Western Cape wants increased flight connectivity with Asia

Cape Town Air Access is hoping to grow flight connectivity between the city and East Asia.

Currently, there is only one airline offering scheduled flights connecting Cape Town with destinations in the ASEAN region.

DRIVING ECONOMIC GROWTH

Last month Cape Town Air Access, powered by Wesgro, attended the Routes Asia 2025 conference, aiming to engage carriers in some unserved Asian markets to consider flying to Cape Town.

Improved air connectivity spurs economic activity and results in job creation.

According to Wesgro, every 100 passengers support two local jobs in the region.

FLIGHT CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN CAPE TOWN AND ASIA

Currently, only two airlines operate direct services between the Far East and South Africa – Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

South African Airways used to operate services to Hong Kong – before its business rescue process.

Over a decade ago, Malaysia Airlines operated flights between Kuala Lumpur and Buenos Aires, with stops in both Johannesburg and Cape Town, before heading across the Atlantic Ocean to the Argentine capital.

Thus, connecting Malaysia with both Johannesburg and Cape Town. However, the airline stopped flying to South Africa in 2012.

Singapore Airlines relaunched Cape Town services in July 2021, as tag-on flights from Johannesburg (an existing route).

The airline is now seeing increased demand for flights between Asia and South Africa. It is expanding its South African schedule from 7 to 10 flights a week.

INCREASED TOURISM FLOWS

The growth in tourism to the Western Cape is fuelling demand for flights to Cape Town from Asia.

There is hope that India will soon be connected to South Africa.

The countries were previously connected by South African Airways and Jet Airways over a decade ago. Since then, there have been no direct services.

With South Africa having now launched its Trusted Tour Operator System (TTOS), making visas available to Indian nationals (through trusted tour operators) the country is aiming to receive increased tourism flows from India.

The Western Cape is thus hoping to benefit, with more flights from the Far East.

 Cape Town Air Access has indeed had significant success in encouraging airlines to start up new services or to expand existing flight schedules into Cape Town.  

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