Swazi Airways (Manzini King Mswati III International) is planning to commence scheduled passenger operations early next month with weekly flights from its Manzini King Mswati III International hub to Durban King Shaka in neighbouring South Africa.
Acting CEO Guillermo Barrios told a press conference this past weekend that additional destinations would include Cape Town International, Harare International, and eventually Dubai International and Mumbai International. Initial operations are on-board a B737-500 leased from an unknown operator.
Swazi Airways is entirely owned by the Swazi state and is the official successor to Royal Swazi National Airways (Manzini Matsapha) which collapsed in 1999. While the government has already partnered Airlink (South Africa) (4Z, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) in establishing Swaziland Airlink (Manzini King Mswati III International), it has been unhappy at international carriers' response to the new Manzini King Mswati III Int'l airport which has remained largely under-utilized since its opening in 2014. As such, the state resolved to set up its own airline to help stimulate demand for Swaziland as a transit hub for southern Africa.
