Mombasa Air Safari Mombasa Air Safari Mombasa Air Safari (known as MAS) is a Kenya coast scheduled airline. Originally started by Aussie Walker in 1970 as Rapid Air, the company was purchased in 1974 by Captain John Cleave and renamed Mombasa Air Services. Based in Mombasa MAS has, since that date, always served the coast tourism industry. An additional MAS company, Malindi Air Services, was created with the purchase of Sunbird Aviation ( Malindi) in 1977. A further company, Mombasa Air Services (Ukunda) Limited was added the same year with the purchase of Amphibians Ltd, based at Diani Beach at Ukunda airfield. The
Mombasa Mombasa Island. Importantly, both of these names have linguistic and spiritual connections with Central Africa. "Mkisi" is considered the personification of "ukisi" which means "the holy" in kiKongo. "Kongowea" can similarly be interpreted as the Swahili locative of "kongo" which denotes the essence of civilizational order in central Africa. These legends can be read as an acknowledgment of the Bantu-speaking origins of the Swahili people. Shehe Mvita superseded the dynasty of Mwana Mkisi and established the first permanent stone mosque on Mombasa Island. Mombasa's oldest extant stone mosque, Mnara, was built c. 1300. Shehe Mvita is remembered as a Muslim