Europe’s largest tour operator TUI Airlines has taken another shot at getting a licence from Kenya’s aviation authority to operate flights from Amsterdam to Mombasa less than two months after a similar request was rejected. Records show that TUI has tabled a fresh request to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority(KCAA) for a licence to the Amsterdam– Zanzibar – Mombasa – Amsterdam routes. TUI’s latest application shows that it plans to operate two flight frequencies per week without traffic rights between Zanzibar and Mombasa using aircraft type B787 based in Amsterdam. In the aviation industry, flights without traffic rights refer to those that operate under the first or second freedom of the air.These freedoms allow an airline to fly over another country's airspace without landing (First Freedom) or to land for technical stops like refueling (second freedom), but without picking up or dropping off passengers or cargo. TUI will be hoping for approval this time round amid a resurgence in the tourism industry. The Dutch charter airline operates flights to various destinations, including in Asia, North and South America, and Africa. A tour charter plane refers to an aircraft hired by a tour operator or travel agency to transport a group of tourists to a specific destination on a pre-arranged schedule, rather than being part of a scheduled airline's regular flight service.Chartering a flight comes with benefits compared to flying commercially, including flexibility as one can choose their itinerary and departure time among others. This is unlike flying commercially, where the plane, route, and times are all fixed. TUI resumed operations in the East African region in November 2024 with a maiden flight to Zanzibar. The Tui Boeing Dreamliner touched down at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa for the first time in six years, when the carrier suspended services due to an upsurge in insecurity exacerbated by the pandemic. (ICE NAIROBI)

Fonte notizia: Business Daily