TUI announces exciting 2 weekly flights from Amsterdam to Mombasa and Zanzibar

Good news for sun-seekers, safari dreamers, and anyone who thinks winter in Europe lasts approximately 11 months: TUI has finally been cleared to launch charter flights from Amsterdam to East Africa. Yes, after months of regulatory back-and-forth, form-filling, and what we can only assume involved several very patient emails, Europe’s largest tour airline has secured the permission it’s been chasing.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has officially granted TUI a one-year licence, effective 10 November 2025, allowing the airline to operate tour charter flights on the Amsterdam–Zanzibar–Mombasa–Amsterdam routing. Translation: the Indian Ocean just got a whole lot closer for Dutch holidaymakers.

Two Flights a Week, One Dreamliner, Zero Layovers

Under the newly approved setup, TUI will operate two charter flights per week, using Boeing 787 Dreamliners based in Amsterdam. That means long-haul comfort, decent legroom (by charter standards), and a flight experience designed for people who want to arrive relaxed — not folded into themselves like a budget-seat origami project.

The routing includes both Zanzibar and Mombasa, but there’s a small technical detail worth noting: passengers cannot hop on or off between Zanzibar and Mombasa. No spontaneous island-to-mainland adventures mid-trip, unfortunately.

That’s because the approval sticks strictly to First and Second Freedom of the Air rules, which in aviation terms means: fly in, fly out, and don’t start acting like a local airline in between. Fair enough.

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Third Time Lucky

This approval didn’t come easily. TUI first applied for the permit earlier in 2025 and was politely but firmly rejected in June. Undeterred (and probably armed with more paperwork), the airline submitted a fresh application in August, tweaking its approach and trying again.

This time, the answer was yes.

With the licence now secured, TUI is wasting no time positioning itself to capture strong European demand for East Africa and the Indian Ocean, especially during the European winter — aka the season when people start Googling “warm beach” around mid-October.

Why East Africa, Why Now?

From TUI’s perspective, the timing makes perfect sense. International tourism has been steadily recovering, and destinations like Zanzibar and Kenya’s coast tick a lot of boxes: sunshine, wildlife, beaches, culture, and the ability to make January feel slightly less depressing.

For Kenya, the decision is about boosting inbound tourism at a time when its coastal resorts have been struggling to compete with destinations that already enjoy heavy European charter traffic. More direct flights mean more visibility, more visitors, and ideally, more hotel bookings.

Or at least, that’s the plan.

Not Everyone Is Applauding (Aviation Rarely Is)

As with most things involving airlines, tourism, and money, the approval hasn’t been completely drama-free. Kenyan tourism associations have raised concerns about foreign, vertically integrated tour operators — like TUI — potentially undercutting local airlines, hotels, and tour companies.

The worry? That bundled flight-and-hotel packages could mean less money staying in the local economy, especially if travellers book everything before they even leave Europe.

Regulators, however, have defended the move, arguing that Kenya needs more capacity and stronger competition if it wants to keep up with rival destinations that have successfully attracted winter charter traffic.

In other words: empty hotel rooms don’t help anyone.

A Win for TUI’s Global Charter Empire

For TUI, this licence is another piece of a much bigger puzzle. The airline already operates an extensive charter network across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, flying holidaymakers directly from Europe to wherever the sun happens to be shining.

Adding Mombasa and Zanzibar strengthens that network and reinforces TUI’s role as a one-stop holiday machine — flights, hotels, transfers, and sunburn included.

What This Means for Travellers

For travellers, the headline is simple: more direct flights, fewer connections, and easier access to East Africa. No middle-of-the-night airport changes, no sprinting through unfamiliar terminals, and no wondering why your luggage decided to visit a different continent.

As of November 2025, it’s Amsterdam to paradise — with a Dreamliner doing the heavy lifting.

And after months of waiting, it seems TUI has finally got exactly what it wanted: clearance for take-off, and a runway pointed straight at the sun.