KNP: Skukuza airport to reopen for commercial flights

[H. erectus]

This whole "new" venture needs to be exposed to EIA.

Skuks as is, hopelessly over exploited!!!

At much lesser cost then rather invest too traffic lights
Sanparks!!!!

[Richprins]

This is just another commercial plot being exercised over the back of
conservation.


Agreed, H. !.



The timing of this reinstitution appears blatantly to concur with hotel development, and luxury commercialisation at Skukuza, with the Hotel and Conference centre basically done and dusted there.

I repeat that I bet my bottom dollar there will be big .gov Political excursions/indabas/think-tanks etc. happening at Skuks soon, and all is interconnected.

There is no way VVVIP's will drive the "torturous road" from KMIA, and Mpumalanga wants a share of the spotlight politically.

As an aside, the tender process was remarkably fast by SA standards...3-4 months.

Compare the time it took/takes for tenders to be awarded to replace infrastructure lost in floods, for example?

[H. erectus]

Nah, this venture stinks!!!

We need more transparency!!!! A bigger picture!!!!

[iNdlovu]

Maybe this exercise is an effort to save the private lodges in the park. People flying in will probably not be self drive individuals so will be picked up by the lodges and drive in their vehicles. A carrot to get the lodges to back the hotel debackle.
As I have said before, SP went ahead and built the conference center with very little study to substantiate usability. It proved to be a big mistake, now to save face they need to build an hotel in Skuks. For my money, I'm OK with it. Skuks is a monstrous city anyway and if the hotel allows them to recoup the costs of the failed conference centre, I say go for it.
The trouble is that they might see this as a go ahead to build anywhere and everywhere.

[H. erectus]

and if the hotel allows them to recoup the costs of the failed conference centre, I say go for it.

, When we, as individuals, embark on money making business practice,
but fail, there is no pity out there for us!! Why should Sanparks be excluded?
Surely they should face their music much the same as we have too.

Skuks is a monstrous city anyway

, Seems Skuks has gone too far and is beyond saving as a
retreat for the bush crazies. Are going too write it off as lost.

The trouble is that they might see this as a go ahead to build anywhere and everywhere.

Might?, they have already done so. Why employ two different EAP only
to leave them dangling???


Are the Malelane EAP's entitled to legal process and then why employ
more practitioners based on another outset/outlet???

In my book of life I always get two options with one choice!!! .Gov always
seems better off with both in hand!!!

By retracting the boundaries, in order too accommodate bad management
is no long term solution for the well being of heritage. More so what I
believe should be classed as International Heritage!!!

Kruger does not only belong too South Africans, rather it belongs too the world
out there. Those fighting crime in the parks are probably doing it more for
foreign interest rather than local!!

Like the rest Skuks, in my opinion, remains subject too a proper publicly based
EIA, without question!!!

Skuks, too my mind, is leaving a rather lousy footprint in nature!!

[Flutterby]

Bookings for Airlink's Kruger flights open

2013-09-17 08:26

Cape Town - Airlink's flights to Skukuza have been made available for sale in the Global Reservations Systems.

The scheduled flights direct between Johannesburg and Skukuza as well as Cape Town and Skukuza, will however, only commence from 2 June 2014. The original commencement date was set for March 2014.

Following the announcement of its appointment to manage the airport, the Skukuza Airport Management Company has completed detailed discussions and site visits with the SANParks technical team, the various contractors and the specialist project team members who have been appointed to bring the project to finality.

A detailed critical path plan has been drawn up with input from all involved in the project and Airlink is comfortable that all works will be completed, with the necessary facilities and licensing in place to assure this start date for its schedule.

The reintroduction of scheduled air services to Skukuza will enable visitors to fly directly to and from the Kruger National Park.

SANParks CEO Dr. David Mabunda said "SANParks' long haul clients and those from major centres will no longer be subjected to a 1-2 hrs journey on poorly maintained roads from Nelspruit to the Kruger National Park. We are reliving a tradition that started in 1959 to enhance visitor convenience and experience. I look forward to working with our new partners in taking the business of managing national parks assets to another level."

"The opportunity to link Skukuza synergistically with Airlink's other destinations in Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique will allow for very exciting African safari opportunities, a feature which our travel industry colleagues are extremely excited about", echoed Airlink's CEO, Rodger Foster.

Benefits for Airlink travellers include Voyager Miles and convenient interline connections with SAA and its Star Alliance partner flights locally and globally.

[Flutterby]

These are the schedules and fares:

Johannesburg to Skukuza Launch Schedule:
• Departing Johannesburg 10h00 arriving Skukuza 10h50
• Departing Skukuza 11h35 arriving Johannesburg 12h40

Cape Town to Skukuza Launch Schedule:
• Departing Cape Town 10h35 arriving Skukuza 13h05
• Departing Skukuza 10h30 arriving Cape Town 13h30



Johannesburg to Skukuza from R1650
Cape Town to Skukuza from R2720

Fares are per person, one-way all inclusive (unless otherwise specified), published and special fares limited per flight and terms & conditions apply.

Not cheap are they!!

[Sprocky]

Exactly what I said earlier in this thread. They will price themselves out of the market. The JHB Skuks flight is the same price as the JHB Phala flight.

[Richprins]

I think most will go to the Sabie-Sands lodges for the time being? So not poor people...

However the Skukuza Monstrosity Hotel/Spa may be finished close to that time?

[Bushcraft]

Plenty small craft flying over camp every day at Skukuza last week and 2 fancy looking craft parked off at Satara (I didn’t even realise that Satara had an airport)