Turkish continues SA flights

12 Jan 2001 - by Staff reporter

Cargo is booming, but tourism
needs a boost,
writes Leonard Neill

TURKISH AIRLINES will continue its twice-a-week schedule to South Africa. The airline will not be withdrawing the service in March as had been previously announced.
No reason has been given for the turnabout in arrangements, but local officials are satisfied that it is a result of high level lobbying by South African government personnel and members of the Turkish embassy in this country.
The airline, owned by the Turkish government, has recorded dwindling passenger loads in recent months. While cargo holds have been filled to capacity on all flights, officials believe that seats are being filled only by business travellers.
We have not been given the official reasons but we are happy that for the time being we will continue to have the aircraft flying in and out of here twice a week, says South African sales and marketing manager Jason Harrison.
In addition, negotiations - again at government level - are proceeding with South African Airways to permit the airline to add a third weekly frequency.
According to Harrison the department of tourism has been actively engaged with the Turkish authorities for some years to promote tourism between the two countries, but this has not been as successful as had been hoped.
Trade between the two countries is at a premium, says Harrison. That side of things is going very well, and Air Cargo Resources, our general sales agents for cargo here, have been kept busy throughout the past year. If an additional flight is granted, I know they will be delighted with the extra capacity available.
All it needs now is for the tourism sector to be given a boost. Businessmen are flying regularly between the two countries, but they alone cannot sustain the level required to make things viable.
But the good news is that we have started 2001 with bookings open again and we'll be flying as usual.

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