two weeks to increase its fleet of functional aircraft, making the rebate handy.

Further, reports earlier this month indicated that the airline was due to take delivery of two Boeing 777-200 ERs acquired from Malaysia, as part of efforts to boost its fleet.

Mr Mukubvu said a reduction in the amount of foreign currency required to import critical spares, as Zimbabwe faces forex shortages, will reduce the overall cost of maintenance by an equivalent factor.

Mr Mukubvu said the company was operating two aircraft while a third, an Embraer ERJ 145 was expected in Zimbabwe in a fortnight and would also benefit from the import duty rebate on spares and engine components.

Air Zim is saddled with a US$341 million debt accumulated over a decade of mismanagement. The inability to repay debts left the airline unable to meet its obligations to global aviation bodies.

Air Zim is now battling to attain recertification under the International Air Transport Association operational safety audit and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) after losing its rights as a result of failing to pay its dues.

IATA is an association of the airlines from across the globe, representing 275 airlines or 83 percent of total air traffic. The association supports many areas of aviation activity and helps to formulate industry policy on critical aviation issues.

One of Air Zimbabwe's long haul aircraft, a Boeing 767-200 was impounded by American General Supplies at Gatwick International Airport in London in December 2011 over debts amounting to $1,2 million.

In 1980, Air Zimbabwe had 18 aircraft flying into 31 destinations but is now limited to Harare-Johannesburg; Harare-Bulawayo and Harare-Victoria Falls routes.


Tourism Observer

SOUTH AFRICA: British Airways To Commence Flights To Durban From October 29

South African city of Durban with the start of British Airways’ new direct service.

From October 29 holidaymakers will be able to surf their heart out along the Golden Mile, explore the lush green garden province and enjoy golden sun kissed beaches with three direct flights a week from Heathrow to the spectacular South African city.

The service will be the only non-stop link between Europe and Durban and flights will be operated by the airline’s newest fleet of aircraft, the Boeing 787-8.

The timetable will have a morning arrival into Durban and an evening arrival into Heathrow.

The new route comes as British Airways rolls out a £4.5 billion, five-year customer investment plan, with a focus on excellence in the premium cabins and more choice and quality for all its customers.

Durban is a year round destination, with sultry summers and mild, dry winters.

It has long been a favourite holiday playground for South Africans but will soon be easier than ever for international visitors to enjoy too.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: Durban’s warm water, hot summers and laid-back beachy atmosphere make this coastal city the perfect holiday destination.

It is a gateway to many nature reserves, parks and historic sites, and has a thriving food, drink and art scene; defining the city as a must visit for culture and adventure.

Sihle Zikalala, Minister for the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, said: We are proud to be able to showcase the city of Durban to the world through this new British Airways direct flight.

The sheer diversity in travel and business opportunities that visitors can access through this gateway into the province of KwaZulu-Natal will unlock enormous potential.

Tickets are available to buy on ba.com and start from £599 in World Traveller (economy cabin), £1214 in World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and £3199 in Club World (business class).

Customers can also choose to cut the cost of flights by using Avios in part payment.

British Airways operates a twice daily service from Heathrow Terminal 5 to Johannesburg and flies year-round to Cape Town every day from Terminal 3 and three times a week from Gatwick during the winter season.

British Airways has a long-standing partnership with Comair who fly direct from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Durban and six other destinations across South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.

For those wanting to escape to the South African sun, British Airways Holidays has the following packages on offer:

British Airways Holidays offers flight & five nights stay at the 5* The Oyster Box, from £1299 per person, travelling on selected dates in November.

Includes World Traveller return flights from London Heathrow and accommodation with breakfast.


Tourism Observer

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

SOUTH AFRICA: Giraffe Head Butts Film Maker Dead

A South African film-maker was killed by a giraffe while filming on a reserve outside Johannesburg, the game lodge’s owner has said,

The South African film-maker died after he was air-lifted to hospital.

The giraffe hit Carlos Carvalho in the head at the Glen Afric Country Lodge in North West province.

When Carlos was standing in front of the giraffe, the animal spread its legs, bent its neck and swung its head at Carlos, Richard Brooker, whose family owns the lodge said.

The giraffe, called Gerald, did nothing wrong, Brooker said.

Callacrew, a South African film production agency, said Carvalho died on Wednesday night.

It is with a very sad heart that we have to announce the passing of Carlos Carvalho, one of our favourite DOPs or director of photography, a Facebook post said.

Carlos was filming a feature at Glen Afric and had a fatal run in with a giraffe on set.

Carvalho, a 47-year-old father-of-two, was reported to have been looking through the camera eyepiece to take close-up images of the giraffe when the incident occurred.


Tourism Observer

AFRICA: Known Dangerous Cities in Africa

Below are some of Africa's most dangerous cities or places where you have to take maximum caution while there.

Crimes rampant in these places are many, including but not restricted to muggings, scams, pick pocketing, Over charging, armed robberies, car robberies, phone,laptop and camera thefts, fake money, assaults, rapes, kidnappings,Cyber-crime,credit card skimming, Household and business burglary, car break-ins and extortion etc.

Lagos, Nigeria

With an estimated population of 21 million, Lagos is Nigeria’s largest city and one of the largest cities in the world.

Crime levels are very high, with a rating of 80.88 out of a possible crime score of 100.

Tourists,Locals and expatriates living in Lagos are prone to muggings, armed robberies, home or business burglaries, carjackings, assaults, rapes, kidnappings, and extortion.

Armed robbers in the city are known to even climb up perimeter fences and subdue guards, and others have invaded waterfront compounds by way of boats.

