Air travel will remain affordable for South Africans

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South Africans can continue to expect affordable domestic air ticket prices, according to FlySafair, despite predictions that global travel prices would rise sharply in 2018. Kirby Gordon, head of sales and distribution, says: "A strengthening rand means that we will be able to offset the increase in oil prices for a little longer than we would have with a stagnant or weakening currency."

This bodes well for South African travellers, particularly in light of the 2018 Global Travel Forecast, conducted by the GBTA Foundation in conjunction with Carlson Wagonlit Travel, which last year predicted that the price of air travel would rise by as much as 7% in some regions across the world in 2018.

“Contrary to international trends, domestic passenger numbers in South Africa in 2017 exhibited no growth against 2016’s figures, but the local market continues to be characterised by strong and healthy competition, which plays an important part in keeping costs down,” continues Gordon.

“Our mission has always been to make flying more affordable and put more people in the skies. One of our greatest cost-side exposures is to the oil price and, by proxy, the rand or dollar exchange. Favourable trends in the local oil price are good for everyone because it means that competition will remain healthy, which in turn keeps costs down,” concludes Gordon.

Despite predictions from the 2018 Global Travel Forecast, conducted by the GBTA Foundation in conjunction with Carlson Wagonlit Travel, which last year predicted that air travel would rise by as much as 7% in some regions across the world in 2018, FlySafair says that South Africans can continue to expect affordable domestic air ticket prices.