INDLELA ethatha imizuzu engu-50 i-Entebbe-Nairobi, egcwele iKenya Airways (KQ), ibalwa neminye ebiza kakhulu emhlabeni.
Naphezu kwemizamo yezinkampani zezindiza eziyizimbangi zokwehlisa amanani, isalokhu ifinyelela ku-$300 (sh492,000).
Izinkampani zezindiza yi-Ethiopian Airlines, Air Uganda, Victoria International Airlines (VIA), Fly540 kanye ne-East African Airlines.
Amanani aphezulu kaphethiloli aphinde aphazamisa noma yiliphi ithemba lokwehla kwentengo. Kusukela ngo-2002, intengo kawoyela yeqa isuka ku-$25 emgqonyeni yaya ngaphezu kuka-$113 manje. Lokhu kwehlise inzuzo yezinkampani zezindiza.
Kusukela inkampani ethwala impahla yase-Uganda yawa eminyakeni eyishumi edlule, i-KQ yaqala ukubusa umzila.
Ngo-2005, i-Victoria International Airlines (VIA) ngosizo lwenkampani yaseNingizimu Afrika yafinyelela esivumelwaneni ne-Uganda sokuba yinkampani yezindiza kazwelonke.
Nokho, indiza yokuqala ye-VIA ephuma e-Entebbe iya eNairobi yenqatshelwa ukuba ihlale e-Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) eNairobi. Imithombo ithe imbangela bekungenxa “yokubhalwa kwemibhalo” okungafanele. Esikhathini esingaphansi kwezinyanga ezimbili, i-VIA yayingasekho.
Maphakathi no-2006, i-Ethiopian Airlines yakhalaza ku-Kenya Civil Aviation Authority ngokubambezeleka ukubanika amalungelo okufika e-JKIA.
Bebekulungele ukukhokhisa u-$200 uma kuqhathaniswa no-$366 we-KQ kodwa isicelo sabo besingakavunywa.
I-East African Airlines nayo yaphoqeleka ukuthi iwuyeke lo mzila ngemuva kokuthi iziphathimandla zaseKenya ziphazamise umzamo wazo wokuthola le ndawo edumile yasekuseni.
Ngemuva kwaleyo mizamo eyize, abagibeli basenalo ithemba ngenkathi i-Air Uganda ingena embonini yezindiza ngonyaka odlule. Inkampani yezindiza ibibiza u-$199.
“Ngacabanga ukuthi kuzoba impumuzo kithi kwezamabhizinisi, kodwa ngithole ukuthi isikhathi se-Air Uganda besingesihle,” kusho uLuther Bois, usomabhizinisi ojwayele ukuhambela lo mzila.
“Uma ngingaba seNairobi ngo-6:00 ekuseni, ngibambe imihlangano emibili, omunye ngo-8:00 omunye ngo-2:00 ntambama, futhi ngibuyele e-Uganda ngo-6:00 ntambama noma ngo-11:00 ebusuku ngalolo suku, kuphela. I-Kenya Airways inikeza lokho. Sengisele ngingenalutho ngaphandle kokuthi ngilume inhlamvu,” kusho uBois.
NgoMeyi, i-Air Uganda yamisa indiza yasekuseni ngenxa yamanani aphezulu kaphethiloli kanye nokwehla kwezinombolo. Ngenkathi i-Air Uganda iphuma, i-Fly540 yafika endaweni yesigameko ngayo leyo nyanga. Ibiza u-$158. Kodwa ngokwama-travel agents, abahambi basathanda i-KQ ngenxa yamashejuli ayo, alula kakhulu.
I-Kenya Airways iphinde isebenzise ithuba lesikhumulo sezindiza i-Jomo Kenyatta njengendawo yesifunda, enikeza amakhasimende izindawo ezihlukahlukene eziya eYurophu, e-Asia kanye nakulo lonke elase-Afrika. Lokhu kusho ukuthi abahambi bancamela ukusebenzisa inkampani yezindiza eyodwa ukusuka e-Entebbe kunokuhlephula uhambo lwabo phakathi kwezinkampani zezindiza ezihlukahlukene ukuze bonge imali.
Nokho, i-KQ idume kabi ngokubambezeleka kwendiza kanye nokukhansela.
“Abasebenzi abazimisele ngokulandela umzila kumele babe nokuzwana phakathi kwala mazwe womabili. Ngokujwayelekile, akufanele babe nemingcele, kodwa umzila ubonakala unezinkinga ngasohlangothini lwaseKenya,” kuchaza umthombo wakwaCivil Aviation Authority.
Ngaphezu kokubusa emzileni waseNairobi, iKenya Airways ihlela ukuqinisa izindiza zayo zesifunda. Ihlelelwe ukuthola i-Embraer E170 entsha. Indiza kulindeleke ukuthi isebenze imizila yasekhaya kanye neyezifunda ezifana ne-Uganda, iTanzania, iRwanda, iBurundi neZambia.
“I-Embraer inesikhathi esincane sokushintsha kanye nezindleko zokuyilungisa eziphansi. Ukusebenza kahle kukaphethiloli kufanele kusenze sikwazi ukukhulisa imali engenayo ngalezi zikhathi ezinzima,” kusho isikhulu esiphezulu se-KQ, u-Titus Naikuni, engxoxweni esanda kushicilelwa.
Ongoti bezimakethe baqagela ukuthi abanye abasha abazongena bazokhipha imali noma banyuse imali yokugibela uma befuna ukuqhubeka nebhizinisi ngenxa yokumba eqolo kukaphethroli. Bathi i-KQ, enomkhawulo omkhulu, inenkululeko eyengeziwe yokugcina amanani ezinzile esikhathini esimaphakathi.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- “I thought it would be a relief to us in business, only to find out that Air Uganda's timings were not convenient,” Luther Bois, a businessman who frequents the route, said.
- Normally, they should not have limitations, but the route seems to have issues from the Kenyan side,” a source at the Civil Aviation Authority explained.
- Kenya Airways also takes advantage of Jomo Kenyatta Airport as a regional hub, offering clients a variety of onward destinations into Europe, Asia and the rest of Africa.
