Durban to get London flight

King Shaka International Airport will have a direct flight to London’s Gatwick Airport.


DURBAN — King Shaka International Airport is to have a direct flight to London’s Gatwick Airport in terms of an agreement reached last night between Comair and the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government’s key economic development project, the Dube Trade Port.


Comair, which has 23 daily flights into the new King Shaka airport north of Durban, is the biggest user of the airport and the largest local airline not owned by the government.


The KwaZulu-Natal government has been working hard to increase the number of flights from King Shaka in an effort to boost tourism and economic activity. At present, the only international airline using the airport is Emirates Airline.


KwaZulu-Natal economic development and tourism MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu said they hoped to be able to announce the first flight in 12 months. They also plan to develop new regional flights from Durban to Southern African Development Community countries.


Comair CEO Gidon Novick said it had not been decided which of the group’s two airline brands would be used for the London route. There was "still a huge amount of work we need to do", he said.