Lufthansa Group’s newest airline, Eurowings Discover (Flight 4Y143), departed Frankfurt on Saturday evening (July 24) for its inaugural flight to Mombasa, Kenya, and after an hour stopover, continued on to Zanzibar, Tanzania on Sunday (July 25).
The inaugural flight – on an Airbus 330-200 – was captained by Wolfgang Raebiger, who is also CEO of Eurowings Discover.
Welcoming the inaugural flight in Kenya, the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Najib Balala, said the Kenyan coast was a popular destination for European tourists. “Kenya has been making great progress as a destination in attracting tourists from different markets and especially from Europe. This flight is yet another milestone in the recovery of activities in the country.”
CEO of the Kenya Tourism Board, Dr Betty Radier, added that the Lufthansa Group’s decision to introduce a service to Mombasa signalled the growing confidence in the destination, especially with regard to the country’s preparedness against COVID-19.
The flight was further welcomed in Tanzania by special guests that included members of the German Embassy and Tanzania Ministry of Tourism.
“Today marks an important milestone for the Lufthansa Group. Not only is Zanzibar one of the first destinations offered by our brand-new leisure airline, Eurowings Discover, but with this addition to our current portfolio, we are further strengthening our footprint in Tanzania,” said Dr André Schulz, General Manager Sales, Lufthansa Group, Southern & East Africa.
Regine Hess, Ambassador at the German Embassy in Dar es Salaam said: “It is an honour to welcome the first flight of the new German airline, Eurowings Discover, to Zanzibar. This is an encouraging decision. The airline believes in the revival of tourism and in the destination Zanzibar.”
With the introduction of Eurowings Discover services in Zanzibar, the Lufthansa Group is now serving three destinations in Tanzania with six weekly connections.
Eurowings Discover will operate new flights from Frankfurt (4Y134) to Zanzibar on Wednesdays and Saturdays with the return flight (4Y135) taking place on Thursdays and Sundays.
Eurowings Discover will also introduce a route to Windhoek, Namibia, from August 10.
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