SAA looks to expand longhaul network and fleet

Various aviation news sites are reporting that South African Airways is looking into expanding its longhaul network and fleet. Currently, the airline is only operating regional international flight but is planning to expand with flights to Perth and Sao Paulo at the end of March 2023. For this, it will use its single Airbus A330-300.

As a next phase of its international expansion, the airline is looking into leasing one or several Airbus A350-900s which it will use on flights to Frankfurt, London and Washington, all routes the airline previously served as well.

To fund all of this, South African Airways is receiving a financial injection of the government and is also in the process of being taken-over (for 51%) by Takatso Aviation, the company behind low-cost carrier Lift.

South African Airways resumed operations on 23 September 2021 after it was declared bankrupt in 2019. It currently operates a fleet of ten aircraft consisting of three Airbus A319s, five A320s, one A330-300 and one A340-300.

The airline has also, previously, operated the A350. Between November 2019 and April 2020, SAA leased four A350-900s, two from Avolon and two from Air Mauritius.

Photo by South African Airways.