The inaugural flight of new Durban low-cost airline Velvet Sky touched down at King Shaka International Airport on Tuesday.

Waiting to greet them were the Velvet Sky chief executive Dhevan Pillay, eThekwini councillor Fawzia Peer, members of the media and other officials.

Pillay said it was a wonderful moment to see the plane touch down at King Shaka International Airport.

The airline will start with a single plane operating the following flights on a daily basis (time are approximate and will vary, see website for up to date details):
JNB-DUR @ 06h15
DUR-JNB @ 08h15
JNB-CPT @ 10h15
CPT-JNB @ 13h15
JNB-DUR @18h15
DUR-JNB @ 20h15

At a press conference and launch in Durban Velvet Sky's Chairman, Cecil Reddy said "Velvet Sky will offer passengers more choice when making their travel arrangements through realistic scheduling, competitive pricing and adding capacity to the busier routes. Our approach to launching Velvet Sky has been particularly cautious, as our aim is to guarantee an operation that will ultimately delight the South African travelling public."

King Shaka International Airport general manager Terence Delomoney said the Airports Company of SA was proud to welcome Velvet Sky to Durban and the new airport.

"It is historic and exciting to have the first Durban-based domestic airline and operating out of King Shaka Airport. It is clearly evident that our new airport has become a major catalyst for economic growth in KZN," he said.