Airlines flying to Lamu this festive season have acknowledged being overwhelmed by the high number of bookings from revellers flocking Lamu to spend their holidays.
Major airlines plying Lamu include Fly540, Fly Sax, Silverstone Air, Skyward Express, Safarilink and Airkenya.
Most of these airlines have reported being fully booked for December with just a few spaces remaining for weekday dates in the last week of the month.
Fatma Ali, a senior agent with the Lamu Express Travels said airlines in the region had recorded a boom owing to increased clientele, mainly holidaymakers and tourists wishing to spend the festivities in Lamu.
“Its just the initial weeks of December and we already have such a huge number of people looking to fly in. Most flights are already fully booked. That's not something we experience every day. Its also a good sign that business will be good for both December and January when all these people will be leaving,” said Fatma.
Its however interesting to note that airfares in Lamu haven’t gone up despite the increased clientele, something that has increased interest for visitors to fly to the region.
Mohamed Said, an agent with Air Travel said “We still charge between Sh.2,500-3,500 for flights from Lamu to Malindi. For Lamu and Mombasa we still charge between Sh.3,500-4,500 while from Lamu to Nairobi the cost still ranges between Sh.5000-6000 depending on your choice of airline. All these are normal fares and have no single cent added on top.
There have been calls for airlines to increases the number of scheduled flights to Lamu so as to be able to comfortably attend to the high number of visitors come in.
Many other travellers have been forced to use road travel since flights from Mombasa and Malindi to Lamu are fully booked.
Kimani Waigwa who just landed in Lamu a fortnight ago says he was forced to travel by road with his family from Malindi after they failed to secure plane tickect.
“I don’t like travelling by road is I can help it and so you can imagine my disappointment. All flights from Malindi to Lamu were fully booked yet we had already made reservations for our hotel here and had even fully paid for it. Next time, I will make sure I book early but we are asking airlines to increase flights to Lamu this festive season. There are so many people coming here and the available flights are just not enough,” said Waigwa.