Coastal Aviation and Air Kenya seal code share deal

Coastal Aviation (TZ), Tanzania’s largest privately owned safari aviation company and Air Kenya have signed an interline agreement for transfer of passengers between the Serengeti and the Masai Mara via Tarime and Migori effective 01st February 2017.  Agents can book their Serengeti passengers into Coastal Network through AIRKENYA and vice versa.

AIRKENYA passengers flying from the Masai Mara into the Serengeti will effective 01st February therefore fly on Coastal Aviation from the Tarime Airstrip.

Coastal Aviation bookings on the Serengeti – Masai Mara service will also feed into the AIRKENYA service via Tarime – Migori.

In addition to the already serviced airstrips of: Kogatende, Seronera, Sasakwa, Lobo, Grumeti and Ndutu, new airstrips on offer will include: Lamai, Fort Ikoma, Manyara and Serengeti South.

AIrkenya’s subsidiary airline in Tanzania, Regional Air Services will continue to fly into the Serengeti from Arusha and Zanzibar, Manyara as was its traditional routes.

Tourism sources in Arusha welcomed the development but expressed hope to this correspondent that one day soon direct flights from the Serengeti into the Masai Mara will be possible again as should flights in the opposite direction in order to spur cross border visits of tourists. Present Bilateral Air Service agreements in place between Tanzania and Kenya however do not allow for such direct flights. 

Only Uganda presently allows direct flights into for instance Kidepo Valley National Park, but, due to this option being so rarely used, only with prior notice to have customs and immigration in place.