Airlink’s modern Embraer ERJ135 Regional Jet was welcomed with a water salute as it touched down at King Shaka International Airport yesterday (April 5), celebrating the introduction of direct flights between Harare, Zimbabwe and Durban.
This is Airlink’s third direct route from Harare – it also serves Johannesburg and Cape Town - and it will operate flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
Speaking at the launch, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Ravi Pillay, said the route would boost business, trade and tourism links between the two cities.
“This new route will significantly improve both leisure and business travel, which in turn will greatly assist our tourism sector’s recovery from the devastation of the Covid-19 health emergency and the associated restrictions under which it has had to labour for so long. Importantly, too, the air route opens the door to the prospect of an altogether new era of air-based trade between Durban and its surrounds and Harare,” he added.
Zimbabwe is one of South Africa’s key trading partners, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
South Africa’s exports year-on-year to November 2021 increased by 10.6% from R3.5 billion to R3.87 billion, while imports increased by an impressive 85.8% from R156 million to R290 million. Most of this trade moves by road, however airfreight is also currently moved through OR Tambo and Cape Town International Airports.
Mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda, said: “eThekwini is excited to welcome this new route, especially as it is set to open more opportunities for travel within the African continent. Such routes contribute to our goals of facilitating more intra-Africa trade opportunities as it makes it easier to travel for business and pleasure.”
Dube TradePort and Durban Direct co-chairperson, Hamish Erskine, said King Shaka International Airport was the fastest-recovering international airport in the country, achieving 49% of its pre-Covid passenger throughput in the year to date. He said Airlink’s new Durban- Harare route would help accelerate the recovery.
Acsa regional general manager, Nkosinathi Myatasa, said that to ensure sustainability and agility in a constantly changing business environment, it had embarked on a “recover and sustain strategy” coupled with a revision of the company’s governance framework and operating model.
This included the promotion of regionalisation and clustering of the airport network, providing pooled resources and air access to previously less-serviced markets and the building of provincial networks to the SADC region and globally.
Airlink chief executive and managing director, Rodger Foster, underscored the commercial and tourism importance of the link between Durban and Harare. “We believe that our new service will promote commerce and tourism between the cities, as well as the province and Zimbabwe. Non-stop flights are popular because they are more convenient and save time for travellers,” he said.
