www.allafrica.com Barely three months after East African Safari Air Express launched flights from Nairobi to Rumbek, the Southern Sudan capital, the airline announced an increase in its frequency to thrice a week.

Rumbek has become a hive of activity for business people, aid workers and diplomats since January this year when the Sudanese government signed a peace accord with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) to end two decades of civil war.

East African Safari Air Express was the first to launch flights to Southern Sudan. It flies every Monday, Wednesday and Friday between Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Rumbek on a Fokker-27 aircraft. It was also the first airline to operate daily jet flights to Lokichoggio in northern Kenya, a key transit point into Sudan, over two years ago.

According to the managing director Mr Adam Ogden, the airline's operations in Sudan will become easier when Rumbek airstrip is upgraded. That will allow bigger and faster aircraft to land and reduce costs of transportation.

The latest move is part of the airline's expansion plan that will see it fly to more destinations in East Africa. Mr Adam Ogden says the airline is also considering expanding within the Comesa region to fill the void occasioned by the recent withdrawal of Regional Air.

"We will re-introduce a third daily jet frequency to Kisumu and we are considering expansion to other vital hubs such as Mombasa, Entebbe and Khartoum," Mr Ogden said.

Last month Bradt Travel Guides published a guide  to Sudan with a lengthy section on the south of the country and tourism is envisaged in the not too distant future.