The launch of a new national carrier for Uganda has been on the table for the last few years and was first reported by Routesonline back in July 2013 after a senior Ugandan Government Minister revealed at that year’s Routes Africa forum in Kampala that discussions have once again taken place over the resurrection of Uganda Airlines as an at least partially state-controlled national carrier to boost trade and tourism into the East African country.
Nile Air will become the first private Egyptian carrier to introduce domestic services within the country when it launches the new three times weekly Cairo – Hurghada and four times weekly Cairo – Sharm el Sheikh starting from July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2016, respectively but it is still expanding its international reach, especially into Saudi Arabia, which remains its main focus market.
In a presentation during the Routes Africa Strategy Summit in Tenerife, Canary Islands on the subject of how African carriers can capitalise on travel growth, Gad Wavomba, senior consultant, Sabre Airline Solutions warned that many airlines are failing to benchmark against industry standards and as a result are failing to fulfil their potential.
An open skies arrangement is unlikely to be introduced in Africa until governments on the continent see their airlines as businesses, not personal play things. Speaking at the Routes Africa Strategy Summit in Tenerife, Raphael Kuuchi, the vice president of Africa at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said the failure of countries to accept the need for liberalisation was endemic across the continent.
African airlines are too small to survive alone and need to work together more if they are to continue doing business in an increasingly global world. In fact it was suggested that unless a small airline could evolve, grow, and develop partnerships with others, it would simply fail.
The Siberian Aeronautical Research Institute, named after S. A. Chaplygin (SibNIA), believes its TVS-2MS turboprop conversion of the classic Antonov An-2 piston airliner could prolong the life of the venerable aircraft into a ninth decade, with Africa a strong potential market for the modernised aeroplane.
The second panel session of the Routes Africa Strategy Summit saw esteemed professionals from the aviation industry discuss the impact of tourism within Africa. The panel was moderated by Edward Robertson, editor of Routes News, and featured Richard Bodin, chief commercial officer of fastjet; Fernando Estrada, chief strategy officer of Vueling; Stephanie Wear, director of economic and air service development Tenerife Tourism Corporation and Yolanta Strikista, director of Strikista Consulting.
In a comprehensive look at the potential impact of Brexit on UK air transport by International Air Transport Association (IATA), the industry body predicted that preliminary estimates suggest that the number of UK air passengers could be 3-5 percent lower by 2020, driven by the expected downturn in economic activity and the fall in the sterling exchange rate. The near-term impact on the UK air freight market is less certain, according to IATA but freight will be affected by lower international trade in the longer term.
According to 2011 estimates, about 12.5 percent of the African population has internet access. While Africa accounts for 15.0 percent of the population, only 6.2 percent of the world’s internet subscribers are African. But, as the internet becomes more available, Africans are using it in their millions.
The United Kingdom woke up this morning to the news that the country’s people had voted to leave the European Union. By a small majority, 52 percent of residents voted for independence, a decision that could change the political landscape of Europe forever and could bring an end to the United Kingdom, as both Scotland and Northern Ireland look to maintain membership of the European Union.
The ten youngest populations in the world all reside on the African continent – the median age in Niger is just 14.8 years. An increasing working-age population could be detrimental to Africa’s continuing growth, and if dealt with correctly, opportunities could be endless for the Africa of tomorrow.
The new flight will commence from May 26, 2017 and will be flown using a 164-seat Boeing 757-200ER. It will be operated in conjunction with its Transatlantic joint venture partner Virgin Atlantic Airways, adding to the UK carrier’s seasonal service from Glasgow to Orlando.
JOIN THE FUN at Routesonline this summer as we take an alternative look at the high-profile Euro 2016 football tournament through the eyes of the air service development world.
The arrival of Qatar Airways would be a major development for Las Vegas, and the suggested January 2017 launch could have the route established ahead of next year’s Routes Americas forum which takes place the The Aria Resort and Casino Convention Facility in Sin City between February 14 and 16, 2017.
IATA reports that more than $5 billion in total is owed to the world’s airlines, $3.8 billion by long-term offender Venezuela, but African nations make up the rest of the top five list of countries with Nigeria blocking $591 million, Sudan $360 million, Egypt $291 million and Angola at $237 million.
Big data – it’s what everyone’s talking about, but how effectively are airlines really using it? Of course, data provides vital information on anything from marketing to operations, but it can also be used as a tool to develop digitally.
