Domestic air travel in South Africa is prohibitively expensive for many citizens.

The country’s commercial aviation sector has remained relatively modest in size compared to global standards.

The introduction of no-frills airlines aimed to change this by providing affordable flying options for budget-conscious travellers.

These carriers expanded choices and made air travel more accessible to a broader segment of South Africans.

Despite these promising developments, independent low-cost airlines have faced considerable hurdles. Competing against established national carriers that receive government bailouts has proven to be a significant challenge.

This uneven playing field has led to the closure of many budget airlines, including Comair’s Kulula.com, One Time, Mango, and Skywise.

With these players exiting the market, the cost of domestic flights has once again soared, placing air travel out of reach for many citizens.

Since when is a round trip to Durban R2000+? 😂✋🏼
— Juli Baker (@nosiey_) September 30, 2024

For low-cost carriers in South Africa to remain viable, they need to maintain efficient schedules, often focusing on select destinations while offering basic in-flight services.

Another challenge is the demand for air travel, which is not affordable for the majority of the population.

Affordability is based on the amount of disposable income available to consumers, and this impacts their ability to travel.

We did a price comparison for flying from Johannesburg to Cape Town for a weekend out of the main peak holiday period.

Lift Airline: R5,435
FlySafair: R5,592
SAA: R5,854
Airlink: R5,912

In comparison, a one-way ticket from Johannesburg to London Heathrow on with Etihad would cost R5,679, or Johannesburg to Athens with Qatar Airways coming in at R5,985.

These airlines typically use newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft that are cheaper to maintain. Additionally, they often operate from secondary airports like Lanseria International Airport, where lower fees help reduce operating costs.

The broader issue of limited intra-African flights and high costs has long restricted the airline industry growth across the continent.

Unlike Europe, where Open Skies agreements and Fifth Freedom Rights allow low-cost carriers to reduce prices, Southern Africa’s restrictive regulations, high airport taxes, and lack of infrastructure place additional burdens on smaller airlines.

This begs the question as to why the Southern African airline industry and bureaucrats are not opening our skies to help bring down the costs of domestic and intra-African travel.

This, with the opening of more routes across the continent, can drive economic growth in the region one day.

IOL Travel

cheap flights south africa

This is why domestic flights are so expensive in South Africa