An influx of airline passengers to South Africa has seen a recovery of 53% this year in comparison to the pre-pandemic levels in 2019 and is expected to increase to 69% in the 2022-’23 financial year.
This recovering milestone was announced by the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) in a briefing to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance, Economic Development and Tourism.
The company also further revealed that the arrival of international travellers to South Africa, which has seen a recovery of 33%, is flagging behind domestic travel, which has recovered to 59% of pre-pandemic levels. And while there is some indication of further increases in international travellers this year, a slow response from the national Department of Transport will dampen this recovery if swift action is not taken.
Says MPP Gillion Bosman: “ACSA has forecast a further recovery of 15% and 22% in domestic and international travellers this year, respectively. But with the unemployment rate continuing to increase we need a responsive national government that can facilitate bringing more tourists to our shores.
The Western Cape government commends a proactive approach taken by the provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism in launching an intergovernmental dispute with the national Department of Transport.
“The dispute arose due to international carriers, such as Delta Airlines and United Airlines, not being able to fly a triangular route between the United States, Johannesburg and Cape Town, despite bilateral air service agreements being in places for precisely this reason.”
While the provincial and national government are set to meet this month to resolve the matter, Bosman’s department urges the national government to play its part in supporting the tourism industry in South Africa and approve the triangular routes as soon as possible.
“These flights do not pose any risk to the market share of our domestic airlines and would stimulate freight and passenger routes between the Western Cape and the United States which could see an increase of between 25% to 50% in economic activity between the two regions.”
In closing, Bosman commented on the national department’s promise to seize every opportunity that will support the recovery of air travel in South Africa. “But,” he said, “the department itself is a roadblock to this recovery.”
“We trust that all stakeholders will work together in good faith and with urgency to ensure the creation of jobs and the recovery of tourism in the Western Cape and in South Africa.”
