Eurowings Discover has announced it will become the first intercontinental airline ever to start scheduled operations to South Africa’s largest national park. In its first season, between 15 November 2022 and 25 March 2023 Eurowings Discover will fly three times a week from Frankfurt to Mbombela, Kruger National Park, with a short stopover in Windhoek.
Eurowings Discover has a strong commercial focus on leisure destinations on the African continent and the arrival of the airline in Mpumalanga signifies a new brand introduced by the Lufthansa Group to the South African market.
Kruger Mpumalanga is the seventh destination offered by Eurowings Discover on the continent after already starting services from Frankfurt to Mombasa, Zanzibar, Mauritius and Windhoek, followed later by Victoria Falls and Kilimanjaro.
“We are very excited to be commencing scheduled flights to greater Kruger National Park region as the first intercontinental airline ever. Not only is it a truly unique destination but it also marks the first South African destination in our portfolio – needless to emphasize the attractiveness and popularity of South Africa among European holidaymakers.
Our booking figures show that travelers from all over Europe are increasingly drawn to the vastness and beauty of the African continent. We are therefore relying on a versatile Africa program this year and will continue to expand it in the future,” explains Helmut Woelfel, Chief Commercial Officer of Eurowings Discover.
“With the introduction of our brand-new flight service between Frankfurt and Mbombela, the Lufthansa Group now offers three destinations within South Africa to choose from. Connecting people is at the heart of our company values and by adding a third destination to our South African network, which will be operated by our new leisure airline Eurowings Discover, we are able to offer our customers even greater variety and convenience when planning their journey. We are extremely proud and excited to be the first European carrier to launch direct scheduled flight services to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, thus further underlining our support for the restart of tourism in South Africa and our long-term commitment to the region,” says Dr. Andre Schulz, General Manager, Southern and East Africa, Lufthansa Group.
“We at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, are incredibly excited about Eurowings Discover’s new service starting in November 2022. Germany is one of Mpumalanga’s key tourist markets and along with all our stakeholders and provincial partners we are proud of our role in enabling this route development. This service from Frankfurt to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport also opens possible onward connectivity opportunities to other domestic and regional tourist destinations for our visitors. We look forward to showcasing our unique ‘Gateway to Mpumalanga’ experience and welcoming our new international guests to the greater Kruger National Park region” said Grant Ponting, CEO of KMI Airport.
