DALLAS — The South African government has granted the country’s flag carrier permission to expand its fleet. Six new aircraft will be leased by South African Airways (SA), enabling it to relaunch international routes and provide additional domestic and regional capacity.
In an official statement released by the airline, SA interim CEO Professor John Lamola said that the fleet expansion had been approved by the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Public Enterprise.
The new jets will comprise five Airbus A320-family airframes and a single A330. Leases for the latter, plus a single A320, have already been secured. The airline plans to have all aircraft online by September 2023.
“A Significant Boost”
Lamola said, “We are excited, as SAA, to lay the groundwork for the relaunch of our first international route since coming out of business rescue and since the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. We will announce the new route in the coming few weeks, and we will open commercial marketing and sales for it.”
He added, “This is a significant boost for the domestic and regional markets and underscores our commitment to expanding our route network and increasing our frequency in the African market. It will also ensure that the equilibrium between the supply of seats and the flow of traffic will benefit our passengers.”
Featured Image: South African Airways ZS-SXU Airbus A330-243. Photo: Alberto Cucini/Airways.
