Cape Town: Open Skies Could Unlock Billions of Rands and Thousands of Jobs for people of South Africa. Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth and Tourism – Alderman James Vos has confirmed this with his recently facts.
James Vos shared a post regarding this on his official social media handle and said that they have given the current opportunities, and he is escalating his call for an Open Skies Policy.
He stated, “In my letter to Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, I warned that restrictive air access policies are holding our country back from reaching its full potential in tourism, trade, and investment.”
Vos mentioned in the letter that Cape Town International Airport exceeded its 2024 target by 125%. This reflected the growing demand for both business and leisure travel to the City of Cape Town and underlined the potential of Cape Town as a leading aviation hub.
However, without a comprehensive air liberalisation, much of this potential will remain untapped.
MMC for Economic Growth – James Vos also highlighted that according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), opening up South Africa’s skies could generate up to 155,000 new jobs and inject more than R24 billion into GDP annually.
He emphasised that the tourism already contributes 8.8% to the national economy and supports nearly 1.7 million jobs, but he believes that the sector can grow even further if airlines are granted greater freedom to operate.
James Vos urged the state to apply these suggestions, such as:
- Fast-track its commitments under the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
- Upgrade aviation infrastructure to expand airport capacity.
- Grant fifth freedom rights on strategic routes in phases.
- Strengthen competition rules to avoid monopolies and ensure fair pricing.
Cape Town has always been at the forefront of advocating for increased air connectivity, working with global stakeholders to attract new routes.
Implementing an Open Skies Policy will deliver benefits for travellers and airlines. Also, it will align with the national goals of job creation, economic growth, and deeper regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Notably, this call comes as global competition intensifies among cities vying for air routes, trade flows, and foreign direct investment, by Cape Town positioning itself as one of Africa’s leading aviation and tourism hubs.