Criminals also target vehicle occupants in traffic, and break into stationary cars. Some of Lagos' crime hot-spots are airport roads in the days or evenings, as well as banks and grocery stores.

Street gangs called area boys cause terror in the mainland of the city when they clash.

Lagos is also an e-mail scam hotbed, from where dubious cyber criminal prey on people under the pretension that they can receive huge compensation in return some time later after parting with some money by way of electronic transactions.

Nairobi, Kenya

As Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi is the hub of the country’s economy, thereby making it attractive to both foreign and investments, and vulnerable to criminal activity.

The US Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) rates Nairobi’s crime levels as critical.

Also, Numbeo,com, as of March 2016, ranked the crime levels at of city as high, and ended up giving it a rating of 78.49 out of 100.

Serious crimes common in Nairobi, according to OSAC, are armed carjackings, home and business burglaries, kidnappings, pick-pocketing, muggings, and snatch and grab-thefts.

Other criminal threats include grenade attacks and terrorism, which in recent years Kenya has bore the brunt of.

However, those victims of robbery who cooperate without resisting are likely to be unharmed in the city, according to OSAC.

Cyber-crime and credit card skimming are other forms of criminal activities on the rise in Nairobi that its foreign visitors need to be aware of.

Rustenburg, South Africa

Rustenburg City is in the North West Province of South Africa.

It has very high crime levels, and is rated at 85.71 out of a possible crime score of 100.

Of all of the cities in the North West Province in 2015, Rustenburg had the highest total cases of criminal activities with 11,117 cases in 2015, according to Crime Statistics South Africa.

Household burglary, kidnapping, hijacking, and political violence are but some of the crimes that frequently occur in this city.

According to South Africa Dialogue, street crimes and muggings are also high in Rustenburg, and caution is necessary each and everyday.

At night, car break-ins are common, and it’s not advisable to leave one's valuables inside a vehicle. When driving on the freeways at night, stops in undesignated areas make one an easy target for robbers, and hence it’s wise to avoid making them.

Johannesburg, South Africa

Johannesburg is South Africa’s largest city, with an estimated population of over 4 million people, and it’s also the capital of Gauteng province.

In recent years it has achieved notoriety for the high numbers of crime and rape cases seen there as well. Crime levels in Johannesburg are very high, achieving a 91.61 out of a possible crime score of 100 as of March 2016.

Due to the many incidences of rape reported there, it has also been dubbed as the World’s Rape Capital.

Recently, Johannesburg has had xenophobic attacks springing up in the low income townships with frequency.

In 2014-2015, according to Africa Check, the murder rate in Johannesburg per 100,000 was 28.2 people. Yet, according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the average global homicide rate per 100,000 people was 6.2, less than a fourth of that seen in Johannesburg.

Luanda, Angola

Luanda, Angola’s capital city, has a high crime rate, and one which the OSAC reports as being critical.

Out of a possible crime score of 100, Numbeo rates it at 76.39 as of February 2016. According to the UK Government service Gov.UK, common crimes in the city are inclusive of carjackings, assaults, homicides, muggings for valuables such as mobile phones, armed robberies at either night or day especially in areas popular with foreigners, and rape incidences both in nightlife areas and even private homes.

Moving at night around within the city are not recommended, as crimes mostly happen at night in Luanda, according to the OSAC.

There also are crime hot-spots in Luanda that the OSAC particularly warns against venturing into, like the Rua Nehru, the Rua Houari Boumedienne, and the traffic circle in the last part of Rua Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Thefts from stationary or slow-moving vehicles stuck in traffic also happen.

It’s thereby wise to close the windows when stuck in such traffic situations there.

Visitors are also advised to avoid changing or withdrawing money in public places, or handling money in very crowded places.

Cape Town, South Africa

Crime levels in Cape Town, a port city in South Africa and the capital of Western Cape Province, are very high, even though it’s the country’s legislative capital.

In recent years, it has consistently been ranked among the most violent cities in the world. Cape Town has a crime rating of 82.45 out of a possible crime score of 10 as of March 2016, which is an increase from the previous 3 years.

From April 2011 to March 2012, Cape Town recorded more murders than both Johannesburg and Pretoria combined, according to Africa Check.

Criminal activities like drug dealing, mugging, vandalism, theft, assault, armed robbery, and bribery are especially common there.

Taking nighttime walks is also risky in and of itself.

Much of the violence in Cape Town is fueled by drug-related gang activity and the economic inequality still prevalent in non-white territories.

According to a 2014 report by the Institute for Security Studies, annual income in a white household was just over six times more than a black household in Cape Town.

Benghazi, Libya

Libya second largest city of Benghazi, has been engulfed in a civil war.

The city is ever at risk of radical Islamic terrorist attacks.

In September of 2012, the US Embassy in Libya was attacked by violent extremists, and 4 US government employees, the US Ambassador to Libya included, died in the chaos.

Crime levels across the whole country are still rising.

Incidences of carjackings, robberies, burglaries, and gun attacks are now more prevalent, largely due to the looting of government artillery that ensued in a mad scramble for economic and military gains after Gaddafi’s removal.

Sexual harassment of women is also rising, as well as petty and hardcore street crimes alike.

Even stricter laws on people's dress make expatriate women who don’t dress conservatively susceptible to attacks from Islamic extremist militias.

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Pietermaritzburg is both the province's second largest city after Durban and the capital of Kwa-Zulu-Natal Province in the nation of South Africa.

It has very high crime levels, with a crime rating of 87.5 out of a possible crime score of 100.

