Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
New air routes sought to boost tourism
CAPE Town International Airport, the second busiest in the country, is lobbying to secure direct flights to the US, China and various African capitals, to boost tourism numbers secure business links.
These efforts will be driven by Cape Town Air Access, a division of Wesgro – the province’s destination, marketing and trade promotion agency.
At a public launch in the Cape Town city centre this week, Wesgro chief executive Tim Harris said the city had no nonstop flights to either North America or Asia, both major trading partners.
The event also saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Wesgro, Cape Town Tourism, the city, Airports Company South Africa and Western Cape Provincial Government, to work together to attract new airlines to the city.
Harris said this would give airlines policy certaintyt local and provincial government were on the same page.
While Cape Town has flights to Ethiopia, Namibia, Botswana, Angola and Mauritius, Harris said the city also needed to connect to other strategic capitals on the continent.
Air Access Cape Town, he said, would work to attract new routes to major markets such as Kenya and Nigeria, as well as Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia.
He also asked those in attendance, particularity business people looking to expand into Africa, to advise Wesgro which new routes were needed. While no new routes were announced at the launch, Harris did hint at the announcement of a new route to the US.
Since direct flights to Atlanta were scrapped in 2009, Harris said it was a hassle for US tourists and business people to easily reach the Mother City, as they had to change flights two or even three times.
In 2014, about 141 000 US tourists visited the Western Cape, a figure exceeded only by arrivals from the UK and Germany. The US is also the province’s biggest source of foreign direct investment.
Between 2005 and 2014, it invested R17 billion in the province.
Mayor Patricia de Lille said the city would work closely with Cape Town Air Access.
“( We) are committed to doing everything we can to facilitate the ease of doing business for prospective investors,” she said.
“From the city’s side, we are prepared to invest in the marketing of new flights.”
Deon Cloete, the general manager of Cape Town International Airport, said it was expected to break the 10 million passenger mark this year.
Cloete also gave an update on plans to lengthen the airport’s main runway to 3 500m from its current length of 3 200m, saying it was awaiting the final environmental impact assessment.
A longer runway, said Cloete, would allow larger jets to land and allow the airport room to expand.
jan.cronje@inl.co.za