Fly direct between India and SA

Johannesburg - Private airline Jet Airways started operating daily direct flights between Johannesburg and Mumbai on Thursday, the airline announced.

It had agreements with SAA and Comair to operate in Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, it said in a statement. It would also fly to Lusaka, Blantyre, Windhoek, Harare and Gaborone.

The developing economies of South Africa and India were emerging from a recession and a daily, scheduled service between their commercial capitals would facilitate growing trade, Jet Airways CEO Nikos Kardassis said after arriving on the inaugural flight on Thursday.

"While there's an existing visiting friends and relatives market between South Africa and India and growing cricket tourism, we believe India is still a relatively unexplored leisure destination," he said.

The airline would try encourage more South Africans to discover India's diversity.

"Similarly, the [2010 Fifa]World Cup provides a great opportunity to showcase South Africa and we'll be cooperating with local tourism agencies to capitalise on this after the tournament."

Jet Airways said it would operate Airbus A330-200 aircraft offering economy and business classes, with flights landing between 07:00 and 08:00 and departing between 22:30 23:30.

The airline already flies to 65 destinations, including the United States, Canada, Belgium, and Britain.

- Sapa