Etihad Airways Opens Link to Tripoli
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has inaugurated flights between Abu Dhabi and the Libyan capital Tripoli, the first new destination to be added to its network this year. The airline’s first service departed the UAE on the morning of January 17, 2012 and the route will be served on a three times weekly basis. The new flight is the first time ever that the two Arabian capitals have been commercially linked by air and it expands Etihad’s network in Africa to a fifth destination. “We are delighted to launch this service to Tripoli. Libya is a beautiful country that over the coming months and years will have much to offer both business and leisure travellers,” said James Hogan, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways. The new service will further strengthen links between Libya and the UAE as the Gulf nation was among the first to recognise the new government of the country and provide political, military and humanitarian support. Under its new regime, Libya is expected to develop as a key trading partner for foreign states and Tripoli in particular offers tremendous potential for growth as a business and leisure destination. “The new Libya is taking its rightful place among the prosperous nations of northern Africa and the Mediterranean. I have noted with great satisfaction that UAE companies are increasingly turning their attention to Libya for opportunities to cooperate, invest and do business. This is a clear sign of the positive future our business community sees for this country,” explained His Excellency Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Emirates Heads Direct to Uganda
United Arab Emirates (UAE) operator Emirates Airline is to launch new direct flights to two major African cities splitting its existing Dubai – Addis Ababa – Entebbe to offer a new dedicated non-stop service to both markets. From March 25, 2012 the Middle East carrier will end its shared daily Airbus A340-500 link and launch A330-200 flights to both cities. This will result in a reduction of in-flight offering to both destinations as the A330s are not fitted with First Class Suites, but will significantly increase convenience to the travelling public. “As demand for our Entebbe service continues to grow, customers can now enjoy the convenience of a non-stop air link with Dubai,” said Jean Luc Grillet, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for Africa, Emirates Airline. “Our new direct service will offer seamless connections to key destinations in the Middle East, Indian Sub-continent, Asia and the Far East.” There is currently no direct competition between Dubai and Entebbe, although Gulf Air, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines (THY) provide services to the Middle East and they will together fight for transfer passengers between the African country and destinations across Europe and Asia. An estimated 21,000 O&D passengers travelled between Dubai and Entebbe in the past year, with a further 80,000 thought to have connected on to other destinations in the Emirates network via Dubai International Airport; particularly from or to destinations in India. The Addis Ababa – Dubai route is much more competitive with Ethiopian Airlines offering a twice daily flight, and Emirates’ affiliate carrier flydubai a three times weekly low-cost option. An estimated 227,000 O&D passengers travelled on this route in the past year with Emirates holding just an eight per cent share of this traffic.
Rwandair to Add Larger Regional Jets
African carrier RwandAir is in discussions to acquire at least two new regional aircraft after recently finalising the sale of its two Bombardier CRJ200s. The two 50-seat aircraft were acquired from Lufthansa CityLine in 2009 at the start of the carrier’s fleet expansion project but the development of the market and expansion of its network have meant that it now requires larger equipment. “The two 50-seater CRJs were our first purchased aircraft from Lufthansa Cityline and they have served us very well especially in the three hour radius of Kigali flights,” explained John Mirenge, Chief Executive Officer, RwandAir. “We have however seen the regional market grow and we feel this market and the demand it presents will be better served by an aircraft with between 70 – 110 seating capacity.” The airline hopes to introduce the two new regional jets by June this year, but in the meantime has been forced to make some amendments to its network following their departure. Its flights will now be operated either by its Boeing 737 jets or single Dash 8-100 turboprops with frequency cuts to Nairobi (from three to two flights per day), Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam (both four times weekly instead of five). “Having found a ready buyer, it was imperative that we immediately strike the deal and remove the equipment from our fleet. Effectively, we have also made adjustments on our schedule to proportionately accommodate our operations to match the equipment we are left with until the new regional jets are delivered”, added John Mirenge.
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