Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula’s reopening of additional airports in South Africa has sparked local airline competitors to immediately resume flights to Port Elizabeth.
FlySafair resumed its ORTIA-Port Elizabeth and Cape Town-Port Elizabeth routes this week.
“In our first week we are operating flights on Monday (July 6), Thursday (July 9), Friday (July 10) and Sunday (July 12). Thereafter we will have a daily service on both routes,” said FlySafair’s executive manager and chief marketing officer, Kirby Gordon.
Kirby added that FlySafair had now increased its services to three daily flights between ORTIA and Cape Town with the exception of Sundays when the airport operates two flights a day. It is now also operating daily flights on the following routes:
- ORTIA- Durban
- Lanseria-Cape Town
- Lanseria-Durban
- Cape Town-Durban
Airlink will reintroduce its Johannesburg-Port Elizabeth service on July 13. The airline says its schedule is designed to offer Johannesburg-based business travellers a same-day return service.
“The early-morning flight will depart from Johannesburg at 06h10, arriving in Port Elizabeth at 07h55. The return flights from Port Elizabeth will depart at 08h35 arriving at Johannesburg at 10h15. The afternoon flight will depart from Johannesburg at 15h25 arriving at Port Elizabeth at 17h10 and will return from Port Elizabeth at 17h50 arriving at Johannesburg at 19h35. Flights will depart Monday to Friday and Sunday,” says Airlink marketing and sales manager, Karin Murray.
Flights between Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth are also reflecting on CemAir’s website. According to the online schedule, these operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during July.