Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, announced that it will commence daily non-stop flights from Mumbai to Johannesburg from April 14th, 2010. The airline will introduce services to the Rainbow Nation using a new state-of-the-art Airbus 330-200 aircraft. The launch of this new international route marks the first time that Jet Airways is adding destinations to Africa on its international route network. Flight 9W 242 will depart Mumbai at 0205 hours, arriving in Johannesburg at 0735 hrs. On the return leg, flight 9W 241 will depart Johannesburg at 1100 hrs, arriving in Mumbai at 2330 hrs.
 
According to Mr. Nikos Kardassis, CEO, Jet Airways, “Jet Airways is delighted to enter Africa with its daily Mumbai-Johannesburg service. South Africa’s reputation as a leading tourist and business destination and the fact that it will play host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup also presents a huge opportunity for Jet Airways. We are confident that our airline will soon emerge as one of the first choice carriers on this popular route given our unparalleled domestic network in India and  ever expanding international footprint. South Africa, as indeed the African region is an important market for us and we are confident of capturing and growing the market".

"Given the strong linkages between India and South Africa, and the large number of people of Indian origin living in and/or working in South Africa, we believe that there is untapped potential and this new route promises to serve the needs of our discerning corporate and leisure flyers”, added Mr. Kardassis.
 
A truly diverse rainbow nation with 11 official languages, South Africa is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. From the deserts of the Kgalagadi to the lush green forests of Tsitsikamma to the unspoilt beaches of the wild coast to the vibrant nightlife of Cape Town, the country has something for every traveler. It is also emerging as one of the leading business tourism and conference destinations in the world, and ranked 18thon the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Index as an attractive foreign investment destination.
 
Configured in two classes, with 30 seats in Premiere (Business Class) and 190 seats in Economy, the spacious full-length wide-bodied twin aisle cabin of the A330-200 will truly make for a more pleasurable flying experience. The airline's Premiere guests will enjoy a 180 degree flat bed with lumbar support and massage systems, oversized table, laptop power, telephony, SMS, Email and live text news to deliver a flying office, state-of-the-art On-Demand Panasonic In-Flight Entertainment (IFE), as well as the finest in-flight dining and service, among other amenities.

Johannesburg will be the twenty-second destination in the airline’s international network. Jet Airways currently flies to New York (both JFK and Newark), Toronto, Brussels, London (Heathrow), Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Bangkok, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jeddah, Sharjah and Riyadh.