This year marked 10 years since the launch of the Cape Town Air Access CTAA public-private initiative designed to grow and strengthen the regions international air connectivity a milestone that offers an opportunity to reflect on how far Cape Towns global connectivity and the region have come.
As the Western Cape heads into its traditionally busy summer season and thousands of visitors prepare to arrive, it is an opportune moment to take stock of a decade of deliberate, coordinated effort to open the province more fully to the world.
A decade ago, Cape Towns skies were far quieter. Travelling there from New York, So Paulo or much of the African continent often meant long layovers and complex connections through Johannesburg, Dubai or European hubs. The regions growing reputation as a destination for business and leisure was not matched by direct air access. Our global reach was constrained and the economic potential that comes with seamless connectivity remained largely untapped.
