Airbus A330-200 (ZS-SXZ)

A very rare and unusual visitor to our very small local airport. This past weekend saw an influx of over 6000 athletes to our city (read : town) for the Iron Man Competition. On Tuesday 4 September our National Carrier had to replace the usual 11:00 am flight (SA405) of either an A319 or A320, with this wide-body A330-243. Not only for the large number of International athletes heading back to Johannesburg, but also for the Cargo. Besides the usual "baggage", there were also a few hundred bicycles that needed to be loaded up. Flight SA405 (SA410 return) operated the A332 on both Tues & Wed to accommodate all the extra passengers and their unusual cargo. With a runway length of less than 6,700 foot it becomes a tight fit for this big bird. The apron is too narrow to park "normally" and therefore she had to park at an angle. Being at sea level, and with a typical wind blowing, besides the parking space, our little airport can handle it. The last time a aircraft of comparable size visited our airport was in 2010 for the Soccer World Cup.