from DION HENRICK in Cape Town
Western Cape Bureau
CAPE TOWN, (CAJ News) – PASSENGER numbers at George Airport have equalled 2019 figures for July, indicating a full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This reflects strides made by the city in overcoming the recession brought about by the scourge.
Figures disclosed by Wesgro, the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, indicate the airport processed over 60 000 two-way passengers for the month of July.
For the first five months of 2022, over 433 000 two-way passengers travelled through George Airport, which equates to a 63 percent growth in traffic compared to the same period in 2021.
At the Cape Town International Airport, global passenger performance continue exceeding expectations, with the international terminal recording an 87 percent two-way passenger recovery compared to the same period in 2019.
The domestic terminal saw a 68 percent two-way passenger recovery in July, compared to the same month in 2019, after dropping to 62 percent in June due to the Comair liquidation and the resultant capacity shortage in the domestic market.
For the first half of 2022, the domestic terminal has seen over 3,4 million two-way passengers moving through the terminal, which equates to a growth of 60 percent when compared to 2021.
International terminal passengers grew at 373 percent compared to the first six months of 2021, with over 936 000 two-way passengers.
Tin terms of cargo, Western Cape’s total volumes for the first five months of 2022 exceeded 21 000 metric tonnes, a notable growth of 42 percent when compared to the 14 960 metric tonnes traded in the same period of 2021.
Activities are set to increase in the coming weeks as airlines target Cape Town.
Airlink will operate a new direct flight between Maputo, Mozambique to the Mother City from August 31, with three flights per week.
Air Belgium plans to operate a Brussels- Cape Town service starting from 14 September with two flights per week.
This is subject to government approval.
– CAJ News