South Africa is getting a new flight from Johannesburg to Mbombela near the Kruger National Park next month.
Provided by FlySafair, the route will open up from Friday, 2 August 2024, with flights costing as little as R950 per ticket.
A popular holiday destination for locals and foreigners
The new flight will run between O.R. Tambo International Airport in Gauteng and Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) in Mbombela.
FlySafair explained that the added route is a natural next step, following the introduction of a similar flight between Cape Town International and KMIA this April.
Trips from O.R. Tambo will take place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with planes leaving at 11h15 to arrive in Mpumalanga at 12h10.
The returning flights from KMIA will then leave at 12h45 to land in Joburg at 13h40.
The aircraft flying to the Kruger will use the flight number FA 672, while the Gauteng-bound flights will be labelled FA 673.
In contrast, Cape Town’s flights run twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Naturally, the trips to and from the Mother City are also more expensive owing to the increased distance, as a one-way ticket from Cape Town costs roughly R1,851 while Joburg’s tickets will start at R950.
Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport
The local airline’s new flights between South Africa’s two largest airports and its most famous game park are intended to foster economic growth and capitalize on the country’s strong tourism industry.
”It has become abundantly clearer that travel and tourism is a driving force of economic growth in the country,” said Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair.
“Our beautiful country has significant attractions to tourists, with the Kruger National Park being particularly highly ranked. Thus, it makes sense to create new routes so that tourists can have ready access to prime attractions like Cape Town and the Kruger National Park.”
The greater ease of access that the new flights present will hopefully expand on the success that the nation’s tourism sector has experienced thus far in 2024, as international arrivals increased by 15.4% to 2.4 million in the first three months of the year, according to BusinessTech.
South Africa’s aviation industry is expected to grow tremendously over the next few years, necessitating the introduction of new routes, additional aircraft, and expansions and renovations to its key airports.
Cape Town is investing R7 billion into the Cape Winelands Airport to turn it into a viable alternative to Cape Town International and boost local tourism, and South African Airways is making its gradual recovery to the global stage with 60 new overseas destinations in the works.
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