The national carrier of the Kingdom of Eswatini, Eswatini Air, touched down at King Shaka International Airport in Durban on its inaugural flight from King Mswati III International Airport in Manzini on Friday (May 5).
An Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft, with a maximum capacity of 50 passengers, will be deployed on the route, offering three flights per week (on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays). Depending on demand, frequencies may increase to seven times a week from June.
To celebrate the launch of the new route, the government of KwaZulu Natal and Eswatini Air hosted a delegation of 40 Eswatini dignitaries on board the inaugural flight, which included the Minister of Public Works and Transport, the Minister of Tourism, key media, and selected tour operators, to facilitate both tourism and trade on the new route.
Welcoming the inaugural flight, MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, and the leader of Government Business in KwaZulu Natal, Siboniso Duma, said: "This route enhances the tourism potential between the two destinations and strengthens trade relations.
“Eswatini is one of the key regional tourism markets and shares strong historical and cultural ties with the province of KwaZulu Natal. Pre-pandemic, tourist arrivals from Eswatini averaged 290 000 per annum and, in 2022, tourist arrivals demonstrated a strong recovery of 89%. This presents an exciting opportunity for Eswatini Air to grow as a partner in accelerating tourism recovery between the two destinations."
Deputy Chairperson of the Economic Development and Planning Committee in eThekwini, Phili Ndlovu said: "We are excited about the launch of this new route into Durban as we work to drive the recovery of our tourism sector.
“As the eThekwini Municipality, we look forward to working closely with Eswatini Air, by creating awareness of the new route and providing support to the airline to demonstrate our commitment to strengthening relationships with our African counterparts and showing the socio-economic benefits of making tourism a priority in achieving a development agenda. Attracting more direct airlines to eThekwini remains key to boosting tourism and trade.”
Nkosinathi Myataza, Acsa Regional GM at King Shaka International Airport, added: “The inaugural flight reinforces the importance of the aviation industry and how it remains a key mode of transport, generating significant benefits for an economy by enabling tourism and trade.”
