SkyscraperCity Forum banner

Margate Airport Expansion

8K views 18 replies 5 participants last post by  dysan1 
#1 ·
Margate airport gets upgrade
09 Sep 2010 - I-Net Bridge -

Margate Airport on KwaZulu-Natal's south coast is set for a R300m upgrade.

By Corrinne Louw

Margate Airport on KwaZulu-Natal's south coast is set for a R300million upgrade.

The upgrade comes hot on the heels of the completion of the R6billion 2010 King Shaka International Airport on the north coast.

The facelift is scheduled to begin next month.

Johannesburg airline Studio 88 Aviation began direct flights to Margate.

The Margate Airport upgrade by the Hibiscus Coast municipality will see the 1,4km runway extended to 2km.

Hibiscus Coast municipal manager Sibusiso Mkhize said the upgrade was prompted by the moving of Durban International Airport from the south to the far north - 170km away.

The chief executive officer of South Coast Tourism, Michael Bertram, said: "Having to travel more than two hours to the new King Shaka International Airport is costly and time-consuming."

Source: Sowetan


http://www.eprop.co.za/news/article....dArticle=12873
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Margate Airport to reopen to commercial flights
15 Thu, Jul 2010


MARGATE Airport in KwaZulu Natal has confirmed that it is in negotiations with airlines to reinstate commercial flights.

Currently, only private charter flights operate in and out of the airport.
A representative of Margate Airport said SA Express had expressed interest in operating flights out of the airport. However, pr and communications manager, Dileseng Koetle, said the airline had no such plans.

Airlink has also said it has no intention of again operating flights out of Margate Airport.

“The flights Airlink once operated out of Margate Airport were fare sensitive and it was not a viable market for the airline. That is why Airlink withdrew its flights to and from Margate,” says sales and marketing manager, Karin Murray. “We are focusing on the Pietermaritzburg area for this region.”

Meanwhile, kulula.com is exploring the option. “With KSIA so far north of Durban and Acsa unwilling to allow flights from the old Durban airport, there is a real need for flights for residents of the south coast,” says joint ceo of Comair, Gidon Novick.

http://www.btnow.co.za/NewsDetails.aspx?newsId=41330
 
#3 ·
Now you can fly to Margate

By Marc S
September 8th, 2010
224 Reads

Margate airport is a small airport near (you guessed it) Margate. It used to be possible to get there by flying on SA Airlink, however they stopped offering flights to it some time back. The reasons are not sure, but no doubt it was a result of a combination of a lack of profit and demand. However a new player on the block feels that now may be the right time to start offering these flights again. Fly Margate in association with Studio 88 Aviation and MGM Aviation have started, since the 6th September) offering regular scheduled flights to Margate. They are flying to and from East London, Johannesburg (Lanseria) and Mthatha.

The Johannesburg route (Margate – Lanseria – Margate) flies every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The pricing at the moment is a little steep, but hopefully will come down with demand, at R3 397.20 return.
The Mthatha route (Margate – Mthatha – Margate) flies every Tuesday and is priced at R1 846.80 return.
The East London route (Margate – east London – Margate) flies every Thursday and is priced at R2848.86 return.

So what has changed that lead this company to start offering these scheduled flights. Well, the new King Shaka airport is now the main entrance to KZN, and is actually a lot further away from the South Coast than the previous Durban airport was. This means that the Margate airport may actually be a much more convenient option for people and save them a good chunk of travel time – depending where they are going exactly.

Would you fly to Margate at these prices?
 
#4 ·
Meanwhile, kulula.com is exploring the option. “With KSIA so far north of Durban and Acsa unwilling to allow flights from the old Durban airport, there is a real need for flights for residents of the south coast,” says joint ceo of Comair, Gidon Novick.

KSIA is so far North?

And Margate is a better option? So people will drive to Margate to fly rather than KSIA. I think this is big talk. Hect PMB is closer

Awesome to see Margate getting an upgrade. I think be options are SA express of Airlink.
 
#5 ·
Meanwhile, kulula.com is exploring the option. “With KSIA so far north of Durban and Acsa unwilling to allow flights from the old Durban airport, there is a real need for flights for residents of the south coast,” says joint ceo of Comair, Gidon Novick.

KSIA is so far North?

And Margate is a better option? So people will drive to Margate to fly rather than KSIA. I think this is big talk. Hect PMB is closer

Awesome to see Margate getting an upgrade. I think be options are SA express of Airlink.
 
#8 ·
15mins? the drive from the old DIA to KSIA without traffic is closer to 30mins. If its morning or evening flights that could be over 45mins.

But in essence that is besides the point. There is a increasingly substantial portion of the population living on the south coast. Competitive flights from there would be great. And as you said, its a 2 hour journey being made longer. No one wants to drive that far only to leave your car at the airport, incur massive parking fee's and then return and have to do the 2,5hour drive home.
 
