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BUSINESS24 | MONDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2020
| THEBSUINESS24ONLINE.COM
Aviation
Namibia suspends visas for Chinese nationals Namibia has become the first Southern African Development Community (SADC) country to stop granting visas to Chinese nationals as a precautionary measure due to the coronavirus outbreak that has become a global health emergency with the death rate increasing daily. The decision was made known by the Namibian Ambassador to China Elia Kaiyamo who on Twitter on Sunday said, “As from now our mission in China will not issue visas to Chinese national until further notice. Exceptional case like this diplomat maybe considered.” As of yesterday, three African countries reported that they were investigating suspected cases of coronavirus. Kenya, Ethiopia and Botswana reported three, four, five cases respectively. The only other African country to declare a suspected case negative is Ivory Coast. Health executive director Ben Nangombe yesterday said no coronavirus has been detected and the ministry is on high alert and have put in place measures to detect the spread of the coronavirus at ports of entry. He said the health ministry has sent protective clothing to ports of the country and a meeting was to
be held yesterday with all stakeholders to sensitize them about the seriousness of the virus. Chinese Ambassador to Namib-
ia Zhang Yiming last week confirmed that a “few” Chinese nationals have returned to Namibia after the outbreak of the coronavi-
Emirates and Expo 2020 Dubai: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2020 opens Emirates is taking its partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai to new heights and educating festival goers about its involvement at The World’s Greatest Show during the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which is set to start today, and will run through 9 February at the InterContinental Hotel Dubai Festival City. In line with the theme of “Tomorrow” – Emirates and Expo 2020 Dubai will be activating a joint interactive space and rolling out unique experiences onground to interact with visitors of all ages, fostering an environment of creativity and encouraging discussions around Expo 2020’s main theme: “Connecting minds, Creating the future.” From 5 to 8 February, visitors can learn more about The World’s Greatest Show – and get a sneak preview of the Emirates Pavilion, which will be an exploration of the future of commercial travel. Children will enjoy creative activities at the kids’ area while reading their favourite novels and discovering the airline’s “Fly With Me Animal Toys” activity book with specific Expo 2020 Dubai activities inside. A large colouring wall with exclusive artwork design curated by Emirati artist, Abdulla Lutfi, will also be on display for children to enjoy. The design will include a visual interpretation of The World’s Greatest Show, including the Emirates Pavilion and Emirates aircraft adorned with Expo 2020 decals. A bespoke Expo 2020 Dubai “pop-up” display will showcase the Expo grounds including a deep dive into the Emirates Pavilion. Visitors will have a chance to join an interactive quiz and win vouchers to select leisure outlets in Dubai as well as Expo 2020 wristbands. Festival-goers will also get a chance to interact with Emirates’ pilot and cabin crew mascots as they roam the festival grounds with Expo 2020 Dubai mascots, Rashid and Latifa. A photo-booth will be available for visitors to take pictures as personalised souvenirs. Emirates continues to strengthen its
rus in China, but appealed to Namibians to remain calm, reaffirming his country’s commitment to stop the virus from spreading. “I must admit we have a very few Chinese nationals who arrived in the country a few days ago – our embassy is busy contacting each one of them, we are demanding all of them to stay at home, isolate themselves, strictly at home for 14 days and report to our embassy every day. We will make sure that no one carries this virus to this country,” said Zhang while addressing the media in Windhoek on Friday. He called on Namibians and the international community for support, saying that it is only through such support that China will be able to tackle the outbreak of the virus. “We are a global village, we should support each other, either materially or emotionally,” Zhang said. He said there are currently an estimated 6 000 Chinese nationals living in Namibia with the majority still in China celebrating the Chinese New Year, which is on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. “We have advised those who are still in China to stay there up until the virus is contained. China
New ‘Ghana Airways’: Airbus conducted initial feasibility studies
Various source have revealed that aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, which last week paid £3bn fines after it admitted using agents across the globe to bribe officials to land high-value contracts in 20 countries including Ghana, conducted and presented a comprehensive plan to aid the Government of Ghana re-establish a new home-based carrier. The documents submitted to government between 2014 and 2016, according to sources, were not acted upon. However, the
commitment to cultural events in the UAE, and has played a pivotal role in growing the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature into the most prominent literary event in Dubai’s annual calendar. The airline supports over 50 cultural, sports and music events around Dubai as well as the UAE, helping to build up the city into a leading centre for world-class events and festivals, and fostering vibrant communities by bringing people from all backgrounds together for
unique shared experiences. Emirates is a Premier Partner and the Official Airline for Expo 2020 Dubai, and has been working to spread awareness and capture the world’s attention around the global event and attract visitors. Expo 2020 Dubai will run from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021. It will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. albawaba
is serious in containing the virus, we don’t want the virus to spread to other continents,” asserted the Chinese ambassador. He also confirmed that no Namibians in China are affected by the virus. Zhang also advised Namibia against the evacuation of its about 400 students in Wuhan, saying that it is very dangerous at the moment to evacuate anyone from Wuhan that has been isolated from the rest of the world. US Ambassador to Namibia Lisa Johnson last week during a courtesy call to President Hage Geingob at State House said her office is prepared to work with health authorities to respond to any outbreak of the virus. Coronavirus is part of a vast family of viruses that includes those that cause the common flu, but also Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The first symptoms are high fevers and cough, which can worsen to the extent of causing pneumonia. The epicenter of the virus is the city of Wuhan, China, where it has claimed several lives. At least 362 people have died from this disease and 17 300 cases have been confirmed. (Source: NewEraLive)
documents found their way to the management of a sub-regional airline based outside Accra who relied heavily on it for their decision making. The action is one of the key reasons why Airbus decided not to get involved anymore with Ghana’s quest to re-establish a new national airline after the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government came to power. Ghana, rather, has signed a deal ( Letter of intent) for three (3) Boeing 787-9 and six (6) Dash8-400 aircraft. AviationGhana
