Commonsense needed in aviation industry to help our airlines
Mar 13, 2003
SIR — I write in reference to the article in the Monitor of march 4 about the East African Airlines (EAA) being compelled to withdraw their promotional fare of $99 plus taxes between Entebbe and Nairobi.
SIR — I write in reference to the article in the Monitor of march 4 about the East African Airlines (EAA) being compelled to withdraw their promotional fare of $99 plus taxes between Entebbe and Nairobi.
This special fare has indeed brought additional traffic to EAA because it was affordable for sections of our society, who can not afford the $225 otherwise being charged on the route.
If the report was correct, EAA seems to have yielded to bureaucratic pressures over the fares, to the detriment of travellers between the two countries. Yet, on the same day the New Vision carried an advert of Kenya Airways, offering a $100 return fare between the two cities, leaving the public somewhat bewildered.
If one carrier is truly told to withdraw such fares, how can the other one step in on the same day this is being reported with a near similar offer. It should be both or none.
What is being done to stop third country carriers to uplift traffic from Entebbe to Nairobi under Comesa cover, which is not in our national interest nor protecting our own fledgling new Ugandan airlines at all?
Even for the proposed customs union a grace period of six years has been negotiated with the sister states, and in aviation too some common sense ought to prevail to help our own airlines make it beyond break even and not kill them off while pointing to and hiding behind COMESA protocols.
Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome
President Uganda Tourism Association
Kampala
This special fare has indeed brought additional traffic to EAA because it was affordable for sections of our society, who can not afford the $225 otherwise being charged on the route.
If the report was correct, EAA seems to have yielded to bureaucratic pressures over the fares, to the detriment of travellers between the two countries. Yet, on the same day the New Vision carried an advert of Kenya Airways, offering a $100 return fare between the two cities, leaving the public somewhat bewildered.
If one carrier is truly told to withdraw such fares, how can the other one step in on the same day this is being reported with a near similar offer. It should be both or none.
What is being done to stop third country carriers to uplift traffic from Entebbe to Nairobi under Comesa cover, which is not in our national interest nor protecting our own fledgling new Ugandan airlines at all?
Even for the proposed customs union a grace period of six years has been negotiated with the sister states, and in aviation too some common sense ought to prevail to help our own airlines make it beyond break even and not kill them off while pointing to and hiding behind COMESA protocols.
Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome
President Uganda Tourism Association
Kampala