AIR UGANDA'S MOMBASA - ZANZIBAR FLIGHTS TO BE SEASONAL

By Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN

Information from Air Uganda indicates that the airline will be exploring new ways to maintain their route from Entebbe to Zanzibar via Mombasa.

ffective May 1, there will be NO FLIGHTS until June 30, before resuming again for the period of July 1 until August 30 only. There will again be NO FLIGHTS between September 1 and November 30, before once more resuming for the high season travel period.

The shift in policy is attributed to the lack of sufficient passenger loads, as the airline a while ago already had reduced from three to two flights per week. 

It appears that the expatriate passenger potential would not fully take to the route over the need to get a visa to Kenya and Zanzibar, something several expats known to this correspondent with healthy travel appetitse confirmed. 

Already duly registered in Uganda, for many it is a constant bone of contention, and they are asking to streamline the Visa regime for Eastern Africa and finally recognise registered expatriates in one of the member countries and not asking them to pay for a visa when traveling in the region to visit another member state on holiday.

The airline recently also adopted the new slogan "The Wings of East Africa," and Air Uganda flies daily between Entebbe and Juba, 6 times a week between Entebbe and Dar es Salaam, 3 times daily between Entebbe and Nairobi, and in codeshare with RwandAir twice a day to Kigali, one flight operated each by U7 and RwandAir.