Page 33 - World Airnews Magazine April 2021

AFRICA ROUTES

GO EARLIER OR LATER FROM MOSCOW TO

ON FASTJET SEYCHELLES

By Wallace Mawire
eroflot has announced the launch

Aof fl ights from Moscow to Mahé,

astjet has introduced a new travel Seychelles – starting this month.
Ffl exibility opti ons under the ‘Flexi- This country in the western Indian Ocean
Go’ banner. comprised of a collection of islands only re-

This will apply to all fare types across the opened its borders late last month.

domestic and international network. According to data from the aeronetwork,

The introduction of this new product this route was previously served until

reaffirms the value the airline has to all its November 2001. Starting in April, the flight 2020 compared to the quarter before. associated with flights to South Africa.

customers by providing them with more on Aeroflot’s Boeing 777-300ER will operate In February, the Russian-airline restarted So we are in discussions with the British

flexibility when managing their travel plans. once per week on Fridays. The route is flights to Delhi, India; Almaty, Kazakhstan; authorities to better understand what
Under the ‘Flexi-Go’ banner, customers blocked at 8 hours and 35 minutes from Baku, Azerbaijan and Yerevan, Armenia. their problem is and how to resolve this.

can access three product options including Moscow to Seychelles and 8 hours and 50 The addition of the route to Seychelles Once resolved we will open to everyone

‘GoEarlier’, ‘GoLater’ and ‘GoFirm’. minutes from Seychelles to Moscow. - which is a part of Africa - represents the including South Africa.”

The ‘GoEarlier’ option offers customers Passengers will experience Aeroflot’s airline’s first addition to the continent in recent The Seychelles tourism industry saw a 61%

the opportunity on the day of travel to largest aircraft with 402 seats. The aircraft years. It comes with the news, however, that decline in revenue during the pandemic. The

change their booking to a preceding flight. showcases 30 business class seats in a 2-2-2 Aeroflot will temporarily eliminate all flights to swift response for lockdown on the country

Complimenting the ‘GoEarlier’ offering, configuration, 48 premium economy seats the US during the period from May-October, caused its tourism-related businesses to

the airline has added the ‘GoLater’ option, time for an earlier flight can take advantage “The same offer and process applies for in a 2-4-2 configuration and 324 economy according to the aero network. struggle, prompting an aggressive vaccination

which allows customers the benefit of of the new ‘GoEarlier’ benefits. those customers that arrive late and miss seats in a 3-4-3 configuration. SEYCHELLES REOPENING programme to re-open the country.

travelling on a subsequent later flight up to “This is subject to space and will require their flight. Now they can register for the Competition-wise, Aeroflot is the only According to the Associated Press,

three days from the original flight date. customers to register their interest at Fastjet ‘Go Later’ option, valid for up to three airline flying directly from Russia to Seychelles announced the re-opening of their Seychelles received vaccine donations from

The third option, ‘GoFirm’ introduces a airport ticket desk. The airline will then list days from the original date of travel,” the Seychelles. But the Russian-airline will face country to tourists in March. Upon arrival the United Arab Emirates and India with

no-show policy that allows for even greater the customer for the alternate flight and team said. competition from a number of airlines visitors will be required to submit a negative 50,000 Chinese Sinopharm vaccines and

flexibility to rebook a missed flight at any just before the check in process finalises, A Fastjet spokesperson said, “We are offering one-stop service on the route COVID-19 test 72 hours before arrival and 40,000 Astrazeneca vaccines, respectively.

date in the future on a confirmed seat basis. if a seat is available, the customer will be always exploring new ways of extending including Middle-Eastern airlines like will then not be subjected to a quarantine. Due to these donations and vaccine
Regular COVID-19 precautions like wearing

Customers who arrive at the airport in checked in and will be off on their travels. value and flexibility to our passengers.” Q Emirates and Etihad via their hubs in Dubai purchases from the government, the

and Abu Dhabi, respectively. a mask, sanitizing and social distancing are nation expects to vaccinate 70% of its

Furthermore, Aeroflot can expect required throughout the East African country. population by mid-March, allowing it to

competition from airlines in Africa like South African citizens will be banned reach herd immunity.
By re-opening the country, Seychelles
CHARTER Ethiopian Airlines. In recent months, from entering the country on account of expects its tourism industry to rebound.
issues with COVID-19 in the country.

