Cape Town has recovered 21 destinations in its route network following a near standstill in air travel after the outbreak of Covid-19.According to Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander, the only airlines/ direct routes that have not returned are Vienna, Austria on Austrian Airlines and Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific to the Mother City.She told Freight News that Cape Town remained a popular destination for international travel. “In April 2022 the international passenger traffic recovery was 76% compared to 2019. Additionally, in the coming months, many international carriers servicing the province will increase their capacity or introduce improved service offerings,” said Stander. “The air cargo recovery has also been very strong in the last quarter we are already seeing as much as 85% recovery. This is aligned to trade f lows with our largest markets, that is Netherlands, Germany and UK.”Stander said a number of routes were coming on line, particularly with increases in frequencies for the coming summer, indicating that Cape Town remained competitive. “We have also seen a significant interest in establishing routes between Cape Town and new markets such as the USA and Belgium.”While air cargo had not yet exceeded 2019 tonnage volumes, an 85% recovery in the first quarter of this year alone, compared to the same period in 2019, showed that the market had remained resilient. “Significant markets such as the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UAE have all experienced volume recoveries of over 80% during 2021 when compared to 2019. Cape Town International Airport has also remained an important port for Western Cape traders where long-distance road travel is not viable, such as in the case of various perishable goods,” said Stander.Several new routes are set to be introduced in coming weeks including a three times per week service from New York to Cape Town.