Armed robbery, sexual assault, arson, drug dealing, house break-ins, carjackings, and car theft are some crimes that are rife in Pietermaritzburg.

In the 3 years leading up to 2015, crimes levels in the city rose significantly. According to Crime Statistics South Africa, in 2015 there were 15,720 criminal incidences in the city.

This was an increase on the previous years, as in 2014 there were 14,794 reported incidents of criminal activities, and in 2013 there were 13,596.

When xenophobic attacks flare up elsewhere in South Africa, they also tend to quickly spread to Pietermaritzburg as well.

Durban, South Africa

Durban is the largest city in Kwa-Zulu-Natal Province in South Africa.

It’s a coastal city that is popular with local and international tourists who annually number within the hundreds of thousands.

Economically, the city hosts the biggest container and commodity port in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the OSAC.

But crime and criminal-related deaths have been on the rise. According to a 2014 report by the Mexican Citizens' Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice, Durban City was 38th among the 50 most violent cities in the world.

Homicides per 100,000 people stood at 34.5 in 2014, up from in 2013 when they were at 32 per 100,000.

Crime in Durban is at 87.89 out of a possible crime score of 100, indicating it as being very high.

Beyond Durban's city limits, Kwa-Zulu-Natal province in 2015 was reported as the most dangerous province in South Africa.

Taking personal precautions, like avoiding nighttime travel or walking alone, is recommended to avoid falling victim.

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Port Elizabeth is a coastal city in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Tourists are drawn to this vibrant port city, which is dubbed the Windy City for its windy coastal clime.

Port Elizabeth has a rich cultural heritage, and is among the cities early explorers like Vasco Da Gama passed through.

However, crime is very high there and is rated at 80.56 out of a possible crime score of 100.

Muggings and street crimes are common in Port Elizabeth much like in the rest of South Africa.

Xenophobic attacks against foreigners also tend flare up in Port Elizabeth when there is unrest in South Africa.

In 2014, Port Elizabeth was ranked number 35 by the Mexican Citizens' Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice among the world’s 50 most dangerous cities, and, in 2013, it was number 41.

Murders per 100,000 people in 2014 were 34.8, slightly down from 36 in 2013.

Others may be:

Mogadishu, Somalia

Maputo, Mozambique

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Kampala, Uganda

Tripoli, Libya

Kinshasa, DR Congo

Goma, DR Congo

Brazzaville, REP Congo

Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Dakar, Senegal

Conakry, Guinea

Bamako, Mali

Khartoum, Sudan

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso



Tourism Observer

SOUTH AFRICA: Cocaine Worth R9m Impounded At OR Tambo Airport

30kg of cocaine estimated at almost R9 million was seized by South African Revenue Service (SARS) customs officials in two separate incidents at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday.

In a statement, SARS said collaboration between customs officials and the South African Police Service led to the arrest of a passenger disembarking from a Sao Paulo flight via Johannesburg in transit to Mozambique.

A scan of the passenger’s luggage revealed irregular images and led to a second inspection which uncovered ten boxes of imitation jewellery.

Ninety wooden sticks were found in the boxes concealing a white substance which tested positively for cocaine.

A total of 24.66kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of R7 094 682 was confiscated and handed to the South African Police Service, said SARS.

In the second incident, customs officials intercepted 6.3kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of R1 812 510 concealed in the base of a passenger’s luggage.

The passenger was also on a Sao Paulo flight travelling via Johannesburg in transit to Mozambique.

SARS said both the passenger and the consignment were handed over to the police for further investigation.

It added that the successful operations are part of the increased joint operations between SARS and the South African Police Service.



Tourism Observer

RWANDA: More Destinations For RwandAir

RwandAir has now launched its seventh West Africa destination, Abidjan, as part of the airline’s continued rollout of new countries important to its strategy to connect Africa via Kigali.

This follows the start of commercial flights on Rwanda Air a month ago to Cotonou and both new destinations are expected to begin feeding traffic into the WB network via Kigali to Eastern and Southern Africa, Dubai and soon to India’s commercial capital of Mumbai.

The recently acquired first Airbus A330-200 by Rwanda Air is meanwhile making yet more maiden appearances across RwandAir’s network with the most recent deployment taking the new bird to Cotonou, Libreville and Douala, where travel agents, corporate clients, invited guests from government, diplomatic corps and the business community were able to tour the aircraft while it was on the ground in the respective cities.

Named ‘Ubumwe‘, a Kinyarwanda word for Unity, will the aircraft now commence commercial flights four times a week to Dubai first before the arrival of a second Airbus A330-300 in November will then pave the way to launch operations to Mumbai.

The airline is banking on the aircraft’s superior inflight comfort and three class cabin configuration which offers Business Class, a dedicated cabin for 21 Premium Economy Seats and an Economy Class with 18 inch seats, the widest presently on offer by commercial airlines.

RwandAir will put several schedule changes into place, aimed to make travel to and from Southern African countries faster and easier, and offering seamless connections into their trans-Africa network and to their new intercontinental destinations.

Johannesburg will revert to nonstop flights, with several traffic days earmarked for a second daily service between Kigali and South Africa’s commercial hub. This change will also facilitate onward travel to Cape Town or Durban – and vice versa – which the current schedule makes difficult at best.

Come January next year, RwandAir will put several schedule changes into place, aimed to make travel to and from Southern African countries faster and easier, and offering seamless connections into their trans-Africa network and to their new intercontinental destinations.

Johannesburg will revert to nonstop flights, with several traffic days earmarked for a second daily service between Kigali and South Africa’s commercial hub. This change will also facilitate onward travel to Cape Town or Durban – and vice versa – which the current schedule makes difficult at best.

