KENYA: X mass Holidays Attract More Travellers For Jambojet

Budget airline Jambojet has introduced additional flights to the coastal cities as it seeks to cash in on the high demand from holidaymakers.

The airline’s CEO Willem Hondius said there has been increased demand for air travel between Nairobi and the Coast forcing the company to increase frequency starting Tuesday (Dec 19).

Jambojet is now operating three flights to Malindi and Ukunda and four to Mombasa per week.

Yes we have added flights to Malindi (3 per week), Mombasa (4 per week), Ukunda (3 per week plus a third frequency per day between December 19 and 31),said Mr Hondius.

Mr Hondius said all routes that the airline plies have registered high demand. During the festive season we see demand going up sharply and there is always need to add flights,he said.

Last week the airline received one of two planes it purchased last month at Sh6.6 billion to cater for increased demand this Christmas season.

The addition brings Jambojet’s fleet to six – two Q400 planes that it acquired earlier in the year and two Boeing 737s leased from Kenya Airways KQ its parent company.

The airline said the remaining plane will arrive later this month. The two planes have been acquired from Danish firm Nordic Aviation Capital.

The cost of booking air tickets has significantly gone up as more passengers seek to travel by air. Those who have been booking from last week are paying almost double the price compared with travellers who booked in November.

It’s still quite last minute unfortunately. However for the festive season people tend to book a bit earlier, said the CEO.

The airline in May got regulatory approval to fly to 16 regional routes, including Entebbe, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, Kigali, Juba, Bujumbura, Hargeisa, Mogadishu, Goma, Kisangani and Moroni.

Meanwhile, Jambojet is set to start flights to Tanzania and Uganda by February next year, kicking off its regional expansion plan designed to see the low-cost carrier fly to 16 new routes.

The Transport ministry said it had applied for permission for the budget airline, a subsidiary of Kenya Airways is to fly to the countries.

Jambojet was in May granted regulatory approval to fly to 16 routes including Entebbe, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, Kigali, Juba, Bujumbura, Hargeisa, Mogadishu, Goma, Kisangani and Moroni.

The government has applied for designations on our behalf to allow us operate on six regional routes, Willem Hondius, Jambojet’s chief executive said.

For now, the application covers Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia and Democratic Republic of Congo. However, we intend to begin by flying to Tanzania and Uganda.

Jambojet also plans to start flying to Wajir by next February, adding to its existing flights between Nairobi and Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Lamu, Malindi and Ukunda (Diani).

The airline had earlier said it would make its international debut by the end of this year, but delays in receiving two Bombardier Q400 aircraft has seen them push their launch date forward.

These two planes are now expected before Christmas.

The extended electioneering period took a toll on the business, with total bookings for the four months to October dipping by around 16 per cent, Mr Hondius revealed.

The airline flies between 45,000 and 50,000 passengers per month.

In the weeks around the two general elections, he added, passenger numbers dropped by a quarter, highlighting the huge toll that the process had on Kenya’s aviation sector.

Kenya Airways’ latest annual report indicates that Jambojet reported a pre-tax loss of Sh25 million for the year to March, reversing a pre-tax profit of Sh126 million recorded the previous year.

The loss was attributable to last year’s peak season when insufficient aircraft messed us up. The elections affected us negatively this year. While business has rebounded, we shall assess the full impact with time, said Mr Hondius.

Jambojet is set to receive two new aircraft worth Sh6.6 billion before Christmas in anticipation of the high-season passenger demand and as the low-cost carrier prepares to start international flights.

The airline, a subsidiary of national carrier Kenya Airways is set to receive the first of two Bombardier Q400 on December 11. The second one is expected to touch down in Nairobi six days later.

Jambojet was in May granted regulatory approval to fly to 16 routes including Entebbe, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, Kigali, Juba, Bujumbura, Hargeisa, Mogadishu, Goma, Kisangani and Moroni.

We are confident that the Q400 aircraft will allow us to implement our growth strategy as we strive to launch new routes and to respond to the anticipated increase in demand, Willem Hondius, Jambojet’s chief executive, said in a statement.

