Welcome aboard Turkish Airlines

King Shaka International Airport celebrated the arrival of a new family member last Thursday, as they proudly welcomed a direct flight to Istanbul to their international destinations.

Voted as the best airline in Europe for the fifth year, according to Skytrax, Turkish Airlines landed their first plane in Durban yesterday and were delighted to add us to their 280 destinations.

Turkish Airlines chairman of the board, Ilker Ayci said this was a historical event.

“Our decision to launch this flight was driven by an increased demand for international travelers to travel to Durban. We have commenced our Durban flights with four weekly frequencies, but hopefully, we will increase that to seven weekly frequencies soon,” said Avci.

“I am also glad to announce that to further encourage tourism between the two countries, South African citizens wanting to travel to Turkey can simply download a hassle free e-visa at no cost, from the official web link of Turkish Government, www.evisa.gov.tr.”

Provincial Minister of economic development, tourism and environmental affairs KZN, Michael Mabuyakhulu said KZN has been largely relying on indirect connectivity to access international markets.

“In this regard, limited connectivity to international markets hampers efficient movement of tourists and goods from our region and therefore retards economic growth and job creation. We are confident that Turkish Airlines will act as a catalyst for advancing the KZN gateway status and economic integration with global markets,” said Mabuyakhulu.

Turkish Airlines General Manager, Tarkan Ince said flight connectivity is shifting from Europe to Asia, particularly the Middle East.

“Africa is developing and in the middle of these two continents, so we need to make out footprint here before others move in. Africa is the future,” said Ince.

Ince said Istanbul will soon be home to the biggest airport in the world, making it an even more attractive partner for KZN.

“The first of three phases is planned to be completed in 2018 and will accommodate about 90 million travellers. The final phase three will have the capacity of 150 million passengers a year.”

With Turkish Airlines, Durban is connected to the world and the world is connected to Durban.