South African Airways is relaunching its intercontinental route between Cape Town and São Paulo, marking an important step in the airline’s recovery. The new route aims to bring down airfares due to competition and help SAA develop its operations. Despite past challenges, including financial difficulties and operational issues, SAA is looking towards a brighter future with plans to expand its network and add more aircraft.
The final countdown has begun as South African Airways (SAA) prepares to operate its first intercontinental route in three years, with a flight between Cape Town International (CPT) and São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) in the next 72 hours.
At an event in Cape Town on October 26, South Africa’s Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, officially relaunched the national carrier’s intercontinental connection in front of an esteemed crowd that included Brazil’s Vice Minister of Tourism, airline executives, and other stakeholders.
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Returning to Brazil
South African Airways will return to Brazil on Tuesday, October 31, serving the South American country from two cities, four times a week in total. The first flight, SA226, will depart CPT at 12:55 and arrive at GRU at 16:35 local time. The return flight, SA227, will depart GRU at 18:05 and arrive at CPT at 06:40 (+1). This service will be operated twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
SAA will also fly to São Paulo from Johannesburg (JNB), with the inaugural flight on Monday, November 6. SA222 will leave JNB at 11:20, arriving at GRU at 16:35 local time. On return, SA223 will depart GRU at 18:05 and arrive at JNB at 06:40. This service will be operated on Mondays and Thursdays.
While SAA has been criticized for splitting the service between the two cities, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer Tebogo Tsimane said, “We have created an effective schedule which is ideal for both business and leisure travelers, and our schedule is fantastic for connecting traffic.” Nevertheless, the service will mark the first time Cape Town has had a direct connection with South America in over a decade.
Expanding international operations
SAA expects its new intercontinental route to contribute immensely to developing the airline and South Africa’s aviation sector as a whole. With the currently high airfares on routes to and from South Africa, the carrier hopes the new competition will bring prices down. It had previously scheduled the Airbus A340 on the route but eventually swapped it with the more efficient A330.
According to the DPE, the launch of São Paulo is a sign of more long-haul flights in the near future. It is the first step on SAA’s journey to recovery on the international scene, and the carrier will focus on expanding its network to give South Africans access to more destinations. SAA is also preparing to launch its next transcontinental route between Johannesburg and Abidjan, with a thrice-weekly service starting November 14.
Emerging from business rescue
South Africa’s flag carrier recently celebrated two years of its rebirth after emerging from business rescue in 2021. Once considered among the world’s best, SAA has been battling several financial and operational challenges for years. It entered business rescue in 2019 and began pulling international routes at the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic. By April 2020, it had suspended all domestic operations and only returned in September 2021.
Speaking at the event, Minister Gordhan said that state capture had severely affected the airline, with the government injecting about $2.72 million over a period of ten years. However, he highlighted that SAA is back on track.
“SAA is, in many ways, an entity rising from the ashes of State Capture like a Phoenix. A few years ago, we thought that with all the damage that had been done to SAA, it wouldn’t survive. And there were many who thought that the best way to deal with the future of SAA was to liquidate it. Today we are running with an SAA that is still very much alive and has been brought out of ICU.”
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Despite State Capture and the effects of the pandemic, Gordhan sees an SAA with a bright future. The company expects to add more aircraft soon and boost its presence in the domestic and regional markets. It is also going through a semi-privatization deal, which the minister expects to be completed by the end of the year or early next.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry