AIRLINK will launch a lodge-link
system of scheduled flights
between Skukuza Airport and a
number of luxury lodges in the
Kruger Park – a first for ‘city
to game lodge’ connectivity,
Rodger Foster, Airlink ceo told
TNW.
Guests travelling from
anywhere in the world will now
be able to fly into a number of
luxury lodges in the Kruger on
a single ticket. The tickets will
be bookable through the GDS.
Initially the service will
connect visitors from Skukuza
and Nelspruit airports directly
to the Ulusaba, Singita,
Arathusa and Londolozi
lodges.
“SA Airlink’s code franchising
agreement with SAA means
that visitors travelling to the
four connected Sabi Sand
lodges will be able to use
the SAA flight reservations
facility to book their entire trip,
effectively removing the hassle
of having to arrange separate
road shuttle services or
complicated secondary aircraft
charters from the main centres
to their end-destinations,”
Rodger said.
“There are lodges close to
Skukuza that can be reached
via road transfers but we
recognised the requirement for
a more feasible way to access
lodges that are further away
from the airport,” he said.
“This is really a gateway
for the leisure market, where
international tourists will have
greatly increased access into
the Kruger.
“These lodges are brought
into communication with
Skukuza, on to Johannesburg
and Cape Town and effectively
the rest of the world.”
Londolozi and Singita would
receive their own services,
while the enclave of Sabi
Sand lodges in the west would
receive flights at one runway
in the area, still to be decided
on, and a similar practice
would be undertaken for an
enclave of lodges in the north,
he said.
Airlink has already taken
delivery of four Cessna
208B Grand Caravans which
are being ferried to South
Africa and are expected to
arrive between Monday and
Wednesday. Rodger said
services were envisaged to
begin in mid-July.
