KZN wealthy pay up to R180k to fly out of violence-torn province

Wealthy KwaZulu-Natal residents chartered private planes and fled the province this week amid violent looting and fires which rocked the province and ahead of impending food, medication and fuel shortages.

Driven by fear and anxiety, some residents forked out as much as R180,000 for private flights to Cape Town and R90,000 to Gauteng. 

Pilots at Virginia Airport in Durban North told TimesLIVE they had been overwhelmed with private trips for clients due to the unrest which gripped areas in the city.

CEO of KZN Aviation Melanie Simon said their pilots had been working flat out doing multiple trips to Cape Town and Gauteng.

“For a flight to Cape Town, which costs R150,000 one way, we’re taking families of up to six people, some with their pets. We’ve done about seven of those flights so far and we have more lined up.”

She said trips to Gauteng were more frequent. “We’re doing about eight flights per day when we usually do around two. Most families and individuals are flying to Johannesburg and Cape Town.”

TimesLIVE is aware of at least one private jet, owned by an international company, which left on Wednesday with mothers and children from the Ballito area who flew to Cape Town. They shopped and the plane returned with goods for their husbands and fathers, who remained at home to “protect” their properties.

A reliable source told TimesLIVE 50 aircrafts left from the airport on Wednesday and 75 on Thursday. He expected around 50 planes to fly in and out on Friday.

“It is true that people are fleeing KwaZulu-Natal,” the source said.

The source said there was also a “lot of good being done” and some wealthier families were paying for provisions to be flown in for their relatives and other needy people. The Red Cross was flying in with provisions.

Robyn Pentolfe, a pilot with Legend Aviation, said they had also been requested to ferry food from Gauteng to Durban.

“We have no pilots on the ground right now. It is chaos here. We don’t have one helicopter on our pad. They are all heading out. A lot of families in Johannesburg are sending food for their families and friends in Durban.

She said on Thursday some of their pilots had jumped into one of their aircraft and headed to Joburg to buy food for themselves and their families.

Most aviation companies at the Virginia Airport had run out of fuel by Tuesday and had to make frequent trips to King Shaka International Airport to refuel.

TimesLIVE