The budget carrier will lease the aircraft from Danish firm Nordic Aviation Capital which in turn signed a purchase order for the planes with Montreal-based Bombardier on Wednesday.

Jambojet, which has been operational since April 2014, currently operates four aircraft — two Q400 planes which were also acquired this year and two Boeing 737s leased from its parent firm.

The airline plies six routes in Kenya; between Nairobi and Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Malindi and Ukunda (Diani). We are looking at retiring our narrow body fleet (Boeing 737s) and transitioning to an all-Q400 fleet by end of this year, said Mr Hondius.

The carrier has already returned one of the Boeings to KQ with the national carrier now expected to put it up for sale.

Thousands of Jambojet passengers travelling to the Coast over Christmas were hit by flight delays and cancellations.

The airline said the delays resulted from technical problems on one Bombardier, which was compounded by the delayed arrival of the aircraft to handle higher passenger numbers during the holiday season.

Jambojet, which issued an apology for these delays, has since then set out to increase its fleet to avoid a repeat of this incident even as looks to expand regionally.

Jambojet has slashed baggage fees by up to 65 per cent in a bid to generate more non-passenger ticket revenue for the budget airline.

The low-cost carrier has announced that its highest luggage fee, charged on 32 kilogrammes of baggage, will drop to Sh5,500 for payments made at their airport and half that for bookings made through agents or online.

This marks a sharp fall from the Sh15,600 and Sh7,800 respectively which Jambojet, a Kenya Airways subsidiary, was charging its customers.

We have reduced the rates, allowing passengers to carry more for less, Jambojet chief executive Willem Hondius said. We have also reduced the baggage fee bands making it easier for passengers to choose.

Jambojet’s baggage policy review comes a few months after it hired Catherine Mwangi as its ancillary manager.

Ancillary services in the airline industry include entertainment, onboard shopping, Internet gaming, car hire, frequent flier programmes, hotel bookings, checked baggage and better cabin seating.

The extras normally add on to and sometimes exceed the budget ticket costs.

Ms Mwangi has previously held various marketing jobs at Qatar Airways, Air France-KLM as well as South African Airways.

Payments made at the airport will cost double across all bands.

Jambojet achieved a 90 per cent on-time-performance (OTP) in September and October mainly driven by a new fleet, records show.

The low-cost carrier recorded a six per cent higher average of OTP in the two months after recording 84 per cent in August.

OTP is an industry benchmark calculated based on flights taking off and landing within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.

We are well over our target of 80 per cent which is considerably better than the industry average. Without a doubt, this is a very good sign as we go into the peak festive season, said Jambojet chief executive Willem Hondius.

Our investment in the two new Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircrafts has enabled us to deliver a very reliable flight schedule across the country and live up to the expectation of customers.

The airline has maintained an average OTP of 85 per cent in the past seven months, Mr Hondius said.

Jambojet has in its nearly four years of operation in Kenya increased its routes from four to six, with increased frequency of flights due to fleet expansion.

It currently operates 75 flights per week on its domestic routes from Nairobi to Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Malindi and Ukunda.

The airline, which has a code-share agreement with Kenya Airways for domestic travel, expects delivery of two new aircraft later this year.




Tourism Observer

DR CONGO: Boyoma Falls

Boyoma Falls, formerly known as Stanley Falls, consists of seven cataracts, each no more than 5 m (16 ft) high, extending over more than 100 km (62 mi) along a curve of the Lualaba River between the river port towns of Ubundu and Kisangani/Boyoma in the Orientale Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

At the bottom of the rapids, the Lualaba becomes the Congo River. The seven cataracts have a total drop of 61 m (200 ft). The two major cataracts are the first below Ubundu, forming a narrow and crooked stream that is hardly accessible, and the last that can easily be seen and also be visited from Kisangani.

A 1m-gauge portage railway bypasses the series of rapids, connecting Kisangani and Ubundu.

Boyoma Falls is the largest waterfall by volume of annual flow rate in the world, nearly ten times larger than the next largest waterfall in the world by volume annual flow rate.