New destination Harare, Zimbabwe will, when launched in mid January, be combined with Lusaka, Zambia in a standalone triangular service routing KGL – LUN – HRE – KGL. Flights will in fact be raised from the present three times a week to LUN to five flights a week at that stage January.

The introduction of long haul services to Mumbai and later in 2017 to London will see RwandAir tap into the market of connecting passengers with yet greater determination, to make sure that they can fill their new Airbus A330’s but also carry more traffic into their Eastern and West African networks.

All flights to South Africa will be operated on Boeing 737 aircraft and, while no confirmation has been received as yet, there is speculation that the flights from Kigali to HRE and LUN will see the Bombardier CRJ900 deployed on that route.

The lack of slots for flights from Kigali to London Heathrow is seen as the key reason why RwandAir is now eying Gatwick, the UK capital’s second busiest airport.

The airline’s CEO Mr. John Mirenge, while speaking in Abidjan / Ivory Coast after the official inaugural flight to RwandAir’s latest African destination, gave the clearest indication yet that by 2018 Europe will be on the map for Rwanda’s national carrier.

During the runup of the delivery ceremony of the airline’s first Airbus A330 in Toulouse a few weeks ago did Mr. Mirenge also mention that London may be combined with another European waypoint but would not commit if that could be Frankfurt or another European gateway. At present does RwandAir only operate in codeshare with Brussels Airlines to the European capital.

Following the delivery of two additional aircraft in November, a brand new Boeing B737-800NG and a larger Airbus A330-300 variant is a widening of destinations expected in both Africa and beyond with Mumbai the first intercontinental target of the airline’s relentless expansion drive, fully backed incidentally by the Rwanda government.

In a related development are results due to be announced very soon of the IATA audit on Safe Ground Operations, in short ISAGO, which will certify RwandAir’s ground handling unit to be compliant with global best practice and standards.

SOUTH AFRICA: FlySafair Passenger Thrown Off Flight For Racial Abuse

THIS is the moment a white man and his girlfriend are kicked off a plane after being accused of racism by black passengers.

The South African couple are seen being asked to leave the Flysafair plane, which was about to fly from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth, to the cheers of those around them.

A video of shot by another passenger shows the captain standing in the aisle listening as several passengers give their versions of what happened.

One woman claims the white man called a black passenger an “a**ehole” before directing what she alleges was a racist comment at her.

And she says the man threatened to punch one of the passengers – which he strongly denies.

She tells the pilot: “He called this gentleman an a**ehole and when we proceeded to say to him that’s unacceptable he said to me, ‘You people are all the same’.

“Sir, you are legally obligated to keep us safe. I do not feel safe going into the air with this kind of aggression.”

Backed up by other passengers, she goes on to claim he said “I’ll bliksem you” – a South African term meaning to punch or strike.

The man denies the accusations but eventually stands up and agrees to leave the aircraft – to applause from other passengers.

He says said: “We will get out of the way, thank you very much. We will get off the plane – but I want his name and I want his name and I want his name.”

The footage was shot last week but came to light after the United Airlines incident.

The airline said they were waiting to see if any investigation would be launched into the incident.

FlySafair spokesperson Kirby Gordon praised the pilot saying he had been following Civil Aviation Safety procedures.

He said: “We are aware of an altercation that took place between two passengers on flight FA232 on Friday, April 7.

“We are awaiting approach from the authorities to provide any required information that would be required to resolve this case.

“It is the obligation of the Captain of an aircraft to make the final call regarding his view on any potential threats on board the aircraft.

“In accordance with this, we would like to commend the Captain for following Civil Aviation Safety procedures. Safety is, and will always remain our primary concern.”

Air safety and how passengers are being treated both by airlines and fellow passengers is a hot topic right now – the latest United Airlines issue being a major case in point.

A recent local incident has just surfaced as South Africa’s low-cost airline, Flysafair was forced to remove a passenger after alleged racist threats were made on a flight boarding for departure to Port Elizabeth on Friday, 7 April.

Footage shared on Twitter shows a couple addressing one of the cabin crew with their complaint about a fellow passenger sitting across the aisle from them.

The man had allegedly insulted another passenger by calling him an “asshole” and threatening violence, only to then reference further implied racism by saying “you people are all the same”, when the couple who had lodged the complaint told him his behaviour was unacceptable.

The couple have since been identified as Nthabi and Sanele Sibanda, a Wits University professor, according to a twitter user Jacqueline Rainers who retweeted the video saying the Sibanda’s are her relatives.

FlySafair spokesperson Kirby Gordon confirmed the airline is aware of the incident and that FlySafair is fully prepared to co-operate with the investigation by authorities as required.

“We are aware of an altercation that took place between two passengers on flight FA232 on Friday 7 April and we are awaiting approach from the authorities to provide any required information that would be required to resolve this case,” says the airline.

“It is the obligation of the Captain of an aircraft to make the final call regarding his view on any potential threats on board the aircraft.

“In accordance with this, we would like to commend the Captain for following Civil Aviation Safety procedures. Safety is, and will always remain our primary concern.”

Youtuber, Sibu Mpanza also shared footage of the incident, with comments adding to the debate around the incident.

One user, Nicci Gericke wrote “Ah I never saw this but this was amazingly well handled. I would’ve kicked him off too if I had the power. Good for the people who stood up against that guy. Sis. They’re making us whiteys look bad.”

Also another user, Dirty Casual, says that the passenger accused of racist comments in the video “was 100% in the wrong”.

