Swazi airline battling to get off the ground

MBABANE – Swaziland
‘s proposed governmentowned
airline is having
difficulty getting off the
ground, but management
of the new Swazi Airways
insists the venture will
be airborne this year. The
carrier replaces Royal
Swaziland Airways, which
f lew from 1978 to 1999.
The airline is necessary to
ensure any possible financial
success for King Mswati
III International Airport
(KM3), which opened two
years ago in March 2014.
Other than daily commuter
f lights to and from
Johannesburg via Swaziland
Airlink, no air carrier uses
the expensive new facility.
On his state visit to attend
King Mswati’s birthday,
South African president
Jacob Zuma landed at the
old Matsapha airport, which
is utilised by King Mswati
himself.
Swaziland Airlink, part
of an alliance with South
African Airways, South
African Express and
South African Airlink,
calls itself the f lag carrier
of Swaziland. The new
Swazi Airways is supposed
to command that title,
serving as a feeder airline
from the KM3 Airport
to other destinations.
Airport consultants told
government that because of
the low passenger numbers
and limited air freight to
Swaziland, international air
carriers would only land at
KM3 if the facility acted as a
regional hub and passengers
could catch planes to their
main destinations.