AIRLINK has relaunched flights
between Johannesburg and Nosy
Be in Madagascar, enhancing
access between the two destinations.
This follows negotiations that started
between Airlink and the Malagasy
government in August last year.
“Nosy Be is a tourism gem,” said
Rodger Foster, ce and md of SA
Airlink, adding that the island was an
affordable leisure destination for the
South African traveller who was looking
for a more authentic island experience.
“Most of the properties on the
island are two-, three- or four-star,”
said Rodger “and it is likely to appeal
to the traveller who wants a lesscommercialised
experience.” He
described the island as “unspoilt” and
added that it offered “diving like no
other destination [does] and [that] the
ocean is teeming with fish”.
The island currently has 5 800 beds
on offer but only reaches a capacity of
25% during peak season.
“Air access to Nosy Be has been
historically difficult,” said Rodger. Airlink
used to service Johannesburg to Nosy
Be in 2008, but flights were pulled
in 2009 due to a coup, which had a
detrimental effect on demand to the
destination.
A boost to tourism
Following a discussion in May last year,
on the importance of reintroducing air
access to Nosy Be with the then South
African ambassador to Madagascar,
Gert J Grobler, Airlink travelled to Nosy
Be in August to explore the prospect of
opening up air access to the island and
met with both Madagascar’s President
and the Minister of Tourism.
However, it was on the
recommendation of Mike and Harriet
Joao, owners of MadagasCaT Charters
and Travel that Airlink took up the
Malagasy government’s invitation to
open up air access to Nosy Be.
MadagasCaT Charters and Travel has
contracted for an advance purchase
of 20 seats on each JohannesburgNosy
Be Airlink flight. The route is
operated by an Embraer ERJ 135 and
the remaining 17 seats will be made
available for sale in the GDS.
The operator is passionate about
Nosy Be and has been providing
charters to the island since 2008. “I
would like to propose that we create
a Zanzibar for Madagascar – an
affordable, efficient and unique island
destination,” said Harriet. MadagasCaT
and a team of marketers are currently
in negotiations with the tourist industry
in Nosy Be to grow South African tourist
numbers to the area. Harriet says the
launching of the Johannesburg-Nosy
Be route is an integral part of growing
tourism to the area.
“We would like to increase frequency
and capacity over time as demand
grows. Our short-term objective is a
second weekly frequency, which will
offer more travel combination options.
Airlink will be able to adjust capacity
according to demand by offering a
larger aircraft should it be required,”
said Rodger.
Johannesburg-Nosy Be flight schedule
THE new route operates once a
week on Sundays. Flight SA 8246
departs JNB at 09h30 and arrives
at NOS at 14h00. Return flight
SA 8247 departs NOS at 14h45
and arrives in JNB at 18h45.
Due to the flight duration and
prevailing headwinds there will be
a scheduled en-route technical fuel
stop in Beira on the return flight.
