The Western Cape is set to experience a surge in passenger numbers with the introduction and expansion of flights to Cape Town by several regional and local airlines.
According to CAJ News Africa, Proflight Zambia will launch direct flights from Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, to Cape Town on 1 July, offering two flights per week. Airlink, a local operator, will increase the frequency of its Cape Town to Mbombela (Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport) route, doubling capacity to 12 flights per week starting on 7 August.
Additionally, Air Mauritius plans to increase the number of flights on its Mauritius to Cape Town route from two to three times per week, beginning on 28 November.
Also read: City of Cape Town approves an increased grant for Cape Town Tourism
These developments align with the positive trend in passenger statistics at Cape Town International Airport.
In May, both the domestic and international terminals reported year-on-year monthly growth. The domestic terminal witnessed a 9% increase in passenger numbers, with over 548 000 passengers passing through. When comparing the year-to-date growth (January to May) to the same period in 2022, there was a 7% increase. The international terminal experienced an impressive 46% year-on-year growth in May, serving over 175 000 passengers.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Enjoy a scenic NAC Helicopter flight plus a three-course meal for R 2 249. Get it here.
Year-to-date, the international terminal has shown robust growth, reaching 82%, reflecting the expanded airline capacity and improved route connectivity compared to the same period in 2022.
In terms of air cargo, over 4 700 metric tonnes were traded in March for the Western Cape. While there have been month-on-month increases in cargo volumes for 2023, there was a 6% decline in March 2023 compared to the previous year. This decrease can be attributed to reduced imports, particularly of pharmaceuticals, beverages, and machinery.
However, the year-to-date growth remains positive at 7%, totalling 14 000 tonnes, with exports accounting for 60% of the volume.
These figures were disclosed by Wesgro, the official tourism, trade, and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape.
Explore Cape Town and its surroundings with these incredible deals on cars for under 100k. Find car listings here.
Also read:
Picture: Petri Oeschger / Getty Images