Transport as a sector impacts all aspects of our daily lives, be it air, road, rail or maritime. The connectivity and important role that transport plays in the personal, commercial and global trade space is at the heart of why South Africa observes Transport Month annually in October. As a strategic sector, transport has a positive impact on economic productivity and in “opening South Africa up” for business. The sector also attracts foreign trade, as the efficiency of key entry points and transport infrastructure are central in enhancing the appeal and ease of doing business globally.
Without a doubt, South Africa is a major hub for air travel in the Southern African region, OR Tambo International Airport being the busiest airport in Africa in terms of passenger traffic. With more than 40 airlines operating at OR International Airport, it truly is the gateway of the African continent, connecting people and businesses domestically, regionally and internationally. As part of the airlift strategy, the strategic role of SA Express is to improve intra-African connectivity and expansion as guided by the vision of being a sustainable, world class regional airline with an extensive footprint in Africa. Last year, we strengthened our network by adding routes that connect: Johannesburg and Pietermaritzburg; Johannesburg and Nelspruit; as well as Cape Town and George. This is part of our strategy of connecting small cities with bigger metropolises to play an enabling role in economic growth by promoting business and tourism travel between these destinations. Furthermore, Africa remains our growth market, and we will continue to work closely with SAA as a regional feeder to serve the growing markets across the African continent.
Though air travel is still the least popular mode of transport in South Africa, we are optimistic about attracting more people to travel by plane, as there are a number of airports throughout the country. The most common way of commuting in South Africa is still by road due to the high costs associated with flying. But it is worth highlighting the fact that the multiple benefits of flying far exceed those of travelling by any other mode. Not only will air travel get you to your chosen destination quicker, it is also the safest mode of travel available. Furthermore, the extensive network of airports in South Africa ensures that diversions of flights and emergency landings are manageable.
As a player in the transport sector and a state owned entity, SA Express plays a role in fulfilling Government’s developmental objectives, as well as facilitating socio-economic development in our country. Our focus is mainly on skills development for previously disadvantaged people, so that they can be trained as pilots, technicians and apprentices. We will continue our work of exposing the aviation industry to all South Africans, as well as attracting young people to choose careers in the aviation industry.
We also cannot ignore the environmental impacts of transport. Air quality, congestion, and noise are some of the negative effects of transportation. The airline industry is constantly working on cutting its climate change impact, emissions and noise. Our fleet includes Dash 8 Q400s, which are turbo prop aircraft. The turbo prop aircraft have many advantages, such as reduced carbon emissions (more friendly to our environment), reduced noise with Q Technology (Q stands for Quiet), outstanding passenger comfort and comparable flight speeds to jet aircraft (for improved cruise performance).
In support of environmental sustainability, we hope that all South Africans will heed our “going green” call in this edition of **Indwe**.
Regards
Inati
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