Review of Kenya Airways flight from Dzaoudzi to Nairobi in Business

This is the English version of my 2nd FR posted in April 2013.
For any reason, the images on the original version do not open anymore. East African warned me of this problem once he wanted to quote this special report.
Thus I decide to write it again. As the English-speaking community is large in Eastern Africa, this KQ route may please some readers from this part of the world, and many others I hope !
Let us start with some views of Mayotte, the Seahorse island.
Mount Choungi on the main island. I think it is a dyke.

Some of Mamoudzou’s buildings, the marina on the foreground and Mount Combani on the background.

Mamoudzou, the capital city of the archipelago, now a French department, seen from the departing ferry.

A view of the harbor.

These two ladies are wearing the traditional make-up. They are waiting for some hypothetical customer.

This lady is keeping an eye on her load of bananas while waiting for the ferry that links Petite Terre to Grande Terre twice hourly… when there is no strike and no breakdown.

Here comes the Salama Djema (have a safe journey) ferry.

The new market and the tourist information centre from the ferry.

This is a far too common view of Mayotte.

As I only spend a single day in Mayotte on my way to BKK, I just walked around “Petite Terre” the small island where the airport is.
Lake Dzani Dzaha : a place where many local legends take place.

Dzaoudzi Rock is the heart of Mayotte with the Foreign Legion, the Prefet’s offices, the onetime only hospital, the former governor’s palace and the mother church Saint Mickaël.

The Northern Coast of Grande Terre.

Moya beaches : a very scenic place due to collapsed volcanoes where you can observe many sea tortoises.

From the top of the Vigie Hill, one has a view on DZA and the construction site of the new terminal building.

UU 738 on the apron.

DZA runway dives into the lagoon. It is too short for long haul aircrafts to take off with full load.

The marina. Of Petite Terre.

The local market of Labattoir, whose name derives from the existence of a slaughterhouse in the old days.

The Flight Report.
It is now time to make my way to the airport. The long awaited new terminal is taking shape. Opening is scheduled for the first quarter of 2014. But it should have hapened in 2012… Everything needs longer time overseas…

Construction works are in progress.

Welcome to DZA.

The arrival building is no more than a overheated shed. All those who have travelled to DZA in January on board 777 know what I mean.

The main terminal building with check-in areas, immigration services and control tower.

The business class zone.

Of course the latter area is closed… as are many of the check-in counters. But I can easily have my luggage checked and my boarding pass printed.

I go quickly through immigration and security checks and I meet a police officer I used to be friend with when I was working in Mayotte.
Airside. No lounge for any company. Nevertheless it is great today as the A/C works and there I are many free seats.

Our KQ 737 is on time.

Let’s have a closer view.

DZA from the runway.

Remember it is my second attempt to shoot pics for a report. I was shy at the time. So the next view is airborne.
Mount Choungi at the background and the eastern coast of Grande Terre.

The Northern coast overlooked by Mount Dziani Bole.

On the Western side of Grande Terre, Chirongi Bay where Portuguese sailors may have landed in the early 16th Century.

Choizeul Islets : a wonderful place for scuba diving.

40 minutes after we land in Moroni, the capital city of the Republic of Comoros.

I do not know who uses those helicopters.

There is a modern terminal building some Gulf Emirate paid for and a little traffic.

Air Austral has a twice-weekly service from RUN. Here is one of their 2 738.

This one summarizes the state of the Comoros airlines.

Precision Air for Dar Es Salam.

While waiting for the boarding passengers to take their seats, I shoot the safety card.

It is time to say good bye to HAH. Let’s go to the runway.

Airborne.

The pitch or “room between the legs” ;)

Once airborne the FA hands the menu.

The bar service comes first.

The Hot light meal offer. I just shot the French version. One can see the translation is sometimes funny. By the way, it is a praiseworthy effort to give the French-speaking customers something they can understand. I missed the wine option but you can find it on East African report NBO-DXB. The wine list is the same it was 4 years ago when I was a regular KQ pax. The South African Rothschild has been replaced by a Shiraz and the S.A. sparkling wine gave the way to Champagne.

My choice is for the beef. I will have champagne as a drink. As KQ ran short of Moet et Chandon, we are offered Bollinger. I am not sure it is bad news. Champagne is a real improvement on KQ services.

The J 2-2 cabin and its recliner seats.

When you fly from DZA to NBO you must get a A seat in the event of a friendly weather. Thus, you can enjoy something that no IFE on earth will provide.

The snows of Mount Kilimanjaro. Something you must see once in a lifetime.

This report will finish a bit abruptly on this last scenic view as I was noy shooting instinctively at that time. :(