Travel

Rapid scanning of passports will mean shorter border control queues for travellers at Africa’s second busiest airport, enhancing border crossing experience for millions of visitors. Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, is supplying Cairo International, the second busiest airport in Africa, with automated document readers that will enable faster border crossings for millions of travellers, whilst ensuring rigorous security …

Lufthansa has overhauled its livery, changing the background of its iconic century-old logo from yellow to blue. The crane, remains the airline’s iconic symbol, but it has been slimmed down in this incarnation and is surrounded by a thinner ring giving it more space. The German airline officially unveiled its new brand image on Wednesday (7 February) at company events …

China has announced a new visa waiver policy for visitors from 53 countries to Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei for up to six days. The measure, which takes effect from 28 December, applies to visitors from Germany and other members of the European Union’s Schengen area, as well as the US, Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Argentina, the official People’s Daily reported …

A British woman has been convicted of smuggling 300 painkiller tablets into Egypt and jailed for three years and fined the equivalent of $5,611. Laura Plummer, 33, was arrested on 9 October at Hurghada International Airport on the Red Sea after police reportedly found 290 tablets of tramadol in her suitcase. Tramadol is a strong painkiller used to treat moderate …

Senegal has a new airport as the West African country seeks to underline its status as an airline hub in the sub-region. The Blaise Diagne International Airport was officially opened on 7 December by President Macky Sall. He called it a “source of satisfaction and legitimate pride” for the country. The airport is named after the first African to be …

Nationals of African countries travelling to Kenya will no longer be required to apply for a visa before leaving for the East African country. President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the abolition of the pre-visa requirement when he took the oath of office for a second and final term on 28 November in Nairobi. “Today, I am directing that any African wishing …

After removing visa requirements for African nationals, Rwanda has announced a new visa system that will issue a 30-day visa to citizens of all countries upon arrival without prior application. Rwanda has announced a new visa regime that allows travellers from across the world to be issued a 30-day visa on arrival in Kigali, beginning 1 January 2018. The first …

A British woman has been imprisoned in Egypt after flying into the country with painkillers. Laura Plummer, from Hull, was arrested at an Egyptian airport after authorities found 290 tramadol tablets and some naproxen for her husband’s sore back. It is understood she signed her name below a 38-page statement in Arabic, believing she would be able to leave the …

According to the latest MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index, two South African cities, Lagos, Casablanca and Cairo received the highest number of visitors in the continent last year. Johannesburg has emerged as the most popular destination city in Africa in 2016, followed by Cape Town, according to the annual MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index. Johannesburg welcomed 4.57 million international overnight …

Air Berlin will stop flying by 28 October at the latest as the administrators for the insolvent airline continue discussions with prospective buyers. The airline had already announced the end of its long-haul routes as aircraft lessors started taking back planes from the bankrupt carrier, now all Air Berlin flights will cease, although subsidiaries Niki and LG Walter will continue …

A British Airways hostess has been sacked after a Snapchat video she recorded slamming Nigerian passengers went viral. Joanne Wickenden, who was wearing her uniform in the minute-long video, was complaining about excessive demands by Nigerian passengers while making references to male genitals. “All the Nigerians are gonna be there like ‘gimme Coca Cola, gimme beef, why you have no …

French national carrier, Air France, will soon resume flights between Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi after an 18-year absence. Air France served Nairobi until March 2000. Air France, a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance, announced the decision on Tuesday …

After several years of turmoil, Cameroon’s national carrier has embarked on a recovery plan at an estimated 91.5 million euros over the next 5 years. Yaounde, April 5 (Reuters) – Nearly a year after selecting a consortium led by Belgium’s SN Brussels to buy a majority stake in struggling national airline, Cameroon’s government abandoned the sale on Thursday and said …

Air France has launched Joon, a new carrier that will start operating medium-haul flights from Paris-Charles de Gaulle this autumn, followed by long-haul flights in summer 2018.  The name Joon, which echoes the word “jeune” for “young” in French, is aimed at young working adults aged 18 to 35 year, whose lifestyles revolve around digital technology, Air France said in …

The prestigious travel publication Travel + Leisure has ranked Cape Town as the top city in Africa and the Middle East for 2017. Travel + Leisure’s poll, an annual list of the finest destinations to travel to based on food, culture, shopping and more, is based on the feedback of travellers, and, for the 16th time, Cape Town has maintained …

Benghazi’s international airport (Benina) has officially reopened for commercial flights amid a heavy security presence after a three-year closure. The airport had been closed due to fighting in the city in the summer of 2014. According to Reuters, the first outward bound flights from Benina Airport on Saturday were to the capital, Tripoli, to Amman, Jordan, and to the south-eastern …

Two German female tourists have been stabbed to death while four other foreigners were wounded in an attack at a hotel in the popular Red Sea resort of Hurghada. The terror attack on Friday (14 July) came hours after a shooting near the famous pyramids outside Cairo killed five policemen. The motive behind the stabbing was unclear and Egypt’s Interior …

An African single air transport market will be launched in January 2018, with 40 plus countries expected to be signatories by then. So far, 20 African countries out of 55 have subscribed to the single air market, announced David Kajange, the head of the transport and tourism division at the African Union (AU). Speaking recently at the 29th AU summit, …

Visa-free travel is something many of us take for granted in today’s increasingly interconnected world. But for many Africans this modern luxury is much more of a lottery, with citizens of some African countries enjoying similar travel rights to Europeans, while others fare little better than residents of war-torn Syria. Citizens of the Seychelles have the most travel freedom among …

Young people from across the continent, meeting in Durban, have joined forces to champion visa-free travel in Africa for Africans. African members of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers community have launched the Durban Agreement on Open Africa to champion an open and border-free continent. The initiative will support the work of the African Development Bank, among others, in promoting …