Durban courts carriers for direct flights

MORE international
airlines are
considering launching
direct flights out of Durban.
Two airlines in India and
two in the UK are in talks
to launch direct flights to
Durban, according to Dube
Tradeport air services
specialist, Keith Green. Dube
Tradeport is responsible for
driving route development
for Durban’s King Shaka
International Airport.
Keith told TNW that
while conversations were
“looking positive at this
point” he could not mention
which airlines had been
approached.
“We have been trying
to attract a direct London
service for a while now
and we are speaking to
two carriers in that regard.
Similarly, travellers are
struggling to find convenient
connections to India
from Durban since SAA’s
discontinuation of flights to
Mumbai from Johannesburg,
so we are in conversations
with two airlines on a
potential direct Durban-India
route,” says Keith.
An industry authority
told TNW that Jet Airways
was considering flying
from India to Durban, but
a representative from Jet
Airways denied this: “At this
moment we have no plans to
fly to Durban.”
Norwegian is also rumoured
to be one of the airlines
considering flights to Durban.
Last year the airline said it
was considering flights from
Copenhagen to Cape Town
and Durban as well as flights
from London Gatwick to
Cape Town (see TNW October
28, 2015). “Norwegian has
secured a UK Air Operating
Certificate, which will help
open up access to bilateral
traffic rights to a range
of new routes including
South America, Africa and
Asia. Detailed planning for
Norwegian UK is now under
way but at this early stage,
no decisions about specific
new routes have been made
as yet,” said a spokesperson
for Norwegian.
ANC MEC for economic
development and chairperson
of the ANC in KZN, Sihle
Zikalala told TNW talks were
being held with airlines in
Angola and Namibia to launch
direct flights to Durban.
Since Ethiopian Airlines,
Qatar Airways, Proflight
Zambia and Turkish Airlines
launched direct flights to and
from the city, international
passenger numbers at
King Shaka International
Airport had grown
significantly, said Keith.
In March this year,
international passenger
numbers grew by 23%
compared with March 2015.
April 2016 saw growth of
25% compared with April
2015 and in May, passenger
numbers grew by 30%
compared with May 2015.