SA Express has received approval from the International Air Services Council to offer services to Zimbabwe, Angola, and Botswana.

This will see the airline adding seven new flights between Cape Town International Airport and Gaborone, as well as seven flights between Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport and Bulawayo, and three to Luanda.

A statement released by the airline says: “SA Express’s new regional frequencies were finally approved following a delay as a result of objections by competitor airline SA Airlink, in their efforts to remain the sole operator in these markets.”

Mpho Makatladi, SA Express Spokesperson, said: “We are very pleased with the Council’s decision as it allows us to accelerate the implementation of our strategy to offer increased and much-needed regional services to achieve commercial sustainability. To this end, we plan to launch these new routes as soon as possible as they are high-yield markets.”