Three major airlines wish to increase their frequencies between their hubs and South Africa’s major airports. Based on the notices published within the Government Gazette, Cathay Pacific, TAAG Angola Airlines, and Ethiopian Airlines could boost the variety of weekly flights to and from Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.
South African aviation has seen tremendous post-pandemic recovery, with several airlines reinstating their every day flights. Nonetheless, regarding increased frequencies and in line with News24 Business, aviation experts consider it continues to be early, and never all airlines could also be granted rights to fly on all requested routes.
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific is ready to reinstate its service to South Africa after discontinuing flights at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. From August 2, 2023, the airline will resume its service between Hong Kong International (HKG) and Johannesburg OR Tambo (JNB), with three non-stop weekly flights.
The carrier will deploy its Airbus A350-900 on the route, offering customers a superior flight experience. The service will provide travelers from Southern Africa with direct access to Hong Kong and options for further connections on the airline’s Asian network, including destinations within the Chinese Mainland, Indonesia, and Thailand, to say just a few.
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The airline has applied to extend its service between Hong Kong and South Africa to 11 weekly flights, with a every day service to JNB. Along with the JNB service, it’s trying to launch three weekly flights to Cape Town on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and one weekly flight to Durban on Saturdays.
Although the gazetting process is primarily for public engagement before awarding the licenses, Cathay Pacific told News24 Business that they’d received permission to operate flights to Cape Town and Durban, as stated within the Government Gazette.
TAAG Angola Airlines
TAAG is looking to reinforce its service between Angola and South Africa to 23 flights per week. It currently operates every day flights from Luanda Quatro de Fevereiro (LAD) to Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Photo: Thiago B Trevisan/Shutterstock.
Along with this service, it has applied to spice up the Johannesburg service to 13 weekly flights and launch three weekly flights between Luanda and Durban King Shaka International (DUR). The carrier will connect South Africa’s Golden Triangle and turn into the one airline operating flights between Angola and these three destinations.
With major route and fleet development plans, TAAG is eyeing significant growth in the subsequent five years. As a part of the corporate’s growth plan, it formalized the order for nine aircraft through the 2023 edition of the Paris Air Show. TAAG now has an order of 15 Airbus A220 aircraft through lease agreements with various international partners.
Ethiopian Airlines
Africa’s leading carrier can also be eyeing increased flights between Ethiopia and South Africa. This includes as much as 35 weekly flights from Addis Ababa Bole International (ADD), with 14 operating on to Cape Town.
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The carrier currently operates Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights between ADD and JNB as much as 21 times every week. It offers passengers three every day flights, with morning, afternoon, and late-night options.
Several airlines flying into South Africa operate flights to Johannesburg. Nonetheless, Cape Town is seeing a rise in demand due to Cape Town Air Access project by Wesgro. Since 2015, the town has welcomed six recent African airlines and continues expanding its network. If these airlines receive permission to extend their frequency, CPT will see more enhanced passenger activity.
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Source: News24 Business