South Africa: FlySafair launches new Johannesburg to kruger route

FlySafair has launched a new route connecting Johannesburg to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) in Nelspruit, further expanding its network for safe and affordable travel across South Africa.

This new route follows the successful launch of its connection between Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) and KMIA in April, providing easier access to prime tourist destinations like the Kruger National Park for international visitors.

Facilitating smooth travel experiences

”With this new route, we want to make it easier for our customers to reach the destinations of their choice as smoothly as possible,” explains Kirby Gordon, chief marketing officer at FlySafair.

The new Johannesburg to Nelspruit route is designed to enhance travel convenience for international tourists and benefits FlySafair’s interline partners such as KLM, Air France, Qatar, and Emirates, allowing seamless bookings from international flights to KMIA-bound flights. This strategic expansion supports FlySafair’s commitment to boosting the South African tourism sector.

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), South African travel and tourism are key drivers of economic recovery, with the sector predicted to grow at an average rate of 7.6% annually over the next decade, far surpassing the country’s overall economic growth rate of 1.8%. FlySafair’s new routes play a crucial role in maintaining this positive momentum.

”It has become abundantly clearer that travel and tourism is a driving force of economic growth in the country. Our beautiful country has significant attractions for tourists, with the Kruger National Park being particularly highly ranked. Thus, it makes sense to create new routes so that tourists can have ready access to prime attractions like Cape Town and the Kruger National Park,” explains Gordon.

Tourist arrivals in South Africa increased by 15.4% from January to March this year compared to the same period in 2023, bringing in 2.4 million visitors. As recorded, the travel and tourism sector’s contribution to GDP could reach over R554.6 billion (7.4% of the total economy) within the next eight years. This would give the country’s economy a much-needed boost of almost R287nm.

“This route is not only good business sense for us as an airline, but also yet another way FlySafair is demonstrating our continued commitment to playing our part in building our country’s critical travel and tourism sector,” concludes Gordon.