South Africa's most punctual domestic airlines in June 2014

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has published the on-time performance results of domestic airlines’ flying out of OR Tambo in Johannesburg, Cape Town International Airport, and Durban's King Shaka International Airport in June 2014.
On-Time Performance is measured by comparing the actual off-block time (when aircraft pushes back) against the airline schedule time for a departing flight. The measurement is done in accordance with the IATA (International Airlines Transport Association) universal standard benchmark with considers a 15 minute deviation from the scheduled time as an on-time departure.

OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg - 15 Min on Time Performance June 2014 (airport target 85%)

1. Airlink - 93.11% (May 92.01%)
2. British Airways Domestic - 92.02% (May 89.95%)
3. Kulula.com - 90.91% (May 82.94%)
4. South African Airways - 90.23% (May 91.35%)
5. Mango - 89.16% (May 93.45%)
6. SA Express - 84.14% (May 80.94%)

Cape Town International Airport - 15 Min on Time Performance June 2014 (airport target 87%)

1. SA Express - 96.12% (May 92.83%)
2. Airlink - 93.93% (May 98.18%)
3. British Airways Domestic - 92.70% (May 89.04%)
4. South African Airways - 91.83% (May 91.75%)
5. Mango - 88.06% (May 93.43%)
6. Kulula.com - 88.06% (May 86.04%)

King Shaka International Airport, Durban - 15 Min on Time Performance June 2014 (airport target 89%)

1. South African Airways - 94.93% (May 93.20%)
2. Kulula.com - 93.05% (May 88.29%)
3. Airlink - 92.55% (May 91.24%)
4. Mango - 92.11% (May 94.36%)
5. SA Express - 91.65% (May 94.59%) 
6. British Airways Domestic - 90.95% (May 87.87%)

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Etihad Airways to launch flights to Entebbe (Uganda)

update (05 May 2015): Etihad Airways has launched a new direct service between Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) in Abu Dhabi and Entebbe International Airport (EBB) in Entebbe, Uganda on 01 May 2015. The airline will operate four flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The flag carrier airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways, will launch direct flights between Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) in Abu Dhabi and Entebbe International Airport (EBB) in Entebbe, Uganda. From 01 May 2015 the airline will operate daily flights between the two destinations on board a two-class Airbus A320 aircraft with 16 Business Class seats and 120 Economy Class seats. Etihad Airways' flights to and from Entebbe can be booked from today (10 July 2014) onwards.

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Jeffreys Bay: Jbay Open - online live footage

The Jbay Open (10 - 20 July 2014), part of the Samsung Galaxy ASP World Championship Tour, are currently taking place in Jeffreys Bay. The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is broadcasting live from the event via youtube! Enjoy!

South Africa: 558 rhinos killed by poachers so far in 2014

According to the latest statistics released by the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa has lost 558 rhinos to illegal poaching since the beginning of 2014. Of the rhinos poached, 351 rhinos were killed in the Kruger National Park, 80 in Limpopo, 48 in KwaZulu Natal, 37 in the North West, 24 in Mpumalanga, 10 in the Eastern Cape, 4 in the Free State, 3 in Gauteng and 1 in the Western Cape.
A total of 157 people have been arrested for rhino poaching-related offences in South Africa since January this year.

Latest rhino poaching figures (as of 10 July 2014):

• Kruger National Park (SANParks) - 351 rhinos poached
• Marakele National Park (SANParks) - 0 rhino poached
• Gauteng -  3 rhino poached
• Limpopo - 80 rhino poached
• Mpumalanga - 24 rhino poached
• North-West Province - 37 rhino poached
• Eastern Cape - 10 rhino poached
• Free State - 4 rhino poached
• KwaZulu Natal - 48 rhinos poached
• Western Cape - 1 rhino poached
• Northern Cape - 0 rhino poached

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) is urging members of the public to report incidents of rhino poaching or any tip-offs to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005, 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.

Botswana: Old family of coins to be demonetised with effect from 28 August 2014

Botswana introduced a new family of coin in February 2014. Travellers in Botswana should be aware that the old family of coin will be demonetised with effect from 28 August 2014. Thereafter, the old coins will be exchanged only at the Bank of Botswana in Gaborone and Francistown for a period of five years until 28 August 2019. The government of Botswana requests the public to exchange old coins at commercial banks throughout the country before 28 August 2014.
Botswana's new family of coin has retained the seven denominations: 5 Pula, 2 Pula, 1 Pula, 50 thebe, 25 thebe, 10 thebe and 5 thebe.

Screenshot via Bank of Botswana (pdf)

SANParks announced the dates for the SA National Parks Week 2014

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that the ninth annual South African National Parks Week will be from 8 to 12 September 2013. During the four days, South African day visitors will have free access to most of the 21 national parks in the country. The only excpetions are Namaqua National Park and the Boulders section of the Table Mountain National Park. It should be noted that free access to parks does not in include free access to accommodation facilities and other tourist activities. The excluded Parks will apply normal entry tariffs, as they have been declared non-participants in the free access scheme, due to the seasonality of their product offering.

Some of the parks will be extending the week to include the weekend:

• Addo Elephant National Park (08 - 12 September 2014)
• Agulhas National Park (08 - 12 September 2014)
• Augrabies National Park (TBC)
• Bontebok National Park (08 - 14 September 2014)
• Camdeboo National Park (08 - 14 September 2014)
• Garden Route (Tsitsikamma, Knysna, Wilderness) National Park (08 - 12 September 2014)
• Golden Gate Highlands National Park (08 - 12 September 2014)
• Karoo National Park (08 - 14 September 2014)
• Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (08 - 12 September 2014)
• Kruger National Park (08 - 12 September 2014)
• Mapungubwe National Park (08 - 12 September 2014)
• Marakele National Park (08 - 12 September 2014)
• Mokala National Park (08 - 12 September 2014)
• Mountain Zebra National Park (08 - 13 September 2014) 
• Namaqua National Park (Excluded from SA National Parks Week)
• Table Mountain National Park (08 - 13 September 2014; Free entry excludes Boulders Penguin Colony)
• Tankwa Karoo National Park (08 - 14 September 2014)
• West Coast National Park (TBC)
• |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park (08 - 12 September 2014)

Edelweiss Air to increase its seasonal non-stop service Zürich <> Cape Town

Swiss airline Edelweiss Air will increase its seasonal non-stop schedule between Zürich and Cape Town from two to three weekly frequencies. Flights will operate during the South African summer season (03 December 2014 - 11 March 2015) each Wednesday, in addition to the already existing flights on Tuesdays and Fridays. The flights on Wednesdays will be operated by an Airbus A330-300 from the Edelweiss Air's sister company Swiss International Air Lines. Operated by Edelweiss Air crew, the aircraft is equipped with 52 fully lie-flat seats in business class and 183 seats in economy class.

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