Isikhumulo sezindiza i-King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) eThekwini siqede unyaka wezi-2018 ngerekhodi eliphezulu ngokukhulisa izinombolo zabagibeli bamazwe ngamazwe ngama-13% ngoZibandlela. Lokhu, kanye nokukhula okuqinile kwabagibeli basekhaya okungaphezu kwama-6% ngowezi-2018, kubone i-KSIA igcina isikhundla sayo njengesikhumulo sezindiza esikhulu esikhula ngokushesha eNingizimu Afrika unyaka wesibili.
Ukusebenza kwesizini ephakeme yango-December kulandela ukukhuphuka ngo-11% kwezinombolo zabagibeli bamazwe ngamazwe ngoNovemba, uma kuqhathaniswa noNovemba 2017. I-KSIA ibambe cishe abagibeli basekhaya nabamazwe ngamazwe abacishe babe izigidi ezi-5.9 sebebonke ngonyaka wezi-2018, abangu-372,543 kubo bekungabagibeli abebendiza emizileni yamazwe ngamazwe.
“Inkonzo entsha engami yeBritish Airways phakathi kweSikhumulo Sezindiza Samazwe Ngamazwe SaseLondon kanye neTheku, eyethulwe ngasekupheleni kukaMfumfu wezi-2018, ikhulise ukukhula e-KSIA. Manje sesibona ukukhula kwamadijithi amabili kubagibeli bamazwe ngamazwe,” kusho uHamish Erskine, onguSihlalo we-Durban Direct kanye ne-CEO ye-Dube TradePort Corporation.
“Uhambo lwendiza oluphuma kathathu ngesonto selukhombisile ukuthi kunesidingo esingakasetshenziswa sokungena ngqo eThekwini. Ukukhula esikubonayo emzileni osuka eThekwini usiya eLondon kuhambisana nokukhula okukhonjiswe yibhizinisi lethu kuBritish Airways, okube nomthelela esinqumweni sabo sokwethula umzila oqondile,” uyanezela.
U-Erskine uchaza ukuthi ngaphandle kokukhula kwabagibeli bamazwe ngamazwe ngo-11% ngoNovemba 2018 kanye nokukhula okungu-13% ngoDisemba, ngokulandelana (uma kuqhathaniswa noNovemba noDisemba 2017), izinombolo zabagibeli bamazwe ngamazwe e-KSIA zikhule ngamarekhodi angama-42% ngenyanga, phakathi kukaNovemba. kanye noZibandlela wezi-2018. Ngaphandle komzila omusha we-British Airways, lokhu kudalwe ukuthi i-Emirates ifake ezinye izindiza phakathi kwe-Dubai neTheku ngoDisemba.
Ngokwezibalo ezisemthethweni ze-Airports Company of South Africa, i-KSIA ibambe isamba sabagibeli abayizi-5,880,390 ngo-2018, okubonisa ukukhula ngo-6.4%. Isikhumulo sezindiza siphinde sasingatha irekhodi eliphelele labagibeli abangama-553,149 ngoDisemba 2018, abangama-41054 kubo lapho behamba emizileni yamazwe ngamazwe. Inyanga edlule yerekhodi ye-KSIA yayingoDisemba 2017, lapho iphethe abagibeli abangu-520,930.
“SiyiDurban Direct, inhloso yethu wukuthuthukisa nokukhulisa imakethe yabagibeli baseThekwini. Sesiqalile ukusebenzisana nezinkampani ezizimele ukuze sisize sandise umthelela wohlelo,” kusho u-Erskine.
“Olunye lwezinhlelo ezingaphakathi kwalolu hlelo lubandakanya ukusebenzisana nozakwethu bezinkampani zezindiza ukuze siqhubeke nokugqugquzela ukukhula kwabagibeli ngokusebenzisa uhlelo oludidiyelwe lokumaketha lwamazwe ngamazwe. Inhloso enkulu wukwakha isimo lapho ozakwethu bezinkampani zezindiza bebona ukukhula okukhulu kwesidingo, okuzobenza bakwazi ukuzithethelela ngokwethulwa kwamafrikhwensi engeziwe eThekwini,” uyanezela.