“I’ll be the odd one out then (White guy) and say that the white man in the video was 100% in the wrong. We don’t really know what happened before the video started to make him that aggravated but that gets thrown out once he refers to the person race. The fact that people also clapped him off the plane suggest he might have been the instigator at the start. So props for the people and the captain/co-pilot on the plane for handling the situation that well.”

SOUTH AFRICA: Woman On Uber Taxi Raped, Boyfriend Stabbed

Pietermaritzburg man and his girlfriend were left battered, bruised and traumatised after they were kidnapped and tortured in Johannesburg recently.

The attackers are believed to be a driver for well-known international taxi service Uber, and his accomplices.

However, Uber spokesperson Samantha Allenberg would not confirm that it was indeed a registered Uber driver involved in the attack, as the matter was still under police investigation.

The couple hailed an Uber taxi via the cellphone app in the early hours of August 28 after a night at a popular Johannesburg nightclub.

A close relative relayed how his niece and her boyfriend were kidnapped, stabbed and the woman raped during their eight-hour ordeal.

The Pietermaritzburg man lives and works at an insurance company in Gauteng while his partner, formerly from Durban, moved to Johannesburg just three weeks ago to take up a new job.

According to the relative, who asked not be named to protect the woman’s identity, his niece and her friends ordered three Uber taxis to take the group home, but the 26-year-old and her boyfriend were the only ones to share one taxi home at around 2.30 am.

“Everything was in place and pointed to the signs that it was a legitimate Uber taxi. They only noticed something was wrong when the driver passed the turn-off they were supposed to take,” said the uncle.

He said two men, who were hiding in the boot of the vehicle, pushed the back seats forward and stabbed the 26-year-old boyfriend before dragging the couple into the boot of the vehicle.

“They were then driven to an ATM in Tembisa, where she was forced to withdraw R3 000. However, she used her mother’s bank card and her mother was immediately alerted to the withdrawal via SMS,” he said.

The woman’s mother, who lives in Durban, immediately tried to contact her daughter and her boyfriend, but neither answered their cellphones.

“This was when her mother started contacting her daughter’s cousins and friends to see where she was. The friends who were at the club with them were already at home and began to worry,” he said.

Then began a frantic search for the couple by family and friends.

Meanwhile, the couple were blindfolded and their hands and feet bound with cable-ties, and driven to a house in Tembisa, a township north of Kempton Park, where they were held hostage.

They were only found by local residents around 11 am on the morning of August 28 after the couple managed to gain the attention of a child playing on the road.

“For eight hours, they were beaten and stabbed and my niece was raped. There were three men in the vehicle when the initial attack happened, but a fourth man joined them at the house during the morning,” the uncle said.

At the house, the brutality worsened when the Pietermaritzburg man failed to transfer a large sum of money to the kidnappers’ bank account, using one of their laptops.

“They were traumatised and brutally attacked for hours. It was only divine intervention that saved them,” the uncle said.

He said the man, bound by cable ties, managed to pull the curtain off its rails when they were left alone and saw the child playing on the road. It is believed the child alerted her family and the neighbours approached the house.

“When the men found out the community knew something was going on in the house, they fled. People in the community smashed the window and held their hands and kept telling them the police were on the way.

“The men had told them that they were going to kill them. When the community members smashed the window, the couple cried and asked them not to leave them there,” he said.

Police broke down the door and freed the couple. Their attackers are still at large.

Police spokesperson Captain Lefibana Molokomme said police were investigating a case of kidnapping and rape.

“There have been no arrests made as yet, but we are working around the clock to apprehend the suspects,” he said.

He urged anyone with information to contact the station at 011 391 1814.TAXI service Uber is accused of refusing to assist frantic family and friends to track down the whereabouts of the taxi the couple were abducted in.

Statement From Uber

The uncle of the young woman attacked said the couple’s friends contacted Uber via social media and the cellphone app, but the response only included a link to the company’s e-mail address as it does not have a call centre.

“Uber mentioned they were unable to provide details of the driver, his trips and refused to assist with contacting the driver of the Uber.

“Uber failed to respond on social media platforms to strong keywords being used such as hijack, kidnap etc,” read a post on the incident on Uber’s Facebook page.

The post has since been widely distributed on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and other social media platforms.

Some lashed out at the company, saying they would not use the taxi service any longer.

“As much as I use Uber for its convenience and ease of availability, whether or not this Uber was hijacked or not and/or the driver was involved or not, Uber chose not to assist whatsoever in locating the rider and chose not to assist in a critical situation without any alacrity that may have sped up the process of finding the couple, and in the most dire circumstance saved a life if the worst had to happen,” read the post.

UBER spokesperson Samantha Allenberg said she could not confirm if the attackers were registered Uber drivers, but added that the company was assisting police with their investigation.

She urged riders to check that their driver’s photo, name, vehicle and vehicle registration matched the details provided in the Uber app, before getting into the car.

The family was adamant that it was a registered Uber vehicle and that the driver and other details matched, Allenberg said she could not comment further.

She said while there had been a delayed response in assisting the couple’s family and friends in tracking down the vehicle, Uber’s incident response team had since contacted the couple and their families to offer support.

However, Uber said on its Facebook page that the information concerning the incident should have been escalated to the company’s head of trust and safety immediately upon receipt.

“While there is a privacy policy in place, a situation like this is most certainly one which should have been escalated immediately.

“The customer service representative did not follow our internal escalation processes and we will deal with this internally. Please know that we take matters like this extremely seriously and that we will be taking necessary action,” read the response from the Uber social media team.