Especially among French speakers the cataracts are also known as Wagenia Falls, referring to the local people of fishermen named Wagenia or Wagenya who have developed a special technique to fish in the river.

They build systems of wooden tripods across the rapids fixed in holes carved in the rock by the water current. They serve as anchors for baskets that entrap large fish.

According to Stanley,by taking advantage of the rocks, the natives have been enabled to fix upright heavy poles, 6 inches in diameter, to each of which they attach enormous fish-baskets by means of rattan-cane cable.

There are probably sixty or seventy baskets laid in the river on each side, every day; and though some may be brought up empty, in general they seem to be tolerably successful, for out of half-a-dozen baskets twenty-eight large fish were collected.



Tourism Observer
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DR CONGO: Discover Kisangani The City On The Island In The Democratic Republic Of Congo

Kisangani formerly Stanleyville is the third largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is the capital and largest city of the vast Orientale Province which is about the size of Spain, in the Congo Basin.

The city is found at the furthest navigable point on the Congo River upstream of Kinshasa/Brazzaville at the end of the Boyoma Falls, a series of cataracts along a 100 km stretch of the river.

The city's name comes from Swahili for "the city on the island" due to the number of tributaries in the area that almost completely separate Kisangani as an island.

Kisangani was a former port known as Stanleyville after its founder Henry Morton Stanley.

It traded palm oil and nuts throughout the Congo.

After the Congo gained it's independence and years later was ruled by President Mobutu Sese Seko he renamed he town Kisangani in order to Africanise his country.

Since then Kisangani has remained a major port for the tribes in the northern region in the country.

Being very near the equator and in the middle of the jungle, you might suspect the city has a wet, tropical climate and yes it does!

Humidity is high year-round, averaging 86%! Temperatures are fairly stable year-round, too, averaging 31/20 (88F/68F). The record low is just 16 (61 F).

Rains are heavy throughout much of the year, with a relatively dry season from December to early March.

Total rainfall for the year is 1620mm (63.78 inches) with the rainiest month being October (218mm/8.58in) while the driest is January (53mm/2.09in).

Kisangani is served by Bangoka International Airport. It has one international flight with Kenya Airways to Nairobi. Domestic flights to Goma and Kinshasa on CAA & FlyCongo along with service to Kindu on CAA.

As the end of the navigable stretch of the Congo River, Kisangani was formed largely to unload cargo and transfer it to train to bypass the cataracts.

There are irregular ferry services running between Kisangani and Kinshasa which take about 2-3 weeks. Most of these are old barges tied together and crowded with people riding atop cargo, although a few steamer vessels run this route too.

Overcrowded ferries are common and there have been a few instances of them capsizing, so choose carefully.

If you are lucky, you can negotiate with the captain for a private room or a bedroom.

Many of these ferries are supplied with food from people who bring boats from shore full of goods to trade or barter. A unique and classic trip, it's only for the hearty, experienced traveller, though still preferable to traveling overland.

Kisangani is difficult to reach by road. The only relatively "easy" route into the city is the newly rehabilitated National Route 4 which runs to Bukavu and the Rwandan border.

Much of the road is sealed, but slow-moving trucks and pedestrians & people on bikes keep the speed of vehicles down.

You should expect to encounter a handful of military or police checkpoints where you will likely be harassed for a bribe.

The route isn't terribly safe, with frequent reports of bandits setting up roadblocks and robbing motorists.

Additionally, safety in North/South Kivu is still shaky. You are best off traveling with a trucker or other local vehicle.

If traveling in your own vehicle especially a non-DRC vehicle, try to travel with a local or convoy for safety and to avoid excessive harassment at checkpoints.

Other roads in/out of the city are mostly muddy tracks only suitable for large 4x4 or 6x6 trucks. Travel from other major cities in the DRC can take weeks and isn't a very pleasant experience!

A train line runs south to Ubundu, mainly to haul freight traveling by boat around the cataracts. You should inquire at the train station for tickets and the next train as the trains run on erratic schedules.

