Fly 540 Africa

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  • The War Against Poaching Heats Up

    Viewing wildlife and buying wildlife souvenirs are particularly popular amongst tourists coming to Africa. It is very important to know whether or not that trinket you bought will be acceptable to your airline. Many of them now subscribe to United for Wildlife in an effort to combat the illegal wildlife trade. Transport Taskforce member organizations of United for Wildlife a declaration at Buckingham Palace on the 15th of March. It declares a strong committing to actively reducing the illegal wildlife trafficking. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is one of the signatories.

    Many species have been poached to near extinction. Illegal wildlife trade, not only restricted to endangered species, is currently the valued at between $5-20 billion per year, making it the fourth most lucrative global crime after drugs, humans and arms.
    The highly linked global transport and logistics system has made illegal trade in wildlife a great deal easier. Poaching is not just a crime against wildlife. More than 1,000 rangers have been killed in the last ten years, which is two per week, every week.

    One of the spinoffs of this situation is that many airlines are refusing to transport many wildlife products. The initial focus is on the trafficking of high-risk protected animals. certain big cats, pangolins, and ivory products, on high-risk routes. East Africa is a very hot area because many products originate from- or transit through Kenya, Tanzania and neighbors.

  • World Rhino Day: British Airways invests in Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy

    British Airways’ customers have been thanked by a conservation project in Kenya for their donations towards solar powered water pumps to ensure clean water for the last two remaining Northern White Rhinos in the world.

    Ol Pejeta Conservancy also houses the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, with 120 animals, and is the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees.

    The project has received a grant from British Airways to replace two diesel-powered water pumps with solar powered pumps – ensuring clean water for these endangered species. The conservation project is in a drought-prone area, and these pumps will enable staff to monitor water usage for the first time.

    Solar panels provided by the airline also power free WiFi, which works up to 15km from the pumps, and is changing the educational and future career prospects of local children.

    Richard Vigne, CEO of Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, said: “We are delighted to be working with British Airways to install new technology to reduce our emissions, and to transform the education prospects of many of the children in this community. We are very grateful to British Airways’ customers for helping us to do this.”

    British Airways customers can choose to donate to the airline’s Carbon Fund, which supports low carbon and energy efficient projects in the UK and Africa, when they book flights on ba.com. All projects supported have to make a social impact – fostering cleaner, greener and stronger communities.

    Leigh Hudson, British Airways’ sustainability manager said: “We are so proud to be able to support the conservancy and the fantastic work it does, and we’re extremely grateful to our customers for continuing to give so generously to support such worthy causes that make a real difference to communities around the world.”

  • Aviation Drives Economic Prosperity for Mauritius

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on the government of Mauritius to continue to focus on aviation as a strategic enabler of the country’s economic and social development.

    “The leaders of Mauritius have always understood that air connectivity is vital. As we celebrate the first half-century of the country’s success, let’s keep in mind the critical role that aviation plays as a pillar of the economy.

    “And let’s look to the next fifty years with a comprehensive strategic focus on maximizing the benefits of aviation for this island nation,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO in a keynote address to Aviation Day Mauritius which is marking the 50th year of Mauritian independence.

    “The key elements of any aviation strategy are safety, global standards, competitiveness and cooperation. But Mauritius and other small island states have a critical competitive advantage in implementing an aviation strategy—and that is size. The country is small enough to rally the aviation universe—the airlines, the airport, the tourism infrastructure—to agree a strategy and to get it implemented quickly and nimbly,” said de Juniac.

    “The goal of a comprehensive aviation strategy is to enable aviation to drive economic and social development. That will mean a successful future for Air Mauritius—the home-town carrier that serves the market as a lifeline. And it will create opportunities for other carriers to augment the prosperity that aviation brings with robust competition,” said de Juniac.

    Key elements of a comprehensive aviation strategy would include:

    Safety : IATA encouraged Mauritius to take a leadership role in fulfilling its Abuja Declaration commitment to recognize the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) in its safety oversight regulatory framework. IOSA is mandatory for all IATA member airlines and the 34 African carriers on the IOSA registry are delivering world-class safety levels—three times better than African carriers not on the IOSA registry. “We are already working with Zimbabwe and Rwanda on IOSA recognition. I encourage Mauritius to join them in taking a leadership role,” said de Juniac.

    Alignment with global standards : Global standards are the foundation of international civil aviation. This includes the industry’s responsible approach to managing its climate change impact. The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) will stabilize emissions from 2020. “As an island nation, the potential consequences of climate change—including rising sea levels and severe weather—are very real. So I encourage Mauritius to show solidarity and join the 70-plus states participating in CORSIA from the voluntary period,” said de Juniac.

