AIRLINK TO LAUNCH SKUKUZA SERVICES – NEW ROUTES TO PROVIDE FLIGHTS FROM JOHANNESBURG, CAPE TOWN AND DURBAN.

Airlink is set to launch direct flights to Skukuza airport in the Kruger National Park, commencing March 2014. This will see the welcome re-establishment of scheduled air services to one of the country’s most visited tourist attractions, following the closure of its airport to airline traffic over a decade ago.

Airlink, together with its partners Lion Sands and Federal Air, established the Skukuza Airport Management Company which has entered into a public-private partnership with SAN Parks. The partnership will oversee the refurbishment and enhancement of Skukuza Airport’s runway and terminal building facilities to the international standards required to be able to handle airline traffic. Air navigational procedures for the airport will also be re-designed so as to minimize impact on the environment.

Airlink CEO, Rodger Foster said that: “In terms of the arrangement, Airlink will provide daily scheduled airline services linking Skukuza with Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport and Durban’s King Shaka International Airport, and via these hubs and our partnership with South African Airways, together with it’s the Star Alliance carrier’s global networks, to the rest of the world. Lion Sands will provide hospitality and retail services at the Skukuza airport and Federal Air will supply feeder and charter services carrying passengers between Skukuza and the game lodges in the region. Federal will also provide links from Skukuza to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport to feed our onward flights to Livingstone in Zambia and Vilanculos in Mozambique”.

The venture expects to commission the engineering and construction works to rehabilitate the runway and refurbish the terminal building from 01 September 2013, with the majority of the works to be completed within two months. Once complete, the process to obtain approval of the airport and its facilities at the category required by the SA Civil Aviation Authority’s will commence. It is anticipated that this will be achieved before the start of the 1st Quarter of 2014 with Airlink’s scheduled airline services commencing in March 2014.

Airlink plans initially to offer daily flights from Cape Town and a twice-daily service from Johannesburg with flights from King Shaka International to follow.

The return of scheduled air services to Skukuza will enable visitors to fly directly to and from the Kruger National Park – one of the world’s most treasured and popular game parks. SANParks CEO Dr. David Mabunda said “We are reliving a tradition that started in 1959 to enhance visitor convenience and experience. I look forward to working with our new partners in taking the business of managing national parks assets to another level.”

“The opportunity to link Skukuza synergistically with Airlink’s other destinations in Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique will allow for very exciting African safari opportunities, a feature which our travel industry colleagues are extremely excited about”, added Mr Foster.

Flight schedules and fares will be circulated to the travel trade and flight seat inventory will be displayed and will be bookable via agent Global Distribution Systems and flysaa.com from September 2013.

***

Media contact:

Karin Murray

Tel: +27 (0)11 451 7300

karinmurray@flyairlink.com

Contact:

Shanaaz Solomons

Tel: +27 (0)21 426 0991

shanaaz@therovingambassador.com