As everyone knows, air links are the lifeblood of modern tourism. The market has been gloomy for some time: South Africa, the continent’s biggest aviation market, continues to report stagnant international passenger numbers. Its national airline, staggering under a mountain of debt, has been forced to cut its prized Cape Town-Heathrow slot and shed partnerships with Etihad and other airlines. Despite this, the broader picture may offer a glimmer of hope for an industry that many believe is not growing fast enough.
Scheduling changes are ongoing, but (to name but a few) British Airways will begin direct flights from Gatwick to Cape Town in November, adding to its established twice-daily flights out of Heathrow. Abu Dhabi’s Etihad has started a daily service between Abu Dhabi and Dar es Salaam, and Qatar Airways has announced routes to six new African destinations, starting with Marrakech in July, Windhoek in September, the Seychelles in December and Cameroon, Gabon and Zambia next year.