LETTER: Flight delayed by Mbalula

As far back as May 2021 I wrote to transport minister Fikile Mbalula to ask for  Delta Air Lines’ application to operate a triangular route between Atlanta, Johannesburg and Cape Town to be processed urgently, precisely because tourism contributes significantly to job creation and economic growth in the Western Cape. 

After receiving no substantive response to seven letters over six months, directly from my office to the minister, I was left with no choice but to launch an intergovernmental dispute in a bid to resolve this urgent matter on November 25 2021.

I have also raised the more general issue surrounding the decision by the national government to review and unilaterally abandon existing and future co-terminalisation arrangements. This essentially amounted to the abandonment, without notice and proper consultation, of the prevailing national policy that promotes the liberalisation of routes and supports the notion of reciprocal co-terminalisation rights.

The argument that allowing Delta Air Lines to operate a triangular route would compete with domestic airlines is also false as under the co-terminalisation agreement Delta Airlines would not be picking up any domestic passengers while stopping in Johannesburg en route to Cape Town.

According to the Western Cape government’s official destination marketing organisation, Wesgro, the estimated economic losses of this decision could total R420m and cost 160 local jobs. I will continue to apply the necessary pressure to secure this triangular route, for the benefit of the tourism and hospitality sectors in the Western Cape — and so that we can get up, get out, push forward and do even better in the Western Cape.

David Maynier
Western Cape finance & economic opportunity MEC

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