Daily flights to South Africa from November, via Perth

A ban on picking up passengers from Australia en route to South Africa and vice-versa has been lifted, paving the way for daily flights.

Transport Minister announced new arrangements today, which he said would provide a boost for business, tourism and people-to-people links.

Previously, there was no arrangement between New Zealand and South Africa to allow airlines to pick up passengers in Australia, effectively meaning they have been prohibited from doing so.

“This will allow the airlines of each country to pick up and drop off passengers and freight in Australia and to operate daily flights between our two countries – up from three flights per week.”

Air New Zealand said it had signed a code share agreement with South African Airways and announced a new daily service from November between Perth and Johannesburg, along with connecting domestic flights to Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London.

The ban, which also applied to code-share services, made it uneconomic for airlines in New Zealand and South Africa, but a growing South African population in New Zealand wanted to maintain regular contact with family and friends, Mr Guy said.

“Over the past five years there has been a 40% increase in the number of South Africans arriving in New Zealand, while New Zealanders travelling to South Africa have also increased by 40%.”

New Zealanders were also increasingly using South Africa for a stopover between New Zealand and Europe, he said.

Air New Zealand’s group general manager for long haul Ed Sims said South African Airways would also code share on Air New Zealand’s daily Auckland-Perth service and on to connecting domestic flights to Wellington and Christchurch, along with Air New Zealand’s trans-Tasman services to Sydney.

“We recognise there is an opportunity to better meet customers’ needs for travel between New Zealand and South Africa.

“With the connection at Perth and also at domestic points in both New Zealand and South Africa this new arrangement will be very popular.”

South African Airways head of business development Jason Krause said the agreement would provide customers with further access to key destinations in New Zealand and South Africa.

In the year to June 2009, 23,000 South African visitors arrived in New Zealand and 87% came to visit friends and family or a holiday.

More than 12,000 New Zealand residents visited South Africa in the same period.

The new arrangements with South Africa were negotiated in June 2008 but have only now come into effect. They also update aspects of the New Zealand-South Africa Air Services Agreement negotiated in 1997.