WC wants direct US flights

Western Cape exporters can
play a role in landing a direct
flight to the US by sharing
more data with government.
According to Alan
Winde, minister of
economic opportunity,
not enough data is always
available to government
officials negotiating with
international airlines for
direct flights to Cape Town.
“My challenge to you and
to us as government is to
build a stronger relationship
on how we talk to internal
data – what products you
are producing, where you are
selling them and how you
are getting them there – and
what high-value cargo can
be moved out of containers,
off the sea and into the
underbelly of planes,” he
said during an address to
the Exporters Club Western
Cape recently. “We are really
trying to land a USA/Cape
Town flight and if Wesgro
goes to hunt for that flight
with a briefcase full of
trade, cargo potential that
goes underneath the belly,
it makes so much more
sense than just going with
a tourism offering. We will
secure these deals so much
sooner.”