The policy of open skies to Kenya and in particular to Mombasa, the hub of Kenya's coastal tourism, could soon take a turn: for a few days now, news has been filtering through, also confirmed by members of the national tourism federation, that Turkish Airlines has finally received the licences to return to flying to Mombasa from Istanbul, after five years of absence.
This news not only offers one more alternative for those who decide to book a trip to the Kenyan coast and its seaside and safari destinations, but it also creates the right competition that will keep prices at least at acceptable levels. Until now, for example, the only national airline flying to Mombasa from Italian airports is Ethiopian Airways, which has no competitors. Not to mention the Italian and German charter companies. For the moment the Turkish company has not published the first available dates, but the restoration of the licences will shortly lead to decisions and a new flight plan.

Turkish, which started flying to Mombasa in 2011, connects with its flights from numerous Italian airports, allowing even those who live in towns that don't have direct intercontinental flights, to easily access the Italy-Kenyan coast route with only one change in Istanbul.
The ‘open sky policy’ has long been advocated by entrepreneurs in the tourism and safari sector in Kenya, and by the Kenya Tourist Federation. This pressure is slowly bearing fruit and should soon bring another important company to Mombasa, Qatar Airways, which has long been interested in activating the route from Doha, with international connections that, apart from our Italian interest, could increase the influx of tourists to the country. Recently the Minister of Tourism, Rebecca Miano, confirmed the government's efforts and expectations to reach 5 million visitors by 2027. Opening up to as many airlines as possible, creating direct flights, diversifying entry points and creating fast connections are certainly the priority paths to pursue.