DURBAN - Airlink has officially launched its direct scheduled air service between Durban and Harare.
The first flight on Tuesday left Durban’s King Shaka International Airport at 10.30am and arrived at Harare’s Robert Mugabe International Airport at 12.40pm. The return service took off at 1.20pm and landed in Durban at 3.35pm.
The flight was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute on landing.
Rodger Foster, Airlink’s CEO and managing director, said the new direct flight will provide economic opportunities and partnerships.
“The convenience, customer appeal and affordability of our new direct service will promote business, trade and travel between the two cities and enhance the economic competitiveness of the regions they support,” said Foster.
He added that the move also demonstrated the importance the airline attached to both markets.
“Durban is one of South Africa’s top three economic hubs and Zimbabwe is South Africa’s biggest single trade and tourism market in the region,” he added.
He said visitors arriving at King Shaka International from Zimbabwe peaked at 36 879 in 2018, but began falling in 2019 and have halved since then.
“We believe that the convenience, appeal and affordability of direct flights will stimulate travel between the two cities and will promote additional economic activity, including trade, tourism and investment in and around Durban and nearby coastal towns.”
Flights on the route will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and travel time is about 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Airlink said it will operate the route with its Embraer ERJ135 regional jets.
Airlink’s aircraft are equipped with high-efficiency particulate air filters, which block 99.97% of particulates, which include molecules of coronavirus. These filters continually sterilise the air in the cabins, which is renewed entirely every three minutes.
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