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SAA plans to boost African routes
SAA looks set to strengthen
its regional network,
focusing on local and
African operations. The
airline would not reveal any
details about the routes but
recent applications for extra
flights to destinations SAA
already serves hint at the
carrier’s plans.
According to the Government
Gazettes published between
the end of August and early
September, SAA applied for
three flights a week to Luanda,
one a week to both Kinshasa
and Dar es Salaam and three a
week to Harare.
Routes getting the biggest
boost include Mauritius to which
it has applied for a further five
flights a week and Windhoek
B747s planned for CPT-GBE-LGW
A NEW Botswana-based startup
airline – Kalahari Airways
– plans to launch daily flights
from Cape Town to London
Gatwick, with a 30-minute
stopover in Gaborone, from
early 2014.
Behind the airline is ceo,
Denis Coghlan, a former
pilot of the South African
Ministry of Defence, who says
he has “extensive experience
in transportation and, in
particular, aviation”.
The airline intends to deploy
three ex-Qantas B747-400s on
the route. It requires a lease
purchase facility of $30m for
the acquisition of these, as well
as a standby facility of $10m to
comply with the Civil Aviation
Authority of Botswana’s (CAAB)
working capital minimums.
Coghlan explains: “I’ve been
trying to raise the 25% of the
sponsor’s contribution I need to
qualify for funding by Botswana
Development Corporation
but without success.” He has
now started a crowd funding
campaign to raise the necessary
funds.
He told Travel Buyer he had
been contemplating the launch
of flights since the day British
Airways ceased operations
on the GBE-LON route. An
advantage of the proposed
with seven flights a week.
Carla da Silva, regional
manager of Air Mauritius for
Southern Africa and Latin
America, says demand on flights
between South Africa and
Mauritius exists during peak
times and that there has been an
increase in corporate demand
following retail, banking and IT
investments in Mauritius.
route, he says, is that travellers
will be able to “avoid the
inconvenience of transiting
through Johannesburg where
they need to undergo multiple
security checks”.
Coghlan explains he wants
to offer affordable economy
air tickets through heavily
marketed discounted fares in
both Cape Town and London.
He adds that premium seats
will be marketed to diamond
industry players and corporates
from the rapidly expanding
business sector in Botswana.
Kalahari Airways is currently
still awaiting the necessary
operating licenses.
Manoj Papa
resigns from SAA
MANOJ Papa, SAA’s acting gm
of commerical, has resigned.
“The last year and eight
months at SAA have been
most enjoyable and extremely
fulfilling. However, I believe it’s
time for change,” he told Travel
Buyer. SAA spokesperson, Tlali
Tlali, said the recruitment
process for the position of gm of
commerical was near complete.
Papa will serve his notice period,
leaving SAA on November 18. “I
plan to take this precious time
to refresh and rejuvenate. It’s
not often that people have the
opportunity to take time out to
‘sharpen the axe’, ” he said.
Mara Serena Safari
Lodge receives facelift
Pic: SHANNON VAN ZYL
‘We’re not travel agents’ – Flight Centre
FLIGHT Centre is reinventing
itself. The group wants to shed
its image as a travel agent or
“middle man” and rather identify
with the public as a “travel
retailer”.
“Flight Centre Limited is
transitioning from travel agent
to a world-class retailer of travel
products to leisure and corporate
customers. Being a world-class
retailer means we are the brand
that people identify with and
go to. It is very different from
being an agent, a middle man
Did you know?
EMIRATES will launch flights
to Boston early next year. The
route will be the airline’s eighth
to the United States and will
or a dealer for someone else’s
products,” said Andrew Stark, gm
of Flight Centre Retail SA.
Flight Centre Limited will
change its name to Flight Centre
Travel Group, with the new
identity set to be rolled out in SA
over the next year. The branding
on stores, however, will remain
unchanged and it will still carry
the name Flight Centre.
Flight Centre has launched a
range of products in line with the
change, including Captain’s Red
Label Fares, a new fare package
begin on March 10, with daily
flights. Flights will be operated
by a B777-200LR, departing
Dubai at 09h45, arriving in
with “Price Drop Protection”. This
means that if a customer finds
an advertised available airfare
for less than the Red Label Fare
they purchased, Flight Centre will
refund them the difference by
issuing a gift card. There is also
the MyTime hotel programme.
MyTime allows travellers to
enjoy VIP treatment at no extra
cost when they stay at select
resorts and hotels from around
the world. Both products were
launched in August in the South
African market.
Boston at 15h15. The return
flight will depart Boston at
22h55, arriving in Dubai at
19h10 the next day.
Mara Serena Safari Lodge
is currently undergoing an
extensive refurbishment
programme. Rosemary
Mugambi, regional sales and
marketing director for Serena
Hotels, assures travellers that all
disruption to services and guest
comfort are kept to an absolute
minimum. The lodge has recently
renovated its reception, bar
lounge and arrival lobby area.
The gift shop has also received
a facelift as well as the public
area washrooms. The lodge now
also features the Serena Maisha
Health Club and Spa, which
offers an extensive spa menu as
well as steam rooms, a sauna
and a gymnasium.
Pic: SERENA HOTELS
2 November 2013 • TRAVEL BUYER