20th Jun 2007 14:00
Lonrho PLC20 June 2007 20 June 2007 Lonrho Plc ("Lonrho" or the "Company") FLY540 TO COMMENCE SCHEDULED FLIGHTS TO MASAI MARA Lonrho (AIM: LONR), the African conglomerate with a diverse portfolio ofinvestments ranging from infrastructure, transportation, support services andnatural resources, is pleased to announce that Five Forty Aviation Limited ("Fly540"), Lonrho's 49% owned subsidiary, which operates low cost flights in EastAfrica, will be introducing daily flights to the Mara in Kenya from threedestinations from 15 July, 2007, targeting the increasing number of touriststravelling to the Masai Mara National Wildlife Reserve. Fly540 plans to introduce flights from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport inNairobi, making it the first airline to run flights directly from Nairobi'sInternational Airport to the Masai Mara. This will cater for the significantgrowth in tourism into Kenya and in particular to the Mara which has recentlybeen described as the Seventh Wonder of the World. Kenya continues to benefitfrom it's unique mix as a 'bush, beach and business' destination. AdditionallyFly540 plans to introduce flights from Mombasa and Malindi to the Mara, whichwill complement the strong leisure market from Europe directly into the coastalregion. David Lenigas, Lonrho Executive Chairman and Chief Executive, commented: "Intercontinental air traffic into Kenya has grown rapidly through the last 5years with many of the world's major airlines placing wide bodied capacity intothe region. The latest arrival is Virgin Atlantic, which has begun operatingdaily services into Nairobi's International hub from 1 June, 2007. As withtheir counterparts, they have identified a robust and varied market potentialwithin Kenya and the wider East African region. Fly540 is well placed to feedand complement these large scale operations alongside its core business of pointto point flying within Africa. Fly540 has made significant progress having launched its first flight inNovember 2006, flying to two destinations. Fly540 will now be flying to sixdestinations, demonstrating the Company's strength and potential. Fly540 willnow benefit from tapping into possibly one of the largest routes forinternational tourism in East Africa. Our investment in Fly540 is an excellentexample of our strategy to invest not only in African infrastructure but alsogrowth businesses." Don Smith, Fly540 Chief Executive, commented: "We are extremely pleased to be flying a further three routes, connecting theMasai Mara to three other important Kenyan locations. We have found that thereis a huge demand from the Kenyan tourism industry to make these routesavailable, which will not only cater for international tourists but also thoseliving locally in Kenya who wish to make the journey. We believe that Fly540'sstrong progress since launch is testimony to our strong business model andpotential to grow as we focus on introducing international flights later in theyear. We are well equipped to expand Fly540 and have recently acquired two newaircraft which has increased the capacity of our fleet. We are extremelypositive about the future of Fly540." Enquiries: For further information, please contact: Lonrho Africa Plc +44 (0) 20 7016 5105David Lenigas, Chief Executive +44 (0)7881 825 378Emma Priestley, Executive Director +44 (0)7867 785 177 Pelham PRCharles Vivian +44 (0) 20 7743 6672 +44 (0) 7977 297 903Alisdair Haythornthwaite +44 (0) 20 7743 6676 +44 (0) 771 472 1379 Notes to Editors: About Fly540 Fly540 introduced its first service to Mombasa seven months ago on 24 November,2006 and was well received by both business and leisure travellers. The airlinehas since added a further three destinations including Malindi, Lamu and Kisumuand is the pioneering low cost air carrier in East Africa. The airline intendsto expand to international destinations towards the end of 2007 to include aminimum of three other regional destinations in East Africa and a further fourin 2008. About Lonrho: Lonrho Plc is an expanding conglomerate that is rapidly growing a successfulbusiness throughout Africa. The Company is listed on the London AIM stockexchange (LONR). Lonrho is strategically focused on the development of businessopportunities in infrastructure, transportation, support services and naturalresources. The Company has over 20,000 shareholders and substantialinstitutional backing to support its mandate to build a profitable business thatplays a fundamental role in the development of the African economy. Since 2006, the Company has invested in or acquired control of: Hotel Cardoso - www.hotelcardoso.co.mz (retained) Nare Diamonds - www.narediamonds.com Brinkley Mining - www.brinkley-mining.com Luba Freeport - www.lubafreeport.com Fly540 - www.fly540.com Norse Air - www.norseair.co.za Swissta Holdings - www.swissta.com Countermine plc - www.countermine.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
Lonrho