Cape Town Air Access (CTAA) said that international seat capacity for the upcoming peak season is set to surge by an impressive 25% and reach over one million international inbound seats when compared to the same period in 2022–2023, a record for the project to date.
Ensuring season readiness, the Access team says it is aware of the expected increase in capacity for the upcoming season and is preparing itself to face any potential challenges that may arise with this anticipated surge.
"The ACSA team at Cape Town International Airport is dedicated to ensuring a smooth and successful summer season, and as always, our top priorities remain the safety and satisfaction of every passenger passing through our world-class airport," said Mark Maclean, Cape Town International Airport, Regional General Manager.
"Reflecting on wins from the past year, the project managed to secure a total of seven high-profile airlines and seven new routes added to Cape Town’s international route network, including three intercontinental carriers (Air Belgium, Delta Air Lines, and Virgin Atlantic) since September 2022," Maclean said.
He further added that increasing connections are the keys to tourism, trade, and investment markets; hence, there are two additional destinations added to the United States staple, Atlanta (operated by Delta Airlines) and Washington, DC (operated by United Airlines), secured by the Air Access team in 2022.
Maclean also mentioned the inaugural intercontinental flight connecting Cape Town to São Paulo, with South African Airways’ (SAA) commencing with two weekly flights on October 31, 2023.
"The securing of this direct route is significant, as São Paulo has long been the highest unserved market for Cape Town, and the flight on October 31 marks the return of South African Airways to the destination following an 11-year international absence.
"Other notable expansions included Airlink adding Maputo to its network, a route that has significantly amplified the carrier's regional connectivity to Cape Town and the Western Cape.
"Continuing to build on Cape Town’s positioning as the gateway to the rest of the continent, the team secured two new African routes this year: Eswatini Air’s Manzini-Cape Town route, as well as Proflight Zambia’s Lusaka-Cape Town flight, in June and July, respectively," Maclean said.
Maclean also announced the securing of LAM - Mozambique Airlines’ maiden flight between Maputo and Cape Town, commencing on October 15 with three weekly flights.
Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro and the Official Spokesperson for Cape Town Air Access, said: "These impressive figures are testament to the relentless efforts of the Cape Town Air Access team to propel Cape Town and the Western Cape towards successful post-pandemic growth that exceeds historical benchmarks.
IOL News