#9 ·
Airport Indaba raises hopes for regular flights

by Johan Pretorius
27 August 2010

The meeting is to be attended by the leaders of the airline industry, regular and charter airlines, members of the local business community as well as the public sector, municipal and tourism officials, political stakeholders and representatives of the Department of Co-operative Government and Traditional Affairs.

An upbeat Hibiscus Coast Municipal Manager Sbu Mkhize told the Fever this week that the objective of the indaba was to gather the views of the different stakeholders and to let them communicate directly with each other on the possibility of resuming regular flights to and from Margate airport.

“The HCM will also give account of its efforts to reactivate regular flights. The airlines invited include SA Airlink, SA Express and Comair, as well as several charter operators. We want these airline people to experience for themselves the enthusiasm for a resumption of flights, and for them to gauge the availability of passengers for these fights.”

Mr. Mkhize stated that it would be the ideal opportunity for the local business people to meet the airline operators for themselves, and to establish mutual relationships based on truth and trust. “We see our airline business footprint stretching right down to Port St. Johns in the south, Matatiele and Kokstad in the west, and beyond the border of UGU in the north. The airlines and other stakeholders will be able to voice their expectations first hand, and hopefully, everybody will benefit.”

http://www.feveronline.co.za/details.asp?StoNum=8182
 
#10 ·
“NOT so expensive”

Dear Fever,
When you take note of the cost of the new flights to and from Margate, your first reaction is “wow, it’s expensive!”

It is only when you start calculating the hidden costs of the alternative flights from Shaka Airport, that you realise it is not so expensive after all, especially for businessmen and people who fly regularly.

Firstly, the cost to and from the new airport over a return distance of 320 km works out at R960 ( the approximate AA rate at R3 per km ) per small car and at R1600 ( R5 per km ) for a large car.

Add to that parking of R 75 per day, and a cost of R300 per hour for the time spent travelling by a serviced provider, which amounts to a total of R1 200. When these hidden costs are added up, the total varies between R 2 200 and R2 800, before you have even bought your ticket from Durban to Johannesburg.

If you are a professional person earning for instance R 1 000 per hour, the total cost skyrockets to over R 5 000 before you have bought the Durban to Johannesburg fare.
I must point out that the above costs have been worked out on the basis of one person per car on a business trip.

Tony Kay
Margate

http://www.feveronline.co.za/details.asp?StoNum=8455&from=index.asp?
 
#12 ·
Not much activity on a physical upgrade to Margate airport, but SA Express are canvassing thoughts/requirements for regular flights from Jo'burg (ORTIA) to Margate. If you SMS them on 32692 with your ideas/contact details, they will call you back to ascertain what you need. Personally I voted for flights that allow me to connect to/from the UK, being a trip I (+ family) make several times a year, i.e. daily depart from ORTIA at c. 11 am and daily depart from Margate c. 5 pm. This would also fit well with Gauteng holidaymakers who cannot check into Margate rental apartments before 2 pm (earliest), but, despite kicking their heels after a 10 am check out on departure day, don't want to leave the area until mid/late afternoon.

Once there is a bit more regular activity on the runway it looks like the local municipality may spend some cash extending the Margate runway. If you, or anyone you know, flies to Southern KZN, please do take the time to respond - failure to get something going could end up being a last gasp for Margate airport. (But why can't ACSA run this airport rather than a backwater municipality???)

For more info see: http://www.feveronline.co.za/details.asp?StoNum=10774&pub=1&from=list.asp?pub=1
 
#14 ·
The problem at first would be that it might only be able to sustain one daily flight (50-seater aircraft). I do agree that the best would be to connect to as many possible international flights and also for normal holiday-makers, thus a midday flight.
Depart around 12:00 from JNB, 1h20min flight. Depart around 14:00 again back, arriving JNB around 15:30, giving reasonable time to connect to various international flights leaving after 17:00.

But, remains to be seen, as it seems that Airlink struggled to operate the route profitably with 29-seater aircraft, especially out of season...but yes, that was before DUR airport moved north...
 
#15 ·
The main problem with Airlink on the route was that they're unable to charge low fares to a very price sensitive destination. SAX should have a better chance although the route is ideally suited to a LCC, even if just operated seasonally - but that would require a big airport refurb.
 
#16 ·
Still not much sign of expansion beyond runway lights and a few licks of paint, though allegedly the local municipality have been let off the hook for managing this airport.

On a positive note it seems that Cemair are now launching a weekly scheduled service from Joburg ORTIA to Margate from 1 November, with a daily service over the Christmas Crush. Price R1249 each way.
 
#17 ·
According to a report in yesterday's Mercury CemAir's service to Margate is doing exceptionally well with the route going daily year round from 28 June and from 13 December it'll be upgraded to a 50-seater Bombardier-CRJ .
 
#19 ·
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top