Allenberg said they would continue to provide police with information “to support their efforts to bring whoever is responsible to justice”.

“This is a despicable crime and our first thoughts are with the victims and their families …” she said.

Beyond the driver screening processes, riders were also able to track all trips using GPS from beginning to end, and to share their estimated time of arrival and route with others, Allenberg said.

MALAWI: Fly Malawi Airlines

Domestic Flights

BLANTYRE
With Malawi Airlines known for our on-time performance, you are rest assured of being on time for your meeting or business in Blantyre courtesy of our daily morning flights to the commercial capital. Our Bombardier Q400 departs Lilongwe every morning at 08:30 and arrives in Blantyre at 09:10, Monday through Sunday. Book your flight to Blantyre today. Experience our unbeatable on-time performance. Fly Malawi Airlines.

LILONGWE
Our daily afternoon flights to Lilongwe from Blantyre offer you wonderful opportunity to go about your business in the commercial capital with no stress at all knowing Malawi Airlines is there to take you back to the Capital City. Our Boeing 737-700 departs Blantyre at 15:55 and arrives in Lilongwe at 16:35 Monday through Sunday. Book your flight to Lilongwe today. Experience our unbeatable on-time performance. Fly Malawi Airlines.

Regional Flights

Johannesburg
No more stress. Our daily morning flights to Johannesburg provide you great and convenient opportunity to do business in the Rainbow Nation and/or connect to the rest of the region and the world. Our Boeing 737-700 departs Lilongwe at 08:20 and arrives in Blantyre at 09:00 and later departs Blantyre for Johannesburg at 09:45. Book your flight to Johannesburg today. Experience our unbeatable on-time performance. Fly Malawi Airlines.

Nairobi
Introducing flights to Nairobi, four times a week, Wednesday through Saturday. From 29th March, 2017, Malawi Airlines will commence evening flights to Nairobi with our Boeing 737-700 departing Lilongwe for Nairobi at 17:45 every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Return flights from Nairobi to Lilongwe will be at 06:15 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays. Experience our unbeatable on-time performance. Experience the difference. Fly Malawi Airlines.

Lusaka
We fly to Lusaka four times a week on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Fly Malawi Airlines and experience our on-time performance at unbelievably affordable fares.

Harare
We fly to Harare four times a week on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Fly Malawi Airlines and experience our on-time performance at unbelievably affordable fares.

Dar es Salaam
We fly to Dar es Salaam four times a week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Fly Malawi Airlines and experience our on-time performance at unbelievably affordable fares.

Zanzibar
From 5th April, 2017, Malawi Airlines will commence late afternoon flights to Zanzibar with our Bombardier Q400 departing Lilongwe for Zanzibar at 17:30 every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Return flights from Zanzibar to Lilongwe will be at 05:15 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays. Experience our unbeatable on-time performance. Experience the difference. Fly Malawi Airlines.

NIGERIA: South African Airways Introduces Flights To Abuja

South African Airways (SAA) has introduced a second entry point to Nigeria in its quest to enable trade and unlock mobility, which will considerably add to business travel options in the West African region.

Adding a second gateway in Nigeria to SAA’s existing daily service to Lagos materially strengthens SAA’s position in West Africa. The addition of Abuja to SAA’s network follows closely on the successful introduction of the Accra, Ghana to Washington Dulles, USA route, as a West African platform in August 2015. SAA launched flights between Accra, Ghana and Washington DC in North America.

The introduction of the Accra to Washington route has seen a steady growth in the number of passengers using this route and has performed in line with expectations. This has provided SAA with the confidence to invest further and enhance its footprint in West Africa.

“Nigeria is one of the fastest growing air travel markets in Sub-Saharan Africa and will be well served with our additional services to Abuja. Introducing Abuja as a second entry point in Nigeria will add more travel options, especially for the business community, and will enhance our footprint on the continent,” says Sylvain Bosc, SAA Chief Commercial Officer.

Abuja, built in the 1980s, became Nigeria’s capital in December 1991, and is known for being one of the few purpose-built capital cities in Africa. With Abuja, SAA will be serving eight destinations in Central and West Africa, with flights from its Johannesburg hub to Lagos (Nigeria); Abidjan (Ivory Coast); Cotonou (Benin); Accra (Ghana); Douala (Cameroon), Dakar (Senegal) and Libreville (Gabon) already forming part of the extensive regional route network.

The three weekly flights will operate non-stop between Johannesburg and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja aboard modern Airbus 330-200s, offering SAA Business class comfort and luxury, with the latest in In-flight entertainment.

The first flight is scheduled to depart O.R Tambo International Airport on 26 January 2016. Flights are open for sale on all SAA’s distribution channels.

SEYCHELLES: Air Seychelles And Alitalia Partner In Codeshare Agreement

Air Seychelles and Alitalia, both Etihad partner airlines, have just inked an expanded codeshare deal under which Alitalia passengers can now connect on Mahe to both Antananarivo and Johannesburg and soon thereafter even Durban.

Under the agreement, Alitalia will place its AZ flight code on Air Seychelles’ four-times-a-week services to the Malagasy capital of Antananarivo and five flights to Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city and commercial capital. Subject to government approvals, the Italian flag carrier will also codeshare on Air Seychelles’ upcoming twice-weekly flights to Durban, due to commence on 30th of March 2017.

Business and leisure travellers from Italy will be able to connect onto these services via Air Seychelles-operated flights from Abu Dhabi and Paris to Seychelles, using a single combined ticket for the entire journey.

