Turkish Airlines to fly to Kilimanjaro and Mombasa

Turkish Airlines (THY) will be commencing a triangular flight from Istanbul to Kilimanjaro and Mombasa effective 4th December this year. The new destinations - as eTN website reports - are due to be served five times a week and the aircraft used will be a B737-800, offering business and economy class. Aimed primarily at the tourist traffic, the new service is however also aimed at serving growing business links between Turkey and East Africa. THY, which has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years, now serves over 160 destinations worldwide, after steadily developing Istanbul as a key hub. The airline's aggressive rollout in Africa went hand in hand with growing political and trade ties the Turkish government has been forging in the recent past. By the end of 2013 Turkish plans to fly to 40 destinations in Africa. The tourism sector at the Kenya coast will be delighted to hear this after a series of negative aviation news, when first Qatar Airways announced that their planned flights to Mombasa would after all not take place, followed by Brussels Airlines canceling plans to fly to Kenya's Indian Ocean port city two weeks ago. South African has already halted their flights in mid September, following lower demand and citing cost increases experienced for flights to Kenya. Air Berlin has also announced that they will withdraw from Mombasa after the next high season, so the arrival of THY in December will be welcome news to the coast's hotel and resort operators.