Air charter in Nelspruit

Flying from Nelspruit

Nelspruit (Mbombela) is the capital of Mpumalanga and the gateway to the southern Kruger National Park and the private game reserves around it. Two airports serve the area. Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA), north-east of the city near White River, handles scheduled flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town. Nelspruit Airport, closer to town, is used for private, corporate and charter flights.

Charter operators based here fly the routes that scheduled airlines don’t: transfers to lodges with their own airstrips, quick business trips to mines, farms and towns across the Lowveld, and connections to neighbouring Mozambique and Eswatini.

Scenic flights

The escarpment and the Panorama Route north of Nelspruit, with the Blyde River Canyon, God’s Window and the waterfalls around Graskop, are some of the most rewarding landscapes in the country to see from the air. Scenic flights by helicopter or light aircraft are popular with visitors and for special occasions. Ask how long you will be in the air, which route the pilot plans to fly, and where the best seats are for photographs.

Before you book

• Check the operator. Ask for its SACAA air operator certificate number, and whether it flies you itself or arranges the aircraft through another operator.
• Tell them the full weight. Small aircraft and helicopters have strict limits. Give honest weights for passengers and luggage, and use soft bags.
• Plan for weather. Summer afternoons in the Lowveld often bring thunderstorms, so morning flights are usually smoother and more reliable. Ask what happens if weather stops the flight.
• Coordinate with your lodge. Lodge airstrips have their own rules and landing times. Your operator and the lodge should agree the times between them.

Staying over? See bed and breakfasts in Nelspruit, or browse all air charter ads.

Written by the Find4U team at QX Software in Pretoria. We read every website before its ad runs.