Johannesburg – This week South Africa welcomed Eurowings on the maiden direct flight from Frankfurt to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA).
“This is a game changer for tourism,” said SA Tourism on Wednesday soon after the flight landed at KMIA.
SA Tourism Chief Operating Officer Nomasonto Ndlovu said: Germany is a key source market for South Africa. We know from our insights and from our engagement with German tourists that they want to be outdoors exploring and enjoying nature”.
Lufthansa Groups leisure airline, Eurowings Discover (4Y), took off from Frankfurt on Tuesday at 9:55 pm and touched down at KMIA on Wednesday at 2:10 pm.
The 12-hour flight included a short stop in Windhoek, Namibia, where the maiden flight 4Y142 was welcomed with a water salute and a festive ceremony.
The Eurowings Discover is the first intercontinental airline to fly directly between Frankfurt and Mbombela with a stop-over in Windhoek.
Mpumalanga MEC for Finance, Economic Development, and Tourism, Nompumelelo Hlophe, said: We are very much excited about the landing of the first-ever direct flight from Germany. This is a sign of trust and confidence in our tourism industry.
Were quite certain that the direct flight by Eurowings Discover will increase the number of international tourists from Germany and Europe in general.
“We welcome the initiative, and we encourage other airlines to also consider flying directly into our province.”
German Ambassador Andreas Peschke said the new Eurowings route was good for South Africa as a tourism destination, and for German visitors who want to enjoy this part of this unique country”.
Eurowings Discover now operates three weekly direct flights between Frankfurt and KMIA.
