Jambojet has suspended flights to Lamu, dealing a blow to tourism on the archipelago.Jambojet CEO Willem Hondius says the carrier stopped flights between Nairobi and Lamu last week, citing Manda Airport's poor condition.The Jambojet boss said the apron, taxiway and runway at Manda Airport was in bad shape, making it difficult for aircraft to land or take off.“Manda Airport’s apron and taxiway had deteriorated to such an extent that we could no longer operate our aircraft on the route,” he said.“Apparently, even the runway was in bad condition. The airport’s services were not good enough and that’s why we suspended our flights.”Mr Hondius explained that due to the deteriorating condition of the airport, the airline had to pull out of the route since it operates bigger aircraft.“We assure our customers that we will make a decision to fly back to Lamu when the Kenya Airports Authority improves the facility,” the Jambojet chief executive said.He added that airline had been transporting many tourists to Lamu since its aircraft had a bigger capacity.“Jambojet was popular because it’s a budget carrier and also had larger seat capacity compared to other operators,” he said.He noted that hotels in Lamu were expecting a boom in business this season after some western countries lifted travel advisories last year.
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Jambojet suspends flights to Lamu over poor airport
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