Opinion / Columnist
Fastjet connects Kruger park to Victoria Falls
17 Mar 2022 at 01:44hrs | Views
FASTJET has become the first airline in the history of Victoria Falls International Airport to offer a flight that connects Victoria Falls and Kruger National Park in Empumalanga, South Africa.
The low-cost airline made a perfect landing at Victoria Falls International Airport for its inaugural flight between the two iconic destinations of Victoria Falls and Kruger National Park yesterday.
The aircraft landed just after 3:40pm with 35 passengers, comprising commercial passengers and tour operators that were flown from Victoria Falls to Kruger and back, to sample the route and meet their colleagues on a marketing drive.
Upon landing, the aircraft was welcomed with a water cannon salute, marking its arrival on the route.
Passengers were welcomed by traditional dance and music from Ilembe Shining Spears as well as a crowd made up of tour operators and some officials from Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, Airports Company of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.
Fastjet chief commercial officer Mr Julian Edmunds said Victoria Falls/Kruger is a key route to tourism as it links two strategic destinations in the region.
"Travellers nowadays have multi-country itineraries and we are trying to make people's lives easy by providing this service. Today's flight was important to make people see," said Mr Edmunds.
He said the airline will operate three scheduled flights per week, starting in Harare and connecting to Kruger National Park via Victoria Falls and return.
It takes just less than two hours for the flight.
Mr Edmunds said Fastjet's conviction is connectivity, value, choice and flexibility and looks forward to partnerships with the tourism players to market the route and destination.
The airline operates four aircraft and also plies the Victoria Falls-Johannesburg and Harare-Johannesburg routes, as well as domestic flights between Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.
Tourism players are convinced the route will be a game changer.
"We are very excited about this route that connects Kruger to Victoria Falls.
It helps us to link Victoria Falls and Kruger which has always been a challenge as clients used to come via Livingstone in Zambia or via Johannesburg where there are direct flights.
"This is going to be a game changer and help a lot of clients who would want to visit both destinations," said Mr Emmanuel Tivatyi, Love for Africa general manager as he disembarked from the flight.
Usually there are several tourists wishing to do multi activities across the region and modes of transport has been a hindrance to them.
Proprietor of Mbano Manor Hotel, Dr Mati Nyazema who was also on the inaugural flight, said the industry is excited by the new route.
"We are very excited to be back in the city after having travelled in the inaugural flight from Victoria Falls to Kruger and back.
Everything went smoothly and we met a lot of travel agents and tour operators there.
As an industry we are excited that we can now offer packages for our customers on this route," she said.
Fastjet is one of the airlines that have consistently flown into Victoria Falls during the Covid-19 induced lockdowns.
Other airlines that have resumed flights are Air Zimbabwe, Air Link and Kenyan Airways.
The low-cost airline made a perfect landing at Victoria Falls International Airport for its inaugural flight between the two iconic destinations of Victoria Falls and Kruger National Park yesterday.
The aircraft landed just after 3:40pm with 35 passengers, comprising commercial passengers and tour operators that were flown from Victoria Falls to Kruger and back, to sample the route and meet their colleagues on a marketing drive.
Upon landing, the aircraft was welcomed with a water cannon salute, marking its arrival on the route.
Passengers were welcomed by traditional dance and music from Ilembe Shining Spears as well as a crowd made up of tour operators and some officials from Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, Airports Company of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.
Fastjet chief commercial officer Mr Julian Edmunds said Victoria Falls/Kruger is a key route to tourism as it links two strategic destinations in the region.
"Travellers nowadays have multi-country itineraries and we are trying to make people's lives easy by providing this service. Today's flight was important to make people see," said Mr Edmunds.
He said the airline will operate three scheduled flights per week, starting in Harare and connecting to Kruger National Park via Victoria Falls and return.
It takes just less than two hours for the flight.
Mr Edmunds said Fastjet's conviction is connectivity, value, choice and flexibility and looks forward to partnerships with the tourism players to market the route and destination.
The airline operates four aircraft and also plies the Victoria Falls-Johannesburg and Harare-Johannesburg routes, as well as domestic flights between Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.
"We are very excited about this route that connects Kruger to Victoria Falls.
It helps us to link Victoria Falls and Kruger which has always been a challenge as clients used to come via Livingstone in Zambia or via Johannesburg where there are direct flights.
"This is going to be a game changer and help a lot of clients who would want to visit both destinations," said Mr Emmanuel Tivatyi, Love for Africa general manager as he disembarked from the flight.
Usually there are several tourists wishing to do multi activities across the region and modes of transport has been a hindrance to them.
Proprietor of Mbano Manor Hotel, Dr Mati Nyazema who was also on the inaugural flight, said the industry is excited by the new route.
"We are very excited to be back in the city after having travelled in the inaugural flight from Victoria Falls to Kruger and back.
Everything went smoothly and we met a lot of travel agents and tour operators there.
As an industry we are excited that we can now offer packages for our customers on this route," she said.
Fastjet is one of the airlines that have consistently flown into Victoria Falls during the Covid-19 induced lockdowns.
Other airlines that have resumed flights are Air Zimbabwe, Air Link and Kenyan Airways.
Source - The Chronicle
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