South African Airways (SAA) has no immediate plans to increase its domestic routes or frequencies. Its current focus is on where it can have a comparative advantage and competitive edge with the right aircraft, namely on profitable regional intra-African routes and certain intercontinental routes. Such routes are more profitable for SAA than domestic routes.
This is according to the state-owned airline’s interim chair, Derek Hanekom, who spoke to AirInsight on Sunday. In his view, domestic routes in South Africa are currently well served by other local airlines, especially FlySafair. For the peak summer season in South Africa, SAA will again wet-leasing planes from Turkish airline SunExpress.
I have 20+ years of experience in content production for local and international news, mainly from a business angle. Topics often covered include, but are not limited to, aviation, property, tourism, and agriculture. Over the years, I have built lasting relationships with trusted sources with assured confidentiality. I thrive on interacting with credible sources and industry stakeholders while covering local and international news and events.