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said: 'Our partnership with Alitalia continues to open up attractive travel options for holidaymakers in Italy, who can now fly with Air Seychelles to the fascinating island of Madagascar and South Africa.

Through this codeshare expansion, we have strengthened our route network and added more depth to our regional services, further increasing choice and convenience for travellers. We are confident this development will stimulate passenger and cargo traffic and, at the same time, strengthen the strong cultural, trade and diplomatic bonds between Seychelles, our neighbourly island of Madagascar and South Africa'.

Cramer Ball, Chief Executive Officer of Alitalia and one of Roy Kinnear's predecessors as CEO of Air Seychelles in turn responded: 'Deepening our codeshare cooperation with Air Seychelles brings important benefits to our guests, who now have dozens of new travel options from Italy to Madagascar and South Africa via Seychelles. With its one-of-a-kind wildlife and nature, Madagascar is an attractive holiday destination that offers a new and exciting experience for travellers in Italy.

In 2015 alone over 21,000 tourists visited Madagascar from Italy, a number which we are confident will rise with these new travel options. South Africa is a very attractive holiday destination, whose magnificent scenery, safaris and game parks are perfect for an outdoor adventure'.

Air Seychelles operates an Airbus A320 aircraft configured with 136 seats on its four times a week Antananarivo services, while its five times a week services to Johannesburg is operated using both an A320 aircraft and the wide-body A330, which offer 254 seats.

Flight schedule between Seychelles and Antananarivo. Flights are available for travel from 18th of January 2017

Fastjet Negelects Nairobi And Entebbe, But To Relocate To South Africa 2017

Fastjet's new Chief Executive, Nico Bezuidenhout, would sooner or later be looking at the South African domestic market, now that key decisions are out of the way.

A relocation in early 2017 from London Gatwick to Johannesburg will take the head office of the airline into the African continent where operations actually take place, for now in Tanzania on domestic and regional routes and in Zimbabwe on one domestic route to Vic Falls and twice daily to Johannesburg.

Other decisions taken was to phase out the Airbus A319 fleet thought to be too large to operate profitably on other than high density routes and while presently only one Embraer E190 is flying for Fastjet are more expected in due course.

Information from usually reliable sources have now indicated that CEO Nico is eying the South African domestic market, where of course for the past decade before joining Fastjet he managed Mango, South African Airways' LCC.

This, if proven to be correct, would be an indicator that both Zambia and Kenya may go on the back burner though considerable work and resources have flown into getting operating licences and relevant permits to commence operations in these two countries.

Given the level of competition in South Africa in the LCC segment however, with other established players being Kulula among others, owned by Comair, a British Airways affiliate, and given that a former Fastjet Manager, one Kyle Haywood, failed to get the airline off the ground and subsequently left Fastjet, will Nico however have his work cut out for him, to consolidate on one side and push for expansion on the other into a notoriously hard fought over market as South Africa is.

If Fastjet goes ahead it will also have to review their business model which up to now saw Fastjet PLC hold 49 percent of the shares of the two companies in Tanzania and Zimbabwe, leaving the remaining 51 percent controlling interest in the hands of local investors. South Africa however has a lower threshold of just 25 percent of shares being permitted to be held by a foreign investor, something Fastjet's board no doubt will have to take a hard look at.

For now though are the few remaining flights from Dar es Salaam to Entebbe and Nairobi underway before, on 05th December, both services, alongside flights from Vic Falls to Johannesburg, will be halted until further notice.

NIGERIA: Arik Air Cuts Flights Due To Fuel Shortage

Nigeria’s largest airline Arik Air was forced to cut back operations Nov. 16 because of a fuel shortage. In a statement, the carrier said aviation fuel rationing began during the week beginning Nov. 7, causing delays and cancellations.

Arik Air, which operates around 100 daily flights, requires about 500,000 liters of fuel a day. As a local operator, it has been badly affected by the fuel shortage, which it said is the fourth this year.

A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), warning about the fuel shortage at Lagos, was issued Nov. 12. Supplies are also limited at Abuja and Port Harcourt.

“As a result of the worsening aviation fuel supply situation, Arik Air has announced a further reduction in flights to cope with the fresh scarcity, and reduce the unpleasant delays and cancellations which passengers have experienced in recent times,” Arik Air said. “One of the airline’s flights to Johannesburg on Tuesday had to be routed via Port Harcourt to pick up fuel.”

The fuel shortage marks a further setback for Arik Air, which was forced to temporarily ground flights Sept. 13-14 because of problems with its insurance policy.

Arik Air serves 18 destinations across Nigeria and Africa using a fleet of 28 regional, medium- and long-haul aircraft, including two Airbus A330-200s.

RWANDA: RwandAir To Open Mumbai Route

RwandAir will start flights to Mumbai, India later this years, John Mirenge, the chief executive officer, has said. Mirenge said the airline would start operating four flights to Mumbai per week in December 2016 flying its brand new A330-300 aircraft.

He said the national carrier has already appointed India's Bird Travel as the general sales agent as it prepares to launch the route.

"We want Bird Travel to position our brand by creating awareness about our products and services in this market," Mirenge noted.

He explained that the sales agent will act as the liaison point for the airline's sales development in India, providing ticketing and direct support services.

He added that Bird Travel, which is part of the Bird Group founded in 1971 as an aviation management company, use its vast experience to market RwandAir in the vast travel market presented by India.

The firm specialises in representing airlines and other travel and tourism partners majorly as sales agent for operations, and aviation management.

With over 40 years of experience and more than 45 offices supported by over 6,000 staff and an impressive clientele of over 500 top corporate companies, Praful Khosla, the Bird Travel executive vice-president, is confident RwandAir made a right choice.

