Friday, August 16, 2024 Cape Town Air Access, powered by Wesgro, celebrates Air Botswana’s expanded routes, boosting business and leisure travel between Cape Town and Botswana. Cape Town Air Access, powered by Wesgro, welcomes the exciting news that Air Botswana is set to expand its capacity on the Cape Town route network, enhancing both business and leisure travel opportunities between the two regions. Effective from 1 November 2024, Air Botswana will implement several key changes to its Cape Town schedule.
The most notable of these is the introduction of a new direct service linking Kasane and Cape Town, with three flights per week. This addition makes Kasane the 11th African destination to join Cape Town’s route network since the inception of the Cape Town Air Access project in 2015. This new service brings the total number of African destinations connected to Cape Town and the Western Cape to 16.
Furthermore, Air Botswana will boost the frequency of its Gaborone-Cape Town flights from three to five per week, and it will also launch a new route connecting Maun to Cape Town, with three weekly flights. Gaborone, Cape Town’s top-performing city in Botswana, saw over 28,000 passengers in 2023. Maun, the second-ranking city after Gaborone, has experienced remarkable growth, with a 30% year-on-year increase in two-way passengers in 2023.
While Maun-Cape Town is currently served by a daily Airlink flight, the addition of Air Botswana’s service will raise the route’s capacity to a total of ten flights per week. Overall, these enhancements will increase the frequency of flights between Cape Town and Botswana from 10 to 18 per week. Botswana is Cape Town’s fifth-largest two-way passenger market in Southern Africa, with over 57,000 passengers recorded in 2023, marking a 21% increase compared to the previous year.
This expanded capacity is expected to further strengthen the relationship between the two regions, fostering greater trade, tourism, and cultural exchange. “The expansions by Air Botswana are expected to significantly boost the connectivity between the destinations, contributing to the economic growth of both regions. The inclusion of Kasane as a new regional connection within Cape Town’s route network is a testament to the project’s success in expanding Cape Town and the Western Cape’s reach across the continent.
This development reflects our unwavering commitment to fostering economic growth through strategic partnerships and enhanced connectivity,” stated Wrenelle Stander, Wesgro CEO and Official Spokesperson for Cape Town Air Access . Commenting on the development, MEC Ivan Meyer, Western Cape Provincial Minister for Economic Development and Agriculture, said “We are thrilled about this venture, as it will open up new business investment opportunities. The enhanced connectivity is expected to significantly boost tourism-a key driver for the Western Cape and the broader economy-while also creating potential trade opportunities.
“Tourism, one of the industries that experienced rapid growth following the COVID-19 pandemic, plays a crucial role in the region. The Western Cape’s significant domestic tourism market adds to its resilience, helping the industry smooth out seasonally induced fluctuations,” he further added Alderman James Vos, the City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, said “At the City of Cape Town, we take great pride in funding the Air Access Programme, as it directly supports our economic growth mission. This new flight from Botswana to Cape Town exemplifies our commitment to connecting with key markets across Africa.
By enhancing our aviation links, we stimulate trade and travel, fostering greater economic activity and creating positive spinoffs for our local economy. We are excited about the opportunities this new route brings and the continued growth it will drive for Cape Town and our African partners.” “We are excited to welcome Air Botswana’s new and expanded routes, which will greatly enhance Cape Town International Airport’s connectivity with the region.
The introduction of Kasane to our network, coupled with increased flights from Gaborone and the new service to Maun, offers our passengers greater accessibility and convenience. Our commitment remains steadfast in providing an exceptional airport experience as we support these new connections and facilitate seamless transit for travellers between these key destinations,” added Mark Maclean, Regional General Manager for Cape Town International Airport ..