    Focus on competitiveness : Mauritius ranks high in many categories of the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report. This includes a fourth-place ranking (behind Malta, Singapore , and Iceland) for prioritization of travel and tourism in government policy. But it ranks 116th on price competitiveness largely driven by ticket taxes, airport charges and fuel costs. “These are big pain points for airlines. Policies to improve competitiveness in these areas would boost aviation’s ability to deliver its economic benefits,” said de Juniac.

    IATA urged dialogue with the airlines as Mauritius embarks on a project to more than double the capacity of Sir Seewoosugur Ramgoolam Airport to 9 million passengers annually. “The airport is probably the most valuable few kilometres of concrete ever poured on this island. The return on the investment for the economy is immense.

    There must be an open dialogue with the airlines to ensure that development provides sufficient capacity, technical excellence aligned to airline needs and affordable costs,” said de Juniac. IATA urged the establishment of an independent regulator to ensure that infrastructure costs are kept competitive.

    Cooperation : “Mauritius has impressive connectivity. But there are many markets that have still to discover Mauritian hospitality. And no single airline can provide the connectivity that is needed. Partnerships with other airlines are enhancing the nation’s connectivity,” said de Juniac.

    De Juniac also noted the strategic location of Mauritius between Asia and Southern Africa.
    “Mauritius is well-placed to grow its footprint in Africa. It is accessible—only requiring visas from six African countries. Cooperation with South African Airways and Kenya Airways opened two gateways into the African continent. And the Single Africa Air Transport Market creates the potential for even broader connectivity. For sure Africa’s development will demand increased air connectivity with Asia’s important markets. Could Mauritius evolve as a one-stop hub, efficiently connecting Southern African markets to points in Asia-Pacific?” said de Juniac.

    Business of Freedom

    “We know that aviation brings in the tourists, that it connects us to family and friends, and that it is a catalyst for economic, social and educational ties. The post-independence success story that is Mauritius today would be very different without connectivity that can only be facilitated by air. Aviation is the business of freedom—and that includes the freedom to develop,” said de Juniac.

  • Going on a Gorilla Trekking Expedition in Africa

    If you want to do something different this summer, you should consider going to Rwanda or Uganda and spend sometime with the mountain gorillas on some awesome gorilla trekking tour, into Africa. Trekking the mountain gorillas in the wild impenetrable forest of Bwindi in south western Uganda can be a great experience for anyone who loves wildlife! Go ahead, get out, and unwind at an excellent nice vacation.

    Many travelers wonder about where to go for an African safari of a lifetime! Many opt to go for a big five safari while others wish to go out and enjoy a wildlife safari in a national park. Did you know you could possess a great set of time, choose a holiday that becomes you. What do you want to do incisively? If you like to go to a lodge or a resort and enjoy a lodge safari, it is an awesome way to get more involved with your family. If you wish to have a sound time, pick something that fits your style. A pleasant discovery expedition into the jungle is one of the greatest things you have never thought about. If you wish to travel in style, then you should definitely consider taking a gorilla safari into the wild jungles of Africa.

    For primate lovers and wildlife enthusiasts, an awesome gorilla tour is one that involves gorilla tracking and game viewing for instances game viewing at Queen Elizabeth National Park and gorilla tours in Bwindi National Park for Uganda and in case your interest is only a gorilla tour, you would get an awesome experience with a minimum of 3 days tracking in Uganda and a minimum of 2 days for tracking in Rwanda. The reason being, it is a shorter driver from Kigali in Rwanda to Parc National des Volcans which is a maximum of 3 hours drive and yet it takes about 8 to 10 hours drive from Kampala the capital city of Uganda to Bwindi National Park and thus, the gorilla experience in Uganda cannot be 2 days.

    While planning your gorilla tour, also consider the fact that a gorilla permit in Rwanda costs US$1500 per permit while in Uganda it costs US$700 per permit, although from feedback on these journeys, whether you are driving for 3 hours or 10 hours, you will wish you never get to your destination because of the diversity of scenery on the way to the destination. The journey to Parc National des Volcans goes through the continuous hills of Rwanda best known by its catch name of; a country with a thousand hills and you can head to the park after a visit to the genocide memorial centre at Gisozi which show cases genocide victims.

    While the journey to Bwindi Forest or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park goes through a mix of homesteads, grasslands to include Lake Mburo National Park, and pastoral areas and towards the end, the rolling hills of kigezi, and area dubbed to be the Switzerland of Africa, and also a stop at the Equator for photography as well as an informative talk. Irrespective of how you head out on your gorilla tour, you will never come back the same person as you went.