Very few taxis and cars in general are available in Kisangani, but there's an easy and fun way to get around.

Stretch out an arm to any passing little motorbike and they'll take you to any place in the city. Normal price is around 1,5 USD. Same goes for natives on bicycles: they are an even cheaper alternative to motorbikes. Slower and less exciting though.

Boyoma Falls. On the edge of Kisangani, these are the last cataracts on the Congo until Kinshasa/Brazzaville.

Fishermen set up conical traps for fish and can be seen tending to these traps. Some have realized that tourists want to see them and there are reports that they will charge dollars to see them,stopping you before reaching the river and/or photographing them.

Congo boat rides. A trip by boat along the Congo is one of the world's greatest wild adventures. Trips by pirogue for a few hours or a few days can be arranged in most cities along the river.

Only a couple tour operators in the country offer these rides, but if you speak good enough French or Swahili, you can probably talk a pirogue owner into a short trip,make sure you understand what you're doing & where you're going.

Also you could head to the City Center and visit the bustling Central Market or even opposite Avenues de Atelier, you could have cheap but top quality lunch at La Bourgeoise.

Finally on Avenue Lumumba you could take photos of Lumumba stadium, it is not much but something to keep in memory.

Buy yourself a ride on the great Congo River. You'll really enjoy it. Also see if you can find any traditional souvenirs to remind of the journey.

Expect to eat what's eaten around most of the Congo; rice, maize and fish.

Drink the popular Congolese beer and european wines.

There are a handful of Hotels in Kisangani that are of an Alright standard these would include:

- Hotel Le Renaissance on Route Batwaboli
- Les Chalets on Boulevard du 30 Juin
- Hotel de Canon on Boulevard de 30 Juin
- Hotel Palm Beach on N7
- Grand Ramela below R408

Leaving is easy. Head to the port and get on a boat heading straight to Kinshasa, and from there get to the Ndjili Airport in Ndjili, Kinshasa and board a plane that goes to Europe.

DR CONGO: Lubumbashi - Inauguration Of The Renovated Airport In Loano

The head of state Joseph Kabila inaugurated Saturday, July 25, the international airport of Loano, which was modernized in Lubumbashi (Haut Katanga). The airstrip has been built, constructed and equipped control tower and a technical block. This work was funded by the African Development Bank and the Congolese government, through the fee Go Pass for a total cost of nearly 65 million US dollars.

Two Chinese companies made ​​these renovations, namely: China First and Sino-Hydro. With a length of 3250 meters, the rehabilitated runway is equipped with a new lighting system, with the innovation, the installation of two ramps; the old tarmac of an area of 26,000 m2 has been extended with an area of 7,000 m 2, with a total area of 33,000 m 2 can accommodate parked 7 jumbo aircraft.

As for the high new control tower 29 meters against 15 for the former, it offers ideal working conditions and is characterized operationally technical level, by the use of a recent technology chain for air radio communications / soil, the presence of an ADS-B receiver for the reception and transmission via the VSAT station.

The technical block, it is composed of technical premises, namely the approach of the office, the area control center, the track office, central telecommunication office, the aviation weather service, equipment rooms. In terms of anti fire station, its novelty lies in the construction of a water supply device and foam concentrate with a capacity of 20,000 liters while the needs required for this category of airport is 18,000 liters.

All work was done by the Chinese company China First Highway Engineering at a cost of $ 64,828,420 at a rate of 52,912,157 UDS financed by the African Development Bank (ADB) and $ 11.9 million by the Congolese government through the "Go Pass" fee.
The airport of Loano is now equipped with a central electric power generator that has two groups of 500 Kva, each of which can provide a reliable current.

The Director General of the airway Authority (RVA), Abdallah Bilenge, announced after the airport of Loano, the government is that of Bangboka, Kisangani in the coming days. The Minister Kalumba him on his side already announced the construction of a new terminal at the airport of Luano. The contract was awarded to the same Chinese company China First Highway Enginering.
For his part, Governor Moses Katumbi asked the central government to also rehabilitate airstrips Kamina and Kalemie.