"Bird Group is one of the largest and most diversified entities within the industry in the Indian sub-continent. We are therefore delighted to be associated with RwandAir as their exclusive sales agent in India," Khosla said, adding that they are optimistic about the partnership. RwandAir signed a purchase agreement with Airbus A300-200 and A330-300 last year as part of its expansion strategy to Europe and East Asia, including India.

The national carrier is IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certified, which guarantees its safety and airworthiness.

Sonia Kamikazi, the airline's corporate quality assurance manager, said the certification ensures the airline is competitive in the cutthroat aviation industry.

Currently, the airline flies to 17 destinations, including Nairobi, Entebbe, Mombasa, Bujumbura, Lusaka, Juba, Douala, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Johannesburg, Dubai, Lagos, Libreville and Brazzaville.

MOZAMBIQUE: Aviation Industry To Improve

Fly Blue Crane recently announced plans to service Mozambique and is currently awaiting its foreign operator permits. The airline has been granted 14 frequencies a week between Johannesburg and Maputo and is expected to announce a launch date shortly.

“This is very good news for hotels and operators/travel agents who book Mozambique, provided the rates are good,” said Karin Sieberhagen from Serena Hotels.

Natalie Tenzer-Silva from Dana Tours said a low-cost carrier was needed to fly into Maputo. “We would welcome the arrival of any carrier that would offer competitive rates to boost the tourism market to Mozambique.”

However, Fly Blue Crane CEO, Siza Mzimela, said the Maputo route would require careful planning because the airline had been restricted to 400 seats a week on the route.

Restrictions in air access and high-priced flights have led to a decline in tourism to Mozambique, but tourism suppliers hope that the recent announcement by Fly Blue Crane will provide cheaper flight options to the destination.

Another factor cited by members of the trade as one of the things holding back tourism growth is protectionism.

South African airline operators have faced cabotage enforcement in Mozambique that has led to a decline in tourism business in the destination. “Any foreign airline or foreign carrier can only fly into one destination,” explained Brian Holmes, MD of Solenta Aviation Mozambique. The cabotage restriction prevents any commercial operators from flying to multiple destinations, for example to Vilanculos via Maputo.

“One of the effects from the enforcement of cabotage that we’ve seen, is that there’s a decline in business overall from a tourism perspective because it does make Mozambique an expensive destination,” said Holmes.

Federal Airlines used to operate scheduled flights from both Johannesburg and Kruger to Vilanculos. “We stopped that about three-and-a-half years ago and now our flights to Mozambique are on a private charter basis, which we provide as and when required,” said Nik Lloyd-Roberts, the airline’s Commercial Manager.

He said an increase in competition also contributed to the termination of scheduled flights.

“The route became unprofitable for us.” On future plans to service Mozambique, he said: “Unless they lift their foot off the cabotage there are no immediate plans from our side.”

Holmes said: “We’re not asking for anything more than what South African operators would be up in arms about if we did the same in South Africa.”

While local South African charters do have the disadvantage of cabotage, they do have some advantages. Holmes said South African operators did not pay the 14% VAT on charter flights nor a 10% withholding tax that Mozambique operators had to pay. Local operators in Mozambique are at a 24% disadvantage on local charters compared with South African operators, who come out cheaper.

Tenzer-Silva added that another challenge was the international ban on Mozambique-registered aircraft.

“This means that international travellers from certain European countries are not permitted to fly on any carrier registered in Mozambique because their insurance will not cover them. SA Airlink, being South African registered, offers an alternative to these travellers, however they do not service the domestic routes in Mozambique.”

According to Tenzer-Silva, Mozambique needs to be marketed as a stand-alone destination.

“Affordable and reliable air travel is a vital component, otherwise we are pricing ourselves out of the market.”

Currently Airlink operates flights from Johannesburg to both Pemba and Vilanculos on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Airlink also operates flights from Johannesburg to Beira, Nampula and Tete and from Durban to Maputo.

SAA offers flights to from Durban and Johannesburg to Maputo.

ZANZIBAR: Fastjet Wins At World Travel Awards In Zanzibar

Fastjet, the low-cost pan-African airline, has won Africa's Leading Low-Cost Airline Award at the 23rd Annual World Travel Awards held in Zanzibar, Tanzania last Saturday night at a Gala Dinner Award Ceremony held at the Diamonds La Gemma dell' Est.

The globally recognised World Travel Awards reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel tourism & hospitality industry.

Africa's Leading Low-Cost Airline Award, which is voted for by travel and tourism professionals and consumers worldwide, is in recognition of fastjet’s services of making air travel more affordable, safe and reliable across its pan-African network.

'Being recognised and accepting this award not only reflects our commitment to air-travel excellence, but the impact we endeavour to make on the African continent' said Jai Gilbert, Head of Marketing at fastjet. 'We are immensely proud to receive such high industry recognition and fastjet will continue to make low-cost air-travel accessible to more people on the African continent'.

The low-cost airline was launched in November 2012 and operates five domestic routes in Tanzania from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya, Mwanza and Kilimanjaro and since early this year also twice a day to Zanzibar. Fastjet’s growing network also services routes between international destinations such as Johannesburg, Harare, Victoria Falls, Entebbe, Nairobi and Lusaka.

fastjet expects many of its passengers on the routes it services to be first time flyers who, because of prohibitively high fares, could previously not afford to travel by air.

Supporting this statement is recent research undertaken by the airline, showing that up to 40% of passengers on all routes were first time flyers able to afford air travel for the first time, thanks to fastjet’s low fares.