South African Airways (SAA) plans to relaunch operations on Sept. 23.
SAA initially will operate flights on African routes from Johannesburg (JN to Accra (ACC), Cape Town (CPT), Harare (HRE), Kinshasa (FIH), Lusaka (LUN) and Maputo (MPM).
More destinations will be added to the network as market conditions improve, SAA said.
“After months of diligent work, we are delighted that SAA is resuming service and we look forward to welcoming on board our loyal passengers and flying the South African flag,” interim CEO Thomas Kgokolo said.“There is a profound feeling of enthusiasm within Team SAA as we prepare for takeoff, with one common purpose—to rebuild and sustain a profitable airline that once again takes a leadership role among local, continental and international airlines,” he added.
“The aviation sector is currently going through a testing period, and we are aware of the tough challenges that lie ahead in the coming weeks.”
SAA chairman John Lamola noted the flag-carrier came out of South Africa’s business rescue process at the end of April and the country’s Department of Public Enterprises and the airline have been working on resuming flights ever since. “The airline is restarting with a formidable business case,” Lamola said.