Port Louis, Mauritius (CU)_ The South African low-cost domestic airline FlySafair announced that it will commence a Johannesburg (JNB)-Mauritius (MRU) route once after the South African and Mauritius borders are reopened to tourism and air travelers. For South Africans, Mauritius has long been a favorite holiday destination. In 2018, South Africans made up 14.2 percent of the 1.4 million visitors to the island nation, followed by Germany at 11.7 percent. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of Mauritian visitors to South Africa increased by 6.2 percent annually.
Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority director Arvind Bundhun said that many South African travelers wish to visit Mauritius every year and they consider the island as their second home. Hence, FlySafair plans to operate the route 2X-weekly. He said, “Just a short four-hour flight connects the two countries, and many South African travelers return to the island year after year, considering Mauritius to be their second home. The new service operated by FlySafair will provide further choice to consumers and reinforce and strengthen the flight schedules available on this route.”
FlySafair CEO Elmar Conradie announced the new launch. He said, “We’re extremely humbled and grateful for the enthusiasm with which the authorities and people of Mauritius have greeted our [route] announcement. We’ve always prided ourselves on offering a service that is affordable, on-time and hassle-free and we look forward to making that a reality on this connection too.”
The flight operation is expected to begin in few months. After the countries relax their COVID-19 restrictions and open the borders for travel, the FlySafair flights will start their operation in the route. Bundhun expressed confidence over the future tourism of the island. He said, “We are confident that, with the strict health and safety protocols in place across the island, visitors will feel comfortable to travel here again once the travel ban and quarantine periods have been lifted”.