Aeroflot has begun rebuilding a small

portion of its international route network “The problem is the European market,” Amid its reliance on cruise travel, the nation

hopes that flights like Aeroflot’s to Moscow

with a long-haul focus on Asia. Aeroflot
TANZANIA CHARTER AIR increased the number of international flights according to Minister of Foreign Affairs and can help draw in tourists for the collection

Tourism Sylvestre Radegonde.
it operates by 99.5% in the fourth quarter of
of islands in the western Indian Ocean. Q
“We are already on a red list in England
TAKES TO THE SKIES NEWS
evaluated on request, on a case-by-case travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
basis, the carrier said. the carrier said it had maintained

anzanian safari air transfer spe- The airline currently operates daily essential connections to the Serengeti GPS JAMMING CONCERNS

Tcialist Grumeti Air is geared up domestic services from its base in area, albeit with reduced frequency.

to launch scheduled cross-border flights Arusha to Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Heading into the low season, it was still and support efforts. But, they worry, But the agencies have yet to detail any

between the Serengeti and Kigali, the and Zanzibar, the ch-aviation schedules operating daily services in and out of the “the National Airspace System (NAS) such efforts to minimise the impacts,

module shows.
Serengeti. It serves Kogatende, Lamai, and

capital of Rwanda, in the second quarter. Sasakwa daily out of Arusha, according to BAA and the Aircraft Owners has become increasingly reliant on GPS they said.

This will again connect top safari In combination with the Kigali flight, the schedule published on its website. Nand Pilots Associati on (AOPA) as the primary source of navigation “Both the frequency and impacts of

destinations in East Africa, the carrier Grumeti Air said it was also adding an It said the new routes were an have expressed concerns that operators and aircraft system functionality while these events have continued to grow

additional thrice-weekly late afternoon

announced. flight out of the Serengeti that would important milestone for the company as are continuing to face issues with inten- reducing the ground-based navigational significantly over the past decade and

According to the ch-aviation schedules allow passengers to connect with KLM they would directly connect Kigali - the tional GPS jamming exercises and have backup infrastructure.” will continue to proliferate over time.”

module, flights from Kigali will operate Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam gateway to gorilla-trekking safaris - with asked the US department of defence In response to concerns about this This is been a problem even with the

thrice weekly to Musoma, continuing Schiphol) and Qatar Airways (QR, the Singita Grumeti Reserve, situated (DOD) and FAA to provide an update on dynamic, the RTCA Tactical Operations reduced operations over the past year.

to Seronera, using a single turbo prop Doha Hamad Int'l) flights leaving from adjacent to the world-renowned efforts to mitigate those instances. Committee evaluated the operational “In recent months, operators have

Cessna Grand Caravan 208B. Kilimanjaro at night. Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. In a joint letter to the government impacts of intentional GPS interference continued to report operational impacts

and submitted a report in March 2018
Immigration procedures in Tanzania Grumeti Air also offers private The reserve forms part of the path of agencies, the associations acknowledge with two dozen recommendations and reduced access to airspace and

will be carried out in Musoma. charters for a maximum of 12 the famous annual wildebeest migration the need for the DOD to simulate a to help minimise these events, the airports resulting from intentional GPS

Other Serengeti stops may be passengers. Despite a contraction in in the Serengeti-Mara. Q loss of GPS for training, maintenance, associations noted. jamming events,” they said. Q

World Airnews | April 2021 World Airnews | April 2021
— 30 — — 31 —