New low cost carrier to start early morning flights into and out of Mombasa

Chief Executive Officer of Fly Tristar airlines Daniel Muriithi (right) exchanges pleasantries with the Managing Director of Deans Travels Patrick Maina (left) at the Flamingoby Pride Inn Beach Resort and Spa Hotel in Mombasa County on Monday. [Maarufu Mohamed,Standard]

Newly launched low cost carrier, Fly Tristar Services that made its debut flight services from its Wilson Airport hub in Nairobi to the Moi International Airport (MIA). Mombasa is set to make history by becoming the first low cost flight to operate early morning service.

It is only the national flag carrier, Kenya Airways that has early morning flights into and out of Mombasa from Nairobi.

The new start up airline CEO Daniel Muriithi announced in Mombasa during the firm's official launch cocktail at the Flamingo by Pride Inn Shanzu Beach Resort that they had received many suggestions to warrant the decision for an early morning flight on the Wilson- Mombasa route that will specifically cater for business people.

Passengers flying on Fly Tristar Serrvice aircrafts get free copies of The Standard Newspaper following a deal entered between Standard Group PLC and the airline recently.

'' We are in the market to serve. Fly Tristar Service is committed to offer unrivalled, reliable air service to make it easier to fly,'' Muriithi, himself an experienced aviation lawyer said.

The CEO said that they are also working on paper work and documentation with the relevant aviation authorities in the region to start regional flights into Mwanza (Tanzania), Entebbe (Uganda) and Somalia.

Their starting fares on most local routes is sh 4,333 one way on their mainly Fokker 50s type of aircrafts.

The airline has put onto the market 4000 seats that are available from this month of July all the way to January 2019 at discounted price of sh 4,333.

And following their debut flights, tourism players have welcomed the new service terming it a move in the right direction.

Led by the Kenya Coast Tourist Association (KCTA) chairman,Mr Victor Shitakah, tourism players welcomed the new service terming it as fantastic and timely gesture by the air operator.

'' We are optimistic of full tourism recovery at the Coast after many years of a downward trend and for us to get a new air service operator that is wholly Kenyan owned and affordable to fly with ,we say a big thank you to Fly Tristar Services,'' Shitakah who is also CEO of the Kenya Safari Lodges & Hotels (KSLH) said.

Veteran tours and travel agent and Managing Director of Deans Travels, Mr Patrick Maina Kamanga said that Fly Tristar Service should ensure that they actualise the earlymorning flights since there was alot of movement between Mombasa and Nairobi with mostly business people going up and down to either look for new markets or sign business deals.

''With your very affordable price for tickets you will surely get the traffic load ,'' he said.
 
Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) Coast branch Executive officer, Mr Sam Ikwaye said that  low cost carriers are a great advantage to the Coast region which has for a long time been considered inaccessible due to high cost  of air fares.

Speaking at the same function, Fly Tristar Commercial Director, Mr Ken Wadhwa said that the new carrier offers domestic schedule and charter flights services.

He said that the airline operates Wilson- Mombasa on Fridays, Saturday and Sundays.

On Friday,the flight leaves Wilson at 4.00 pm and arrives at Mombasa at 5.30 pm before flying back to Wilson at 17.40 hrs to arrive at 18.50 hrs.

On Saturday, the plane takes off from Wilson at 8.00 am and lands in Mombasa at 9.10 am before departing at 9.30 am to arrive back in Nairobi at 10.40 am while on Sunday it departs Wilson at 3.00 pm and arrives Mombasa at 16.10 hrs and departs for Nairobi's Wilson airport at 16.40 hrs arriving at 17.50 hrs respectively.

The Ukunda, Lamu and Malinidi routes are not scheduled but the airline flies on charter basis as it seeks to develop the routes.

'' Our company brings on board unrivalled aviation experience for the discerning customer backed up by our flight crew who have a collective experience of over 70 years in the skies guaranteeing you both safety and comfort,'' Wadhwa said.

He added that to add to customers satisfaction, they have put up a state of the art lounge at  the Wilson Airport  that offers clients VIP service and is located just 60 metres from the departure terminal.