Eastgate Airport Chief Operating Officer, Esmaralda Barnes says plans are at an advanced stage to acquire an international airport licence for Hoedspruit’s Eastgate airport. The aiport would take the number of main international airports in South Africa from three to four.
Barnes said that the implementation processes to be done by the necessary authorities would take time. He estimated that the licence could be confirmed by the end of 2024.
“Suffice it to say, the announcements made by the Limpopo Province and the Mayor of Maruleng show support and a necessity for HDS to be issued with the international licence,” said Barnes.
HDS is approximately 150km from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA), which has international airport status. KMIA received its first intercontinental flights in November 2022 when Lufthansa began thrice-weekly flights from Frankfurt. However, the airline could not sustain the route, and in April 2023, it discontinued the flights.
In addition to passengers travelling to and from the Kruger National Park, Barnes says there is potential for travel via HDS into neighbouring countries.
“I believe that airlines will schedule direct flights from HDS to regional places such as Mozambique, Botswana, Harare, Vic Falls, and St Helena. We will rely on the tourism industry to market the beautiful Kruger National Park and surrounding areas to see where it will be viable for airlines to make decisions on introducing routes to other countries,” concludes Barnes.
The MEC for Transport and Community Safety in Limpopo, Ms Florence Radzilani, met with the Mayor of Maruleng Local Municipality, Cllr Tsheko Musolwa, to chart a way-forward regarding a decision by the Limpopo Provincial Government Executive Committee, to have the Hoedspruit Airport, to be accorded an international license.
The decision was informed by the number of passengers using the Hoedspruit Airport, annually. Before the Covid-19 disruptions, the Airport saw more than 71 000 passengers through its facilities, with over 75% of these, being international tourists from Central Europe and the Scandinavian Countries.