Tourism in Mpumalanga is set for a major boost going forward as the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMI) welcomed the addition of a new budget-friendly route to Cape Town on Tuesday.

The new route comes courtesy of low-cost airline operator FlySafair, now the third airline to operate a fixed route schedule out of KMI, after regional carriers Airlink and Fastjet. This makes Mbombela the 15th destination that FlySafair services.

The first flight touched down at KMI on Tuesday at 11:25, having taken off from Cape Town International at 09:00. It was fully booked, including dignitaries of FlySafair and various government spheres. A return flight to Cape Town departed an hour later, also fully booked.

The symbolic arrival was greeted with much fanfare as officials and dignitaries welcomed FlySafair Flight 670. The captain, Gawie Visser, safely landed the plane and taxied into place at the domestic arrivals terminal, to much applause from the crowds.

“We had a full flight, so we’re thankful to have picked up a lot of happy passengers from the Western Cape. We’re very thankful and happy to launch this new route and to be part of this success story.”

@lowvelderSPONSORED | Airline operator FlySafair has officially launched a brand-new flight route between KMI Airport and Cape Town International Airport, connecting Mbombela with Cape Town and the Mpumalanga and Western Cape provinces. The first flight landed at KMI Airport shortly after 11:00 on Tuesday April 2, and a return flight made the trip back to Cape Town at 12:05. The captain of FlySafair flight 670, Gawie Visser, speaks to Lowvelder about the significance of the flight and the brand-new route.

♬ original sound – Lowveld Media

Blacky Komani, the chairperson of the FlySafair board, said: “We’ve never had a new route start with sold-out flights. We’re very excited to connect these two iconic destinations, and new employment opportunities will become available. When you connect two destinations, tourism is bound to grow.”

Mpumalanga’s executive council member for finance, economic development and tourism Nompumelelo Hlope is delighted with the route. “This comes with a major positive economic spin-off for the province. It is a historic moment we celebrate. It provides us access to other provinces we otherwise would have had to drive long distances or catch alternative flights to reach.”

Grant Ponting, the managing director of KMI Airport, extended a warm Lowveld welcome to the airline. “I believe our province’s tourism potential is untapped, and this new opportunity may be the catalyst to unlocking that.”

He said the increase of traffic to the airport won’t be too significant at first. “Because there will only be two flights a week, we’re not expecting anything too big, but if this were to grow into a daily flight, it could see up to 20% increase in traffic to the airport.

“We’re currently operating at about half of our annual capacity, and I do believe this new route could help us grow significantly. If we do, we are fortunate enough to have the resources to be able to expand our offerings.”

Komani added: “We will take a few months to offer flights within the current schedule, and if there is enough demand, we will definitely look at expanding the offerings.”