Domestic flights in South Africa

0
3158

South Africa has a number of airlines flying between its major cities, and some of its smaller ones, with fares ranging from first-class to cut-price economy. Flights can be booked online from anywhere in the world.

Mango Airlines
South African low-cost airline Mango is owned by South African Airways (Photo: Mango Airlines, Facebook)

South Africa has a number of airlines flying between its major cities as well as to some of its smaller ones, with fares ranging from first-class to cut-price economy. Flights can be booked online from anywhere in the world.

Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) was formed to own and operate the nine principal South African airports, including the three main international gateways – OR Tambo International (Johannesburg), Cape Town International and King Shaka International (Durban). The other six are Bram Fischer (Bloemfontein), Port Elizabeth, Upington, East London, George and Kimberley.

There are several other privately owned international airports in South Africa, including Lanseria International, outside Johannesburg, and Nelspruit Airport/Kruger Mpumalanga International, conveniently situated near the country’s major wildlife reserves.

Acsa is a partially state-owned company.

Seven major domestic airlines operate in the country, as well as a number of smaller charter airline companies.

South African Airways, South African Express and Airlink fly between all the major cities and to some of the smaller ones.

Kulula.com and Mango offer cut-price flights on the more popular routes between Johannesburg (OR Tambo and Lanseria), Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and George.

British Airways, operated by Comair, operates flights between the major centres.

All flight operators offer online booking services, with payment by credit card or directly into the relevant bank account.

You need to be at the airport 90 minutes before departure for domestic flights.

Kulula.com

Kulula.com offers low-cost, single-class flights between Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International and Lanseria airports, and Cape Town, Durban, George, East London and Port Elizabeth. It has also added other southern African countries to its itinerary, and flies to Windhoek, Harare, Mauritius, Victoria Falls and Livingstone, and flies from Nairobi.

Mango

A no-frills carrier operated by SAA, Mango offers low-cost, single-class flights between Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International and Lanseria airports, and Cape Town, Durban, George, Port Elizabeth, and Bloemfontein. Mango also flies from OR Tambo International to Zanzibar.

South African Airways

South Africa’s national carrier flies locally between Johannesburg (from OR Tambo International and Lanseria), Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein, George, Pietermaritzburg, Mthatha, Kimberley, Polokwane, Richards Bay, Upington, Nelspruit/Kruger, Hoedspruit, Skukuza, Phalaborwa, Mmabatho, Sun City, Pretoria, Manzini and Maseru – as well as into Southern Africa, the rest of Africa and the world. It offers economy, business and first class cabins.

Airlink

Airlink flies locally between Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein, George, Pietermaritzburg, Mthatha, Kimberley, Polokwane, Upington, Sishen, Nelspruit/Kruger, Phalaborwa, Skukuza, Pretoria, Manzini and Maseru – as well as into Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Mozambique. Classes are economy, business and first.

  • Customer care and head office: +27 11 451 7300 / +27 10 590 3170
  • Call centre: 0861 FLY SAA (0861 359 722)
  • Call centre from outside SA: +27 11 978 5313 (customer support online bookings) +27 11 978 1111
  • Group bookings: +27 11 451 7300 or +27 10 590 3170
  • E-mail: info@flyairlink.com
  • South African Airlink online bookings

South African Express

SA Express flies locally between Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, George, Hoedspruit, Bloemfontein, Kimberley, Nelspruit, Mahikeng, Richard’s Bay and Pilansberg – as well as into Botswana, Namibia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Flights are in economy and business class.

British Airways

Operated by Comair, British Airways offers return flights to and from Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, and the Kruger National Park in economy, premier economy, business/club or first class. It has a codeshare agreement with Kulula.com.

FlySafair

A wholly owned subsidiary of Safair, the aviation cargo and aircraft leasing company, FlySafair is a low cost, no frills airline that operates between Cape Town and Johannesburg (OR Tambo International), Durban, East London, George, and Port Elizabeth. Like other low cost carriers, it has a buy-on-board programme when it comes to food and drinks.

OR Tambo International Airport

  • OR Tambo International Airport flight information: 086 7277 888
  • OR Tambo International Airport help desk: +27 11 921 6262

Online booking services

A number of independent web-based agencies offer pricing comparisons between the airlines, and online booking services. These include:

Updated December 2015
Originally published April 2002

Would you like to use this article in your publication or on your website? See Using Brand South Africa material.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR