Publications
Partners
Johannesbug - Airlink has announced it is going to launch flights from Nelspruit’s Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport to Vilanculos (or Vilankulo, as it’s spelled in Mozambique), from June 19 2014.
The return flight is from Vilanculos to Johannesburg.
This is good news from a number of perspectives. The first and most obvious reason is the boost to tourism.
Federal Air quit flying the Nelspruit-Vilanculos route in December 2012, which made it more difficult for tourists to enjoy the twin pleasures of seeing wildlife in the Kruger and then lounging around on the magnificent beaches around Vilanculos (pro tip: don’t spend all your time at Vilanculos, as the beaches on the nearby islands are more heavenly).
Airlink partially filled the gap by launching Johannesburg to Vilanculos flights in March 2013, but one-stop flights via Johannesburg aren’t ideal for tourists.
The second reason this is good news is because it shows that Airlink has not been overly distracted by its turf war with SA Express, and is pressing on with its own agenda.
A risk with turf wars is that one can get so consumed in the battle to take business from rivals on existing routes that opportunities on routes not being flown (like Nelspruit to Vilanculos) are missed.
The launch of the route also indicates Airlink’s belief in the Nelspruit Kruger Mpumalanga Airport.
Since British Airways Comair suspended its Johannesburg to Nelspruit flights in February 2012, it’s only been Airlink flying the route.
When it was announced a couple of months back that Skukuza Airport was reopening for scheduled flights and Airlink was starting flights from Johannesburg to Skukuza, tour operators in Nelspruit started worrying that the area was losing its importance as a gateway to the Kruger.
The mood in Nelspruit lightened somewhat when SA Express announced it was starting flights from Johannesburg to Nelspruit from November 1 2013. With Airlink now introducing Nelspruit to Vilanculos flights, the airport's prospects are looking up.
- Fin24
*Rob Baker is co-owner of South Africa Travel Online. Follow him on twitter on @southafricaTO.
The return flight is from Vilanculos to Johannesburg.
This is good news from a number of perspectives. The first and most obvious reason is the boost to tourism.
Federal Air quit flying the Nelspruit-Vilanculos route in December 2012, which made it more difficult for tourists to enjoy the twin pleasures of seeing wildlife in the Kruger and then lounging around on the magnificent beaches around Vilanculos (pro tip: don’t spend all your time at Vilanculos, as the beaches on the nearby islands are more heavenly).
Airlink partially filled the gap by launching Johannesburg to Vilanculos flights in March 2013, but one-stop flights via Johannesburg aren’t ideal for tourists.
The second reason this is good news is because it shows that Airlink has not been overly distracted by its turf war with SA Express, and is pressing on with its own agenda.
A risk with turf wars is that one can get so consumed in the battle to take business from rivals on existing routes that opportunities on routes not being flown (like Nelspruit to Vilanculos) are missed.
The launch of the route also indicates Airlink’s belief in the Nelspruit Kruger Mpumalanga Airport.
Since British Airways Comair suspended its Johannesburg to Nelspruit flights in February 2012, it’s only been Airlink flying the route.
When it was announced a couple of months back that Skukuza Airport was reopening for scheduled flights and Airlink was starting flights from Johannesburg to Skukuza, tour operators in Nelspruit started worrying that the area was losing its importance as a gateway to the Kruger.
The mood in Nelspruit lightened somewhat when SA Express announced it was starting flights from Johannesburg to Nelspruit from November 1 2013. With Airlink now introducing Nelspruit to Vilanculos flights, the airport's prospects are looking up.
- Fin24
*Rob Baker is co-owner of South Africa Travel Online. Follow him on twitter on @southafricaTO.
