01/09/09, 02:04:27 UTC

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India’s top airline to muscle in on SAA territory in 2008

thetimes.co.za

Top Indian airline Jet Airways is set to take to the South African skies from next year.

Voted “India’s Leading Airline” at the annual World Travel Awards in Bangalore last week, Jet will begin operating between Johannesburg and Mumbai three times a week from April, muscling in on the South African Airways service to the subcontinent.

SAA currently flies four times a week to Mumbai from Johannesburg.

Jet is also looking at extending its operation to Durban, with direct flights from the city to Mumbai.

“Jet Airways has started its preparation for opening the route between India and South Africa, and plans to start flying with effect from the summer schedule 2008 on the Mumbai-Johannesburg route,” said Jet CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer.

India’s consul-general in Durban, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, welcomed Jet’s introduction into the South African market, saying it would make India a “step closer for locals”.

“I have been in discussions with the Jet team. They are going to start taking orders from January. They already have an office set up in Johannesburg and are looking at Durban next,” said Shringla.

He said the airline was “seriously considering flying from Durban by the end of next year”.

He said Air India was also considering relaunching in South Africa, “particularly linking Durban to north and south India”.

The airline stopped operating between South Africa and India a few years ago.


“That is what we are working very hard for. We’ve had meetings, and I have sent them a detailed brief outlining why Durban will be a viable market to operate from.

“My point of view is that the Johannesburg sector is saturated. You need to have a new opening. There is enormous potential to develop the market.

“There is a great deal of focus on the Western countries, but the potential of the Asian market is not being realised. That is one of the constraints which need to be addressed.”

Shringla said that according to South African government statistics, Indian visitors were the “highest spenders”.

“Last year, 40000 Indian tourists visited the country, spending R11000 per capita.

“Unfortunately, they visited the only places they know about in South Africa — Johannesburg, Sun City and Cape Town.”

He said if Indian tourists were to be attracted to Durban, the present air service between India and South Africa had to be improved.

“The commencement of flights between Durban and India will allow the development of a tourism package for Indian tourists and would include a package that would enable them to visit sites relating to Mahatma Gandhi’s stay in South Africa.”

 Printable Version  | published Nov 11, 2007