11-09-2011, Last week, Air Uganda started direct flights to Bujumbura from Entebbe. In the same week, South African Airways (SAA) announced that it would start flights to Bujumbura via Kigali. Then in the same week, Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) has resumed flights and Burundi fliers are part of their target market. Air Uganda plans to fly to Bujumbura three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays seemingly targeting the tourist and business traveler who is connecting through Entebbe which it has termed a 'significant international meeting point.' The plan is to take travelers to Bujumbura where there are significant leisure activities and visits to beautiful national parks while bringing Burundians to 'track lions in the savannah, or walk through the rainforest to spot the rare and famous silverback gorilla.' Its fleet includes two Bombardier CRJ200s and two McDonnell Douglas MD-87s For its part, South African Airways also plans a three times a week schedule to start in January next year in a "strategy to expand our African operations into countries of increasing economic significance on the continent, particularly those that are currently hard to reach," according to SAA's Head of Australasia, Thevan Krishna. "We have seen more demand from both recreational and business travelers for expanded routes and travel options and this move helps meet that. Rwanda is growing as an economic and cultural as well as tourist destination while Burundi is a major exporter of tea and coffee," he added.SAA plans to use the A319 aircraft that is capable of carrying 120 passengers for this route.
ATCL plans to service passengers in Burundi's southern provinces who would find it easier to take a 40 minutes ride to Kigoma from the southerly city of Makamba then catch an ATCL flight to Dar-es-Salaam. The governor fo Makamba province, Mr Niyayubaye Vicent, said transport was a crucial component in the endeavour to bring development, therefore, he regarded ATCL flights to Kigoma as something which brings hopes to people in his province. This was at an inaugural flight of ATCL's Dash 8-300 aircraft last week from Dar-es-Salaam to Kigoma. In an exclusive interview with the Managing Director Air Burundi two months ago, East African Business Week had learnt that Turkish Airlines had also planned to start operations in Bujumbura this month. This would bring to operation all the regional carriers, Kenya Airways, Uganda Airlines, ATCL and Rwandair into Burundi's airspace. This, coupled with several international carriers like SAA, Brussels Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines, means Burundians will be spoilt for choice and the price of air travel should soon be affordable to more travelers. It also means there is an increasing confidence in the business climate in Burundi and that the touristic potential of this tiny East African country of nearly 10 million persons is now being recognized. By East African Busness Week