How much you should be paying for a domestic flight in South Africa
South African low cost carrier FlySafair has announced four additional routes to its existing domestic flight route network.
The new coastal destinations include Durban and East London, and follows news that Tanzania-based low-cost airline, Fastjet, recently raised $75 million (R896 million) for expansion into other African territories, including South Africa.
FlySafair started selling tickets in July 2014 before taking to the skies in October last year. The airline says it has experienced ‘solid growth’ since launch and has recently surpassed its 450,000th passenger.
The airline will be adding two additional Boeing 737-400 aircraft to their operational fleet to accommodate the extended schedule, taking its total fleet up to six aircraft.
The airline said it is also presently in negotiations to add an additional three aircraft in the new year.
Read: Best and worst airlines in South Africa
According to Russell Jarvis, head of communications at online travel booking website, Travelstart, FlySafair is restoring much-needed air travel competitiveness.
The online booking service recently published research showing how much domestic prices have come down over the past year on the country’s main air traffic routes.
Travelstart found that prices have decreased by as much as 39% on some domestic routes since 2014.
Comparing January and February 2015 flight prices from a year ago, it said that 14 local routes are cheaper than what they were in 2014, with only four of 18 analayzed, more expensive than before.
| Route (departure) | Route (arrival) | Average fare price 2014 | Average fare price 2015 | Percentage decrease |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | George | R2 089 | R1 278 | -39% |
| Cape Town | Port Elizabeth | R2 522 | R1 562 | -38% |
| George | Cape Town | R1 805 | R1 135 | -37% |
| Port Elizabeth | Cape Town | R2 296 | R1 547 | -33% |
| Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) | Port Elizabeth | R2 372 | R1 713 | -28% |
| Port Elizabeth | Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) | R2 185 | R1 576 | -28% |
| Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) | Cape Town | R2 535 | R2 083 | -18% |
| Cape Town | Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) | R2 228 | R1 863 | -16% |
| Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) | George | R2 213 | R1 927 | -13% |
| George | Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) | R1 745 | R1 561 | -11% |
| Durban | Cape Town | R2 182 | R2 057 | -6% |
| Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) | Durban | R1 724 | R1 675 | -3% |
| Cape Town | Durban | R2 041 | R2 010 | -2% |
| Durban | Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) | R1 497 | R1 488 | -1% |
| Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) | East London | R2 185 | R2 225 | +2% |
| Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) | Bloemfontein | R2 740 | R2 813 | +3% |
| East London | Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) | R1 782 | R1 851 | +4% |
| Bloemfontein | Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) | R2 384 | R2 560 | +7% |
More on flight in South Africa
Budget airline raises $75 million for SA expansion
Get ready for new airline baggage rules in SA
Loading ...