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Industry rumours that Air China is planning direct flights from Beijing to Cape Town have been quashed by the Department of Transport, which has confirmed the airline has not formally applied to fly to the Mother City.
However, Keith Gow, Managing Director of Gateway Travel and Tours assured Tourism Update that Air China was planning to fly to Cape Town but the plans had not yet been finalised.
“The rumours began when Air China said it was planning to fly to Cape Town because the type of equipment used on the Johannesburg-Beijing route – a 14-hour flight – was not conducive to the altitude of OR Tambo International Airport, which is 1 680m metres above sea level,” Gow says. Johannesburg’s hot and high conditions make it difficult for Air China’s aircraft to uplift a full load of fuel, and this could restrict the numbers of passengers and freight during the daytime departures, he says.
To overcome this, Air China would need to depart in the early morning around sunrise, or later in the evenings when temperatures have cooled down – which does not suit aircraft scheduling, says Gow.
“The conditions for these aircraft are better at sea level, which allow aircraft to uplift a full fuel and passenger load, thus it may be through a twist of events that Cape Town gets the direct flight to Beijing,” Gow says.
Air China did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publishing.
Sourse: tourismupdate.co.za
