Mombasa Air Services Mombasa Air Services Mombasa Air Services, a Kenya air charter firm, was created when John Cleave purchased Rapid Air, a Civil Aviation Board licensed air charter firm with bases in Nyeri and Diani Beach. Flight operations were switched to the coast city of Mombasa, to serve the newly growing coast tourism industry and the company name was changed to Mombasa Air Services. During the seventies, eighties and nineties, Mombasa was restricted by existent colonial legislation, from receiving international scheduled services, which were all directed to the capital city of Nairobi. During the seventies and eighties, the Kenya coast was a
Mombasa of great learning and so is connected more directly with the present ideals of Swahili culture that people identify with Mombasa. The ancient history associated with Mwana Mkisi and Shehe Mvita and the founding of an urban settlement on Mombasa Island is still linked to present-day peoples living in Mombasa. The Thenashara Taifa (or Twelve Nations) Swahili lineages recount this ancient history today and are the keepers of local Swahili traditions. Most of the early information on Mombasa comes from Portuguese chroniclers writing in the 16th century. The famous Moroccan scholar and traveller Ibn Battuta visited the area during his