    If you want to make sure you are safe at night, a great hotel or some quality tent gear is essential. Go ahead, don’t grant anybody stop you – camping can be such a big experience.

  • Air Seychelles Partners with Car Trawler to Offer Guests Ground Transportation

    Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, has formed a new partnership with CarTrawler, the world’s leading B2B travel technology platform, to provide guests with car hire and ground transportation options.

    CarTrawler’s technology will enable guests travelling with Air Seychelles or other airlines to book car rentals, hotel and airport transfers, and other modes of ground transport through airseychelles.com.

    The technology platform is used by more than 100 airlines around the world and is available in all markets where Air Seychelles operates, including Mahé and Praslin in Seychelles.

    Remco Althuis, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said: “Our strategic partnership with CarTrawler will better meet the needs of our guests, who are increasingly looking for a one stop shop where they can book their flights, hotels and ground transport. Air Seychelles is looking to move into this direction and our partnership with CarTrawler is the first step in the process.”

    Aileen McCormack, Chief Commercial Officer of CarTrawler, said: “We are pleased that CarTrawler has partnered with Air Seychelles and will be providing industry leading travel technology solutions to the airline. We look forward to working with Air Seychelles on developing cutting edge innovations that will facilitate their customers’ journey and increase revenue streams for the airline.”

  • Ethiopian Airlines Becomes Africa’s first A350 full-flight simulator operator

    Ethiopian Airlines has announced that it has achieved yet another milestone, becoming the first A350 XWB Simulator Operator in Africa and among the few in the world. This machine is fitted with a full electrical motion system which delivers improved performance while providing energy savings and environmental benefits.

    Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, remarked: “The introduction of the A350 XWB Full-Flight Simulator is a continuation of our pioneering role in African aviation Technology. It is part of our Vision 2025 strategic roadmap to be fully self-sufficient in the provision of pilot training in all the aircraft type we operate. It complements the other full-flight simulators we are already operating such as the B787, B-777, B737, B757, B767 and Q400.

    “All in all, we have invested over $125 million in the last seven years to expand and upgrade all the facets of our training capabilities. These investments are meant to bridge the aviation skill gap in Africa and to avail well trained and qualified aviation professionals in the continent. Education is the biggest Equalizer of our time and our aim is to make Africa self-sufficient in aviation professionals ”

    The Pilot Training School of the airline has trained pilots from over 52 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, for close to 50 years.

    With its over six decades of existence, the training division of the airline, Ethiopian Aviation Academy, ICAO designated center of excellence, is a world class Aviation Training Center equipped with state-of- the-art and best in class training equipment and technology offering full range of Aviation Training Programs.
    Taking delivery of Africa’s first Airbus A350 XWB in 2016, Ethiopian currently operates 7 A350 XWBs with 17 on order.

  • Maputo International Airport Gets Exclusive Lounge

    First National Bank Mozambique (FNB) and National Aviation Services (NAS), the fastest growing aviation services provider in the emerging markets, recently inaugurated an exclusive, contemporary lounge at the International terminal of the Maputo International Airport. The FNB Lounge by Pearl Assist offers a modern, luxurious space providing guest with a comfortable environment to relax and unwind, have a meal or catch up on work before departing on their onward journey.

    The FNB Lounge by Pearl Assist, was officially inaugurated by General João Martins de Abreu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Institute for Civil Aviation of Mozambique, Emanuel Chavez, Chairman of Aeroportos de Moçambique (ADM) (www.Aeroportos.co.mz), Paulo Pereira, Deputy Director General of FNB Mozambique and David Henderson, Group Chief Commercial Officer, NAS.

    Operated by NAS Pearl Assist, the FNB lounge is located on the first floor of the Maputo International Airport departures terminal and caters to Platinum and Black Card Limited customers of FNB and First Rand. Card holders can access the lounge by presenting a valid FNB or First Rand credit or debit card and international boarding pass.

    The 250 square meter FNB lounge designed by NAS, incorporates world class design and state of the art entertainment facilities for the comfort of all guests. The lounge can seat 55 guests at full capacity. With a range of hot and cold food and drink options, free Wi-Fi, a business centre, a selection of reading material, shower facilities as well as a separate entertainment area for kids, the FNB Lounge is designed to be the ultimate in hospitality.

    NAS currently operates 31 lounges across Africa, the Middle East and Asia, at major airports in countries like Kuwait, UAE, Egypt, Morocco and Rwanda.

    Henderson said, “We are pleased to be partnering with FNB to open the first of its kind, contemporary lounge at Maputo International Airport. As we see an increase in foreign investments into the country, it is increasingly important to offer world class facilities to local as well as international travellers. With NAS’s expertise in lounge management, investment into resources and handpicked service teams, we are sure to offer FNB customers, as well as other guests the best in terms of comfort and luxury.”

