The Eastern Cape Department of Transport’s plans to have another airline operating from Mthatha Airport in Mthatha continue to gather steam.
According to statement issued by the spokesperson for Department of Transport, Unathi Binqose, this airport is currently operated by Airlink, servicing only the Johannesburg route; department officials led by the MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Weziwe Tikana-Gxotiwe, met with another player in the aviation industry, CemAir, last week.
“This is an airline with loads of experience in servicing the so-called small airports. The delegation from CemAir was led by the company’s chief executive officer (CEO), Miles van der Molen,” said Binqose. He added that Tikana-Gxotiwe had hailed the meeting with CemAir as ground-breaking and a vote of confidence in the economic potential of the province of the Eastern Cape. We are quite humbled by the fact that CemAir was actually the one that made the first move and that they also spotted what we have been preaching about Mthatha Airport, as the one beaming with potential. We know that nothing has been finalised as yet; however, we remain optimistic that our engagements will take off and we will see CemAir providing much needed aviation services to the people on the Eastern side of our province,” said Tikana-Gxotiwe.
CemAir said the share number of the service area of the airport is very encouraging.
The airline was quick to point out that the existing Johannesburg route would be easier to operate; however a medium-to long-term plan would be to explore the highly demanded Cape Town route as well.
