Ariel view of Juba Airport. Photo via Radio Tamazuj

JUBA — South Sudan has taken ownership of its sovereign lower airspace from Sudan, the country’s Minister of Transport Madut Biar Yil said on Saturday.

Speaking during the launch of the South Sudan Pilots’ Association in Juba on Saturday, Biar said the country has finally taken control of its lower airspace and is establishing infrastructure aimed at reclaiming its upper airspace.

“We are now controlling our lower airspace, we are now independent of Sudan and we are building now and the company is now working necessary infrastructure to control our upper airspace so that we become now an independent country not only by land but also by air,” Biar said during the launch of the South Sudan Pilots’ Association in Juba over the weekend.

In 2016, the government of South Sudan signed a three-year agreement with Sudan under the International Civil Aviation Organization to manage and control its airspace.

According to the agreement, South Sudan would take over the control of its airspace territory after training and acquiring a qualified workforce to oversee the system.

In September, the Sudanese committee managing the airspace was directed by the cabinet to continue its job until South Sudan is ready to assume the role.

Biar said Sudan failed to train Civil Aviation Staff who should take control of their airspace after three years.

“Sudan was given the management of our airspace collecting fees from our airspace in the tune of millions of dollars per month and they couldn’t meet their obligations to train our Civil Aviation Staff until the coronavirus came in and it becomes an excuse,” he said.

South Sudan will be able to collect fees from all aircraft using the airspace; a source of revenue that could bring in tens of millions of dollars each year once the full upper airspace is reclaimed. - Sudans Post

Photo via Air Cargo Week

National Carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ), will begin flights from Juba to Khartoum from today, counter-rotating on an Embraer 190 and boosting its schedule to 10x weekly from the current 7 flights from Juba and 3x weekly flights to Khartoum.

As the region recovers from a challenging period, the expansion of the network will provide much needed opportunities to boost business, trade and movement of aid. The new service is part of the airline’s long-term commitment to growing and improving connectivity across the African continent which is critical to enhancing the movement of people and increasing intra-African trade in line with the spirit of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Commenting on the route launch, Allan Kilavuka, CEO, Kenya Airways said: “Kenya Airways is steadfast on creating free flows of trade and tourism across Africa and in other key markets because we believe our wide network and reliable services will aid in opening up opportunities across the region. The move comes as the region continues to enhance economic cooperation to drive sustainable growth across a range of sectors, in addition to boosting business between African nations.”

Julius Thairu, acting chief commercial officer at Kenya Airways said: “Growing our presence in Africa affirms our industry lead with products and services that address the dynamic needs of our customers. The new service between Juba and Khartoum is timely and gives us an opportunity to serve a range of travellers and grow our customer base in both Sudan and South Sudan.” -  Yasmin Turner, Air Cargo Week

The Republic of Rwanda updated its COVID-19 entry protocols following the news and spread of the Omicron variant, effective immediately.

All international travelers, vaccinated and unvaccinated, traveling to Rwanda must quarantine at a designated hotel after testing upon arrival. All travel between Rwanda and countries in southern Africa, including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

All travelers must also have received a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result that was performed within 72 hours prior to departure. Rapid tests are not accepted.

The country also began implementing booster shots for at-risk populations, including citizens over the age of 50.

Rwanda had recently reopened to international travel on November 5, 2021. Prior to the new entry rules, all travelers had to take a pre- and post-arrival COVID-19 test; fully vaccinated travelers were encouraged to self-isolate at their chosen accommodation until they received their results. - LACEY PFALZ, TravelPulse.com