Mango Airlines connects Nelson Mandela Bay with Lanseria International

Bair175 via Wikimedia Commons

The addition of a new destination is the result of a collaborative airlift work between the City, Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, Lanseria International Airport and Airports Company South Africa, operated by Mango Airlines to offer travellers an alternative point linking Gauteng province with Nelson Mandela Bay.

The service is expected to capture a mix of visiting family and relatives (VFR), business and leisure traveller originating around the greater Johannesburg, the Gauteng province and beyond. Lanseria International Airport offers a gateway to the North, which covers The Cradle of Humankind and Sun City.

Marelize Labuschagne, acting CEO at Mango Airlines says: "We are very excited to finally launch this route – an enormous amount of work has been done to increase our network out of Lanseria. This additional route is a win for both cities, and Mango is privileged to be a part of boosting local tourism.

"At a time when our economy needs stimulating Mango has set its sights on unlocking the immense social and economic value that tourism provides."

PE, a gateway to the Garden Route

Labuschagne adds: "We are expecting that the route will capture a combination of business and leisure travellers originating from the Southern and Northern parts of Johannesburg, the wider Gauteng province and beyond. Port Elizabeth is the gateway to the Garden Route and a highly populated tourist area so we are expecting this to be a popular network choice."

Economic development, tourism and agriculture executive director at the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Anele Qaba says: "Access to Nelson Mandela Bay and the cost thereof was identified as barriers to tourism and economic growth within the region. To unlock the full tourism potential air access needed to be prioritised in order to make it easier and more affordable for visitors to explore Nelson Mandela Bay.”

"It is thus with great excitement that the NMB Airlift Steering committee can announce that Mango Airlines has launched a new route from Lanseria International Airport to Port Elizabeth International Airport starting on the 11th of July 2019."

"With Quarter one of 2019 showing favourable growth on the domestic travel front, the latest Mango route will further enhance our plans to increase domestic travel," Sthembiso Dlamini, South African Tourism Acting CEO.

"When compared to the period time last year, holidays trips have increased by 60,5% and I am confident that the latest route between Lanseria International Airport and Port Elizabeth Airport will influence these figures positively."

"This route is a great opportunity to showcase the wonderful tourism experiences and products in the Eastern Cape and Nelson Mandela Bay areas with the region growing as an Ocean Safari destination," concluded Dlamini.