Mango now offering cheap flights between Lanseria and Port Elizabeth
Friday, 5th July 2019
Mango Airlines has announced that it will be introducing two flights per day between Port Elizabeth Airport in Nelson Mandela Bay and Lanseria International Airport in Johannesburg from 11 July 2019.
Mango Airlines, a low-cost subsidiary of our national carrier, South African Airways offers budget option flights across the country. The airline will now offer cheap flights to Port Elizabeth on a route that services both leisure and business travellers, as well as students studying at Nelson Mandela University.
Port Elizabeth is the centre of South Africa’s motor industry assembly plants and many smaller entities in the area are linked to this industry by providing parts and services to these vehicle manufacturers. Also known as “the windy city” Port Elizabeth is a major seaport, with the southern hemisphere’s most significant ore loading facilities.
The addition of a new destination is a 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 the new route will offer both local and international travellers an additional link between Gauteng with Nelson Mandela Bay. The aircraft servicing the new route will be a Boeing 737-800 series.
Marelize Labuschagne, acting CEO at Mango Airlines said, “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.”
"We are expecting 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."
"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.”
South African Tourism regards this as an opportunity to expand business, lifestyle and leisure tourism opportunities, “From the onset, our Airlift strategy identified Lanseria as one of the low-hanging opportunities, and within one year, we have managed to secure the air travel link”.
“Furthermore, we understand that airlift is critical for a seamless flow of trade and tourism, thus our Airlift strategy has identified Kruger Mpumalanga including the catchment, Zimbabwe, and Namibia as the potential markets the collective (the City, ECDC, Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, and ACSA) will be pursuing to link with Nelson Mandela Bay in the next 12 to 24 months.”
Economic Development, Tourism and Agriculture Executive Director at the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Anele Qaba, said, “Access to Nelson Mandela Bay and the cost thereof were 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.”