    Pereira assured that his institution is committed to surpassing the expectations of the industry while adapting continuously.

    According to Pereira, lounge users will be assigned dedicated managers for assistance and will also receive individual cards with a custom chip and pin number to facilitate online payments. “We continue to study the Mozambican market and ask” how can we help you? “, in an effort to introduce more innovative products and solutions to the Mozambican market,” he concluded.

    The lounges of the FirstRand group (of which FNB Mozambique is part) are already present in countries such as Namibia, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa and are designed to be the best in hospitality.

    The opening of the lounge, is part of the strategy of revitalizing and modernizing the services of the financial institution for its customers, as well as the new positioning of the company, with the motto “an out of the ordinary bank”. This is the result of a new positioning of FNB Mozambique, aiming to offer greater comfort, convenience and excellence, becoming more and more like an innovative banking institution and always ready to create solutions that meet the needs of its clients.

  • 14 Tips for a Stress Free Flight to Africa

    Summary:
    Travel should be an enjoyable experience. Whether traveling for a business trip in South Africa or looking for a gorilla safari in Rwanda, stress free travel requires good planning and it can be with just a few minutes of up front planning. These 14 tips will help you maximize your flight experience.

    Traveling can be a stressful event and airplane travel is tops on the list of the stressors that we experience on what is supposed to be an exciting and fun event. A few simple steps can remove most of the stress of air travel.

    Things to do before travel day:

    1) Pack your bags. Make sure all your packing is done at least the night before and that you have all your bags in one central location for easy and complete loading into your car or taxi.

    2) Have all your travel paperwork organized and in one central location.

    3) Make a checklist of all the things you want to check to secure your home before you leave and walk through your home checking off each item. Do this at least an hour before you leave your house. Do this and you will never worry if you left your stove on or any of the other little nagging worries you might have while on your travel.

    4) Be sure your pets are taken care of. Make any kennel reservations well in advance of your trip to be sure you have a reserved spot at a kennel you trust.

    5) Call the AIRPORT and airline the day before to see how early the recommend you should arrive for a smooth, stress free check in. If they tell you to arrive three hours early and you arrive just 30 minutes early, you will probably feel great stresses about missing your flight. Also ask if there are any parking restrictions you should be aware of. Ever since 9/11, when we have a heightened threat level there may be car searches before you can park.

    6) If you are just taking carry on luggage, many airlines let you pre check in right on the internet 24 hours before your flight. That means that you can get and print out boarding passes right from your home. And when you get to the airport, you can go right to the gate and your boarding area without getting into the long check in line. If you have to check baggage, you will not have this option available to you. But if not, it is a great time and stress saver.

    Travel day:

    7) Leave home in plenty of time to anticipate busy traffic or accident situations. If it is an hour trip to get to the airport, you may want to leave an extra half hour early just in case there are road problems.

    8) If you are checking in bags, be prepared to wait in line. If it is a busy time of day at the airport and you are traveling with a popular airline, there could be a significant line. Don’t worry about how long the line is. As long as you arrive when the airport recommended, you will have plenty of time to make it to the front of the line and get checked in. It may look impossible but it will happen so just relax and be patient.

    9) Make sure that any “carry on” baggage really is carry on. Otherwise you may get stopped at the gate and have your bag taken away to be stowed with the regular luggage. It will delay and stress you. And it will delay everyone else.

    10) When boarding the plane, find your seat and stow your carry on baggage quickly. And then sit down and stay out of the way. There are lots of people trying to do the same thing and we’ve all encountered the folks who block the aisle for a long time fussing about something or other while a harried line of boarders is forced to wait. You don’t want to be one of those people. So just get your business done quickly and efficiently and sit down. You’ll have plenty of time to get up once the plane is in the air.

    11) If you have to change planes, it can be a real challenge, especially in the larger airports. If you know the gate you will have to go to, ask the flight attendant for advice to reach that gate quickly. In some airports – like Atlanta – a Delta connection can be a huge adventure taking 30 minutes to get from one gate to another. If you know in advance how you have to get to your next airplane, it will be much less chaotic when you get off the first plane. And a much more relaxing walk (or run) to your next gate.

    12) When the plane lands, patiently wait your turn. Whether you push or just wait, you usually won’t get off the plane any quicker. People tend to let the folks in the rows before them get up and go in a pretty orderly fashion. Trying to rush it will only get your blood pressure up and will not be looked upon favorably by your fellow travelers.

