New direct flights to CT 'shows tourism business confidence'

Source: News 24, 30/05/2016

German Airlines` decision to offer direct flights between Frankfurt
and Cape Town, set to boost tourism between the two regions.


The new flight route comes into effect from 2 December 2016 and
flights will depart from Frankfurt every Wednesday, Friday, and
Sunday.


The Cape Town route will be served by a newly retrofitted Airbus
A340-300, which includes over 279 seats and offers the new
Intercontinental Business Class (30), new Premium Economy (28) Class
and Economy Class (221).


Flight LH576 leaves Lufthansa's Frankfurt hub at 22:10 and arrives in
Cape Town the following morning at 11:00. The return journey departs
from Cape Town at 18:30 and touches down in Frankfurt the following
morning at 05:30.


'Business confidence in the Western Cape'
"Increased air access has a direct impact on jobs and growth. Through
Project Khulisa, we are making it easier for visitors to travel to our
region. This is why we launched the Cape Town Air Access initiative,
which is a partnership between government, Airports Company South
Africa, Wesgro and airline industries, " says Winde.


Earlier this week, British Airways announced that it was increasing
its flights to Cape Town.


Minister Winde commended the province`s tourism sector for their role
in the launch of new flights to the region.


'Developing conference centres'
"The tourism sector continues to reinvest in itself and this is why
the world`s biggest airlines have the confidence to invest in our
region. We see new hotels are being built; the private sector is
developing conferencing centres, such as the facility in Century City.
In addition, our tourism sector offers great service, which is an
important factor in repeat visits. We`re seeing these investments pay
off. Our 2015/16 season was one of the best yet and we achieved strong
growth in international arrivals from strategic markets," says
Winde.


"This connection extends the Lufthansa Group`s flight offering to Cape
Town, complementing the seasonal services of Lufthansa German Airlines
from Munich and Zurich with SWISS leisure carrier Edelweiss," said Dr.
André Schulz, Lufthansa General Manager for Southern Africa, in a
statement.


During the European Winter Season, Lufthansa operates up to seven
weekly flights between the carrier`s Bavarian Hub in Munich and Cape
Town, while Edelweiss serves the city with two weekly flights.