Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport and Cape Town Air Access Sign Cooperation Agreement
The Kruger Mpumalanga International(KMI) Airport will be getting a boost from a new partnership with Cape Town Air Access (CTAA).
The 2-year cooperation agreement was signed on Thursday at the AviaDev African 2019 conference in Cape Town. CTAA will assist KMI Airport in developing its air route network while promoting the airport to an international market.
It will also grow tourism between the two regions of Western Cape and Mpumalanga, as well as improve accessibility. KMI Airport is the official international entry point into Mpumalanga and is the largest thatch constructed airport in the world. Currently, Airlink is the main airline that services the route between the two airports, which has recently increased capacity on the route.
“According to data from OAG, KMI Airport saw a 1% increase in passenger traffic in 2018 with a total 284 202 passengers travelling through the airport, and 60 000 passengers flying between Cape Town and KMI Airport annually, says Marius Nel, CEO of the airport.
“With the assistance of Cape Town Air Access, we believe we can further grow the potential that South Africa and Mpumalanga has to offer, both to locals as well as international business and tourism visitors.” Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro hailed the spirit of collaboration, which is a cornerstone of the CTAA project.
“Using a similar model with other regions within South Africa will not only contribute growth to their region but will also enhance our offering. Our partnership with KMI Airport provides, for example, the opportunity to package a popular ‘Cape Town to Kruger National Park (via the Garden Route)’ itinerary which is an attractive proposition for international visitors.
“With CTAA currently advising the Nelson Mandela Bay Chamber of Commerce on route development and network improvement to Port Elizabeth, the cooperation agreement allows for tourism entities to work together and provide visitors with a rich offering.”