    13) If you just have carry on baggage, you have successfully completed a pretty stress free flight.

    14) But if you have carry on luggage, there is one more step – waiting for the luggage. Just pick a place around the conveyor belt and wait. Expect your bag to be the very last one to come out and be pleasantly surprised when it comes out early.

    By following these simple steps, you will find that your stress levels from your air travels will be much less. A well planned trip agenda ensures that those little stress points stay little stress points and don’t balloon into a full blown crisis. Try it any you will be amazed how just a small amount of up front planning dramatically improves the enjoyment of your travel.

  • Kinshasa Joins Fly Dubai’s Growing Network in Africa

    Dubai-based Flydubai has announced the start of flights to Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from 15 April. The daily flights will operate with an enroute stop in nearby Entebbe and will also be available for booking through the Emirates codeshare agreement.

    flydubai becomes the first UAE carrier to operate flights to N’djili Airport (also known as Kinshasa International Airport) and provide links from the UAE and the region to a new gateway in Central Africa.

    Commenting on the launch, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, said: “Africa is fast emerging as one of the most important markets for the United Arab Emirates and we have seen the trade relationship going from strength to strength in recent years. With the proximity to the continent and rising demand to more direct links to Africa, we see this new service to Kinshasa playing an instrumental role in further supporting the growing trade and tourism flows in the coming years.”

    Kinshasa is one of the largest cities in Africa and a busy hub providing extensive connections to cities across the African continent and intercontinental services to Europe. The country is known for its vast natural resource wealth; it is the world’s largest producer of cobalt and a major producer of copper and diamonds.

    “The number of African companies registered with Dubai Chamber exceeded 12,000 in 2017, which demonstrates the increased cooperation and opportunity between both sides,” said Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations (GCC, Subcontinent and Africa). “We are looking forward to operating this route and exploring more opportunities to expand our network in Africa in the near future, while offering passengers a reliable and unrivalled onboard service whether they are travelling in Business or Economy Class,” he added.

    Passengers travelling to and from Kinshasa will have the option of a Business Class experience, benefitting from priority check-in service, comfortable spacious seats and a range of dining options. Passengers travelling in Economy Class will have access to comfortable seating and a convenient way to travel.

    Since the start of its operations in 2009, flydubai has built up a comprehensive network in Africa with flights to Addis Ababa, Alexandria, Asmara, Djibouti, Entebbe, Hargeisa, Juba, Khartoum and Port Sudan, as well as Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar.

    Business Class return fares will start at AED 6,000 (FC 1,700) and are inclusive of all taxes and 40kg checked baggage. Economy Class return fares will start at AED 2,700 (FC 460) including 20kg checked baggage.

    Flights can be booked through flydubai’s website (flydubai.com), Contact Centre in Dubai on (00971) 600 54 44 45, the flydubai travel shops or through our travel partners.

    See Flight Timings (in Local Time): https://goo.gl/HqgcYq

  • Entebbe-Nairobi: Flying Gets Easier as Jambojet Joins the Club

    Flying between Entebbe and Nairobi is now getting much easier than it used to be just a couple of years ago when there were only a few options. For many years, this route was dominated by just a few airlines, with Kenya Airways and RwandAir taking the lion’s share.

    But in the recent past, Etihad, KLM, African Express Airways and Fly-Sax have all joined the club, and now Jambojet – the low-cost carrier arm of Kenya Airways – is flying between Nairobi and Entebbe every day of the week.

    “Jambojet will operate double daily flights with departures from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 09.10hrs and 17.30 hrs. The flight will depart Entebbe International Airport for Nairobi at 11.00 hrs and 19.20 hrs daily,” the airline said recently in a statement.

    The airline’s inaugural flight to Uganda will land at Entebbe International Airport at 10:30am tomorrow, February 15, and Jambojet is using its recently acquired 78-seater turboprop Bombardier Next Gen Q400 for this new service.

    Tomorrow’s flight – the start of a two-times-a-day service – represents the four-year-old carrier’s first service out of Kenya. Jambojet operates a relatively young fleet of four Dash 8 Q400 aircraft and has only been flying within Kenya, serving Eldoret, Kisumu, Malindi, Mombasa, Nairobi and Ukunda.

    “We are delighted to launch a direct service to Entebbe, a much-anticipated addition to our network where we will offer frequent and new flyers even more affordable fares,” Willem Hondius, Jambojet’s top honcho, said recently in a statement. “This new route will connect businesses in Kenya and Uganda while also appealing to leisure travellers, offering them the opportunity to experience the ‘Pearl of Africa’.”

    The airline says one-way tickets on the Entebbe-Nairobi route will start from $116.