www.eaststandard.net Just a few weeks after Bradt published its travel guide to Sudan, East African Safari Air Express (EASAX) has launched scheduled flights to the Southern Sudanese town of Rumbek.
A statement from the airline said the EASAX would initially operate two weekly flights.
The Fokker-27 aircraft will operate return flights to Rumbek every Monday and Friday from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
A privately owned and run Kenyan commercial airline, EASAX also runs two daily flights to Kisumu and daily flights to Lokichoggio on the Kenya-Sudan border.
Two years ago, EASAX made history by becoming the first airline to operate scheduled flights to Lokichoggio, a key transit point to Southern Sudan.
The airline’s management said it was looking forward to the upgrading of Rumbek airstrip to enable it deploy larger aircraft to the route.
The airstrip falls under the jurisdiction of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) and upgrading work is expected to begin in the next few months.
Managing Director Adam Ogden said EASAX had continued to grow despite the turbulence in the aviation industry and rocketing fuel prices.
"We are delighted to be spreading our wings to Southern Sudan and are proud to be the first scheduled airline to support peace in the region," he said. Rumbek has been picked to become the provisional capital of Southern Sudan following the recent signing of a peace deal between the SPLM and the Khartoum government. |