United Airlines has landed at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg after the airline recently announced its decision to return to South Africa with its direct service from New York to Johannesburg.
One of the airline’s flights left Newark in the US last night and landed in Johannesburg at six o’clock this evening (Friday).
Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane who joined Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula and Airports Company of South Africa executives to wait for the inaugural flight, says this is a welcome development.
WELCOMING UNITED AIRLINES TO SOUTH AFRICA
THIS AFTERNOON; we join the Airports Company of South Africa at OR Tambo International Airport to welcome and celebrate the inaugural Johannesburg – New York flight of United Airlines. pic.twitter.com/js2WwRxi4I
— |Mr Fix (@MbalulaFikile) June 4, 2021
“They have listened to our message when we say it’s safe to come to South Africa and therefore they’ve started to show that confidence. We do believe that many that have put South Africa on the red list will see that there is no need for that. And also this speaks to what we have done previously. We talked about the tourism sector recovering. It started with the domestic market and now we are moving into the international market. And this is a huge milestone for us,” says Kubayi-Ngubane.
Reporter Naledi Ngcobo speaks to Minister Kubayi-Ngubane:
