THE Mayor of the eThekwini Municipality, Mxolisi Kaunda, has echoed the sentiments of the KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Sihle Zikalala, saying South African Airways (SAA) had not considered the implications before it suspended flights between Durban and Johannesburg.

The 2019/20 tourism annual figures indicate that Durban visitor attendance increased by four per cent domestic and down by one per cent international, Kaunda said in a statement.

“During the festive season in Durban (1st December 2019 to 16 January 2020) more than a million visitors came to our City, of which 250 000 were day visitors and a majority of them are from the Gauteng Province. This is a clear indication that the Johannesburg to Durban route is lucrative,” added Kaunda.

ALSO READ: WATCH: South African Airways cancels flights in fight for survival

Last year the City celebrated a decade of Emirates direct flights to Durban, as it ferried more than 2 million passengers and thousands of tons of cargo on the route since the first take off on 1 October 2009.

“Last year, we also introduced the direct flights between London and Durban by British Airways. Therefore, we fully support the Premier’s call for SAA to review its decision as it goes against government commitment to grow economy and create much-needed jobs,” said Kaunda.

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