Boost for trade and tourism

Lazarus Sauti

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has generally been regarded as a difficult region to find connecting flights due to many reasons, but that seems to be changing now with a number of new flights being introduced between the towns and cities of member-states.

There is now a marked improvement in air connectivity. In addition to the traditional flights run by Air Zimbabwe and South African Airways into the SADC region, Air Namibia now runs flights between Windhoek-Harare as well as Lusaka about three or more times a week. It also runs flights direct from Windhoek to Victoria Falls.

The new low-cost airline, Fastjet, which is partly Tanzanian owned, also services the region, and is contributing towards route competition. It has introduced a number of flights in the region, and the most recent is the Harare-Dar-es Salaam flight.

Zimbabwean run Fly Africa.com has also introduced a number of flights between Harare-Johannesburg (twice a day from Monday to Sunday), Johannesburg-Bulawayo (once a day from Monday to Sunday), and Victoria Falls-Johannesburg-Harare (every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday).

Air Malawi is set to increase weekly flights to Zimbabwe from three to five to meet the growing number of passengers between the countries’ capitals.

This improved connectivity is enhancing development simply by triggering regional trade as well as promoting tourism.

Speaking at a function to mark the first anniversary of the Harare-Lilongwe route recently, Malawian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Jane Kambalame agreed that the increase in connectivity is essential for trade as well as tourism.

“The introduction of direct flights between SADC capitals has given an additional lift to trade and tourism ties. This is so because air transport is fast becoming a supporting leg of any transportation system in the region. People are using airlines for social as well as business relations,” she said.

Mati Karase, Zimbabwe’s manager for Fly Africa concurs, adding that low-cost airlines like Fly Africa are also contributing towards the improvement of connectivity within the region.

“As a low-cost airline, we are stimulating growth within the region. The participation also shows our commitment to the development strategy of SADC’s co-operation and integration,” he said.

Karase added: “Connectivity is also facilitating the arrival of larger numbers of business people and leisure tourists to the region; and the spending of these people can, thus, support a wide range of tourism related businesses: hotels, restaurants, tour companies, theatres and car rentals.”

Sharing same views, Malawian Airlines commercial director, Eskinder Alemu, said, “The increased frequence between SADC’s capitals is impacting on trade, investment and productivity since it is opening and connecting regional markets as well as enabling regional firms to link into continental and global supply chains.”

Fastjet is supporting this cluster very well. It is providing affordable, reliable and safe travel for small traders and car importers not only in Southern Africa, but also in Eastern parts of the continent.

Most Zimbabweans, for example, are using Fastjet flights from Harare International Airport to Dar es Salaam Port in Tanzania for business and other activities.

The increase in air services and traffic volumes is also stimulating infrastructure development.

Modernisation of airport infrastructures in the region such as the Victoria Falls and Joshua Nkomo International Airports in Zimbabwe, airports in Gaborone, Maun, Kasane, and Francistown in Botswana, the Ivato International Airport in (Antananarivo) Madagascar, and Maputo International Airport in Mozambique is a clear testimony.

Hemant Mistry of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade association of the world’s airlines, agrees.

“The provision of proper airport infrastructure in Africa is proving to be essential for the success and modenisation of the aviation industry and by extension, to the economic benefit of countries seeking to take advantage of air connectivity,” he asserted.

However, a policy analyst Paul Nyoni believes SADC countries need to do more to open up airspace so as to effectively increase connectivity. For this to be effective, he said governments and other stakeholders in the aviation sector need to deal with airspace regulation.

“The regional skies need to be opened up more if all the countries are to benefit from increased air links,” he said.

Frankly, air transport is an essential economic catalyst for the SADC region, creating aviation and tourism related jobs, carrying in-bound tourists, as well as enabling the export and import of goods and services.