This brand new week, we bring you our fresh new weekly Top Ten (10) digest for the most important things in Uganda’s Tourism, the world of Aviation and Travel that have trending especially in this COVID-19 Era. As always, we will be giving you highlights that make News rounds all through from start of the week. Below is our Weekly Newsletter for your readership.
01. Uganda Airlines takes second delivery of the A330neo Airbus
Through the successful delivery, the Airline affirms its ambition to commence long haul operation and this new wide-body pair will serve clearly the national carriers’ international network expansion with long route flights connecting from its hub – Entebbe International Airport to intercontinental destinations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
02. Kenya Airways optimistic to convert Boeing 787 into temporary freighter
Moving further into the cargo and freight business during this period of reduced passenger activity, Kenya Airways has been granted approval to convert some of its Boeing 787s. With approval coming from Kenya’s Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) on Friday, this may allow the airline to fully utilize its fleet of nine Dreamliners. One-third of these widebody jets are currently listed as inactive.
TOPSHOT – A parked Boeing 787-8 passenger plane bearing the Kenya Airways livery is seen through a window advertising decal showing antilopes, on January 27, 2018 at the Jomo-Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. / AFP PHOTO / SIMON MAINA (Photo credit should read SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images)
03. KLM links Riyadh with Amsterdam in new Route launch
Dutch airline KLM has launched a new route between Amsterdam and Riyadh, marking the carrier’s first service to King Khalid International Airport (KKIA).
Janet Alberda, Dutch ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said: “The launch of this new route will open new avenues to elevate tourism between Saudi Arabia, Netherlands and Europe, benefit passengers traveling along this route, as well as offer companies and mainstay industries in the Netherlands an opportunity to witness and invest in the ongoing transformation of Saudi Arabia.”
04. South Sudan reverses time zone by one hour this February
Starting today February 1, South Sudan has reset its clock back by an hour according a press statement released on Friday last week.
The move in time zone changes will enable the country keep aback by an hour compared to its business partner states like Uganda and Kenya which are a +1 hour ahead.
File Photo: South Sudan Flag
05. Burundi and Rwanda added to UK red list Countries
Following the wave of the latest new variant of Covid-19 in Rwanda and Burundi, the United Kingdom as put the two respective Countries on its travel ban red list so as to curb down the spread of Covid-19 in UK.
In a statement revealed by the UK Government last week on Thursday, the move to ban travel for these two countries was aimed at reducing the new coronavirus variant from spreading across major parts of the United Kingdom since first identified in South Africa then spread to Rwanda, United Arab Emirates and Burundi.
06. Rwandair temporarily halts flights to and from Guangzhou, China
Rwanda’s flagship carrier on Friday last week revealed that flights from Rwanda aboard Rwandair to and from Guangzhou – China are halted until further notice as further jurisdiction on when to recommence will be announced in February.
This move follows the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organisation, the WHO, in relation to the coronavirus outbreak as cases in Rwanda have literally surged in the Country.
07. Covid – 19: Pandemic effect on Tourism is ‘Over 10 Times Worse’ than 2009 financial crisis
The collapse in international travel represents an estimated loss of $1.3 trillion in export revenues.
2020 was by far the worst year in recorded history for the global tourism sector with the pandemic vaporising air travel demand and destroying tourism spending.
International arrivals in 2020 fell by 74 percent compared to 2019, according to a new report by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
08. Emirates Airline to recommence UK – Dubai Flights effective 2 February
UAE based flagship carrier Emirates Airline announced starting this Tuesday 2 February it will resume flights from London Heathrow and Manchester to Dubai from 2 and 3 February, respectively, just days after cancelling all UK services.
The UK announced last week that it had added the UAE to its ‘red list’ of countries, meaning that all direct passenger flights between the countries were suspended from Friday, leaving many travellers stranded.
09. Flydubai’s latest Qatar route lit with ‘Positive Response’
The Dubai-based low-cost carrier recommenced a double-daily service to Doha’s Hamad International Airport on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Flydubai revealed: “We have had a positive response to our return to the market and we look forward to the traffic building.”
10. LUXURY FARM HOTELS: Could they be the travel trend of the Future?
A few months ago, as I approached Mbarara, I made an impulse decision to check out a farm Lodge located 13.6km along Ibanda road. On Trip Advisor, Emburara Farm Lodge says it is a high-end eco – luxury lodge that promotes cultural tourism and conservation of flora and fauna in a fresh, serene and relaxed farm environment; where one can experience, first hand, the life, culture, and norms around the stunning Ankole long-horned cattle. Emburara is the perfect place for either a family vacation or a romantic getaway, with a reasonable number of activities for both adults and kids.
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