UPhindile Makwakwa, onguSihlalo we-Durban Direct kanye ne-CEO ye-Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, uyaphawula: “Izinsizakalo zomoya zidlala indima ebalulekile ekukhuliseni imakethe yezokuvakasha eThekwini. Isikhathi esiphezulu sikaZibandlela senze abagibeli bakuleli nabamazwe ngamazwe abafika nabasukayo bafinyelele irekhodi lama-553,149 - ukukhula ngo-6%. Ingxenye enkulu yalokhu bekungabantu abafuna ukungcebeleka bamazwe ngamazwe, abafika eThekwini ngesikhathi samaholidi kaKhisimusi, baphinde bahlole okunye KwaZulu-Natal.”
Uyanezela: “Ukukhula kwabagibeli abahamba ngendiza beqonde eThekwini besuka ezimakethe zamazwe ngamazwe kuyanda, nokho iGoli lisaqhubeka nokuba yindawo ebalulekile yokuthutha abahambi bamazwe ngamazwe abaxhuma eThekwini ngezindiza zasekhaya. Noma kunjalo, ukwethulwa kwesevisi engami phakathi kweTheku neLondon yiBritish Airways kubone ukwanda kwabagibeli bamazwe ngamazwe abandizela ngqo eThekwini ngoNovemba nangoZibandlela wezi-2018.”
UMnuz Phillip Sithole, oyiPhini leMenenja yeTheku kwezokuThuthukiswa koMnotho nokuHlela, uthe: “Izivakashi zisebenzise imali elinganiselwa ku-R2.7 billion eThekwini ngesikhathi samaholidi ka-2018, okuyimali enyuke ngo-R500 million. Sibona kusengaphambili lesi sibalo sikhula ngokwethulwa kwezindiza ezintsha zasekhaya, zesifunda nezamazwe ngamazwe.”
USithole uyanezela: “Besisebenzela isu elididiyelwe kanye nezinhlangano zezokuvakasha kanye nemboni ukuze sigcine izinga eliphezulu lemikhiqizo yezokuvakasha esiyihlinzekayo njengedolobha. Lokhu, kanye nokuxhumana okukhulu kwezindiza zamazwe ngamazwe kanye nasekhaya, kwenze iTheku likwazi ukwamukela izivakashi eziyisigidi ngesikhathi samaholidi kaKhisimusi.”
Esikhathini esimaphakathi, indlela ye-Durban Direct izogxila ekukhuliseni imvamisa namandla ezinkampani zezindiza ezisebenzela i-KSIA njengamanje. Inhloso yesikhathi eside ukuheha isixhumanisi somoya esiqondile eMpumalanga Ekude, okungenzeka kube isevisi yendiza eqondile eSingapore noma e-Hong Kong, enganikeza ukufinyelela okungcono emoyeni e-Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, naseNingizimu East Asia.
Khonamanjalo, u-Erskine ubika ukuthi umthamo we-cargo tonnage ophuma e-Dube TradePort Cargo Terminal uyaqhubeka nokulandela eduze izibalo zabagibeli, njengoba ukuthuthwa kwezindiza kwamanye amazwe kukhule ngamaphesenti angu-40 kusukela ngo-April kuya kuZibandlela wezi-2018. Ngokusungulwa kwezinsiza zomoya ezintsha, imakethe iyashesha sebenzisa umthamo owengeziwe, obhebhethekisa isidingo sempahla yendiza endaweni yonke. Kusukela ngoMfumfu kuze kube sekupheleni kukaZibandlela wezi-2018, izibalo zezimpahla zomhlaba wonke zikhule ngama-7,64%, kulandela ukwethulwa kosizo oluqondile lwe-British Airways eThekwini.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- Erskine explains that besides the 11% international passenger growth in November 2018 and 13% growth in December, respectively (compared to the November and December 2017), KSIA's international passenger numbers grew by a 42% record high month-on-month, between November and December 2018.
- The long-term objective is to attract a direct air link to the Far East, possibly a direct air service into either Singapore or Hong Kong, which would provide better air access to mainland China, Japan, South Korea, and South East….
- The growth we are seeing with the Durban- London route is in line with the projected growth demonstrated by our business case to British Airways, which factored into their decision to introduce the direct route,” he adds.
