Weekly Travel News Recap, 26 April: ACSA mandates physical searches of all persons wearing head coverings, petrol station hijackings on the rise, and more

Catch up on all the latest travel news with Drive South Africa.

Each week, our team scours the web for the most interesting, trending, and unusual travel news, conservation news, and motoring news stories. Here are this week’s biggest scoops.

Travel News

An aeroplane lands in Paris, France

• Lift to suspend flights between Cape Town and Durban for winter period. The local airline says it has revised its winter period schedule and will suspend all flights between the cities from 7 May to 12 June. It adds that it’s in the process of notifying passengers and will re-accommodate affected travellers on the closest alternative flights.

• Airlines cancel hundreds of flights to and from France following threat of air traffic control strikes. Reuters reports that French air traffic controllers had threatened to go on strike on 25 April before coming to an agreement with authorities. However, the agreement came too late to avert hundreds of flight cancellations, causing massive disruptions in France and other parts of Europe.

• Namibia introduces visas-on-arrival at Walvis Bay Harbour. The country’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism called for more efficient immigration processes for cruise ships after the Queen Mary II brought more than 1,000 passengers to Walvis Bay this month, many of whom struggled with long waiting times. The new visa system is now in effect, eliminating the need for prior visa applications.

• ACSA mandates physical searches of all persons wearing head coverings. The Airports Company of South Africa says all passengers wearing “fixed headgear, headwraps, hijabs, burkas, doeks, izicholo, or niqabs” will be required to undergo physical searches at airport security gates. It adds that the searches “will be conducted with due sensitivity to recognised religious and cultural practices” and acknowledges that they “may cause discomfort”.

• WATCH: Interim Chairman Derek Hanekom says SAA broke even in 2023. Speaking to ENCA, the former Minister of Tourism said that the national airline broke even during the 2023-2024 financial year and is now seeking new investment streams to help expand its downsized network.

• Norse Atlantic Airways launches new route between Cape Town and London. The new flight offers an affordable alternative for passengers travelling between Cape Town and London Gatwick International Airport and will begin operating on 28 October. Online bookings are already available.

Conservation News

A mother cheetah and one of her cubs

• South Africa to send more cheetahs to India’s Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary. The cheetah is the only large predator to have gone extinct in India since independence. In 2022, local authorities launched “Project Cheetah” and released eight cheetahs into the sanctuary, followed by another 12 in 2023. It’s hoped that the project will result in a healthy breeding population.

• Deforestation forcing Ugandan wildlife to consume virus-laden bat guano to survive. Researchers say tobacco farming has caused severe selective deforestation in Budongo Forest, Uganda, forcing animals like chimpanzees, antelopes, and monkeys to turn to bat guano for food. However, the guano is a major source of zoonotic viruses, raising concerns that more diseases might spread from wildlife to humans.

• WATCH: Tigers rescued from Boksburg released to big cat sanctuary in the Free State. The tigers were held in poor conditions at a residential property in Boksburg for over two years before being rescued by the NSPCA and Boksburg SPCA. They have now been released at Isindile Big Cat and Predator Sanctuary in Fouriesburg, Free State.

Automotive News

The camouflaged Kia Tasman

• Kia releases first comouflage images of upcoming Tasman bakkie. The South Korean manufacturer has revealed a custom camouflage wrap for its upcoming Tasman bakkie, set to be launched in South Africa at some point in the near future. The camouflage conceals the final design of the vehicle ahead of official launch and was designed by artist Richard Boyd-Dunlop.

• South African motorists urged to stay alert as petrol station hijackings increase. According to Louis Nyahunda, senior research fellow at the Tshwane University of Technology Department of Law, Safety, and Security Management, there has been a substantial increase in petrol station-related crimes in South Africa.  Speaking to SABC News, he added that many petrol stations lack adequate security measures.

• Jaecoo J7 SUV lands in South Africa. South Africa is the first right-hand drive market for the Chinese vehicle, with pricing starting at R549,900. It features a turbocharged 1.6 l petrol engine that produces 145 kW of power and 290 Nm of torque, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

• Fiat set to launch two electric models in South Africa this year. Stellantis has confirmed that it will introduce the electric versions of the Fiat 500 and Abarth 500 in South Africa later this year. The Fiat 500 might become one of the cheapest EVs available, while the Abarth will feature a more powerful motor with 113 kW of power and 235 Nm of torque.

Missed out on this week’s Drive South Africa blogs? Catch up on them here.

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Travel News Image Credits: Unsplash, Kia

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