Alitalia and Sabena to fly daily from March

BOTH ALITALIA and Sabena Belgian Airlines have set March 28 as the starting date of their new seven-days-a-week service between Johannesburg and their European destinations.
Alitalia currently operates six flights weekly between Johannesburg and Milan using the MD-ll Combi. Following its alliance with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Kenya Airways, Alitalia is now broaching a similar agreement with the US carrier, Northwest.
This will be finalised when the US and Italian governments sign an open-skies agreement shortly. It will mean South African goods can be shipped by them throughout the networks of all alliance airlines anywhere in the world.
In the case of Sabena, the airline has announced that by introducing the additioanl day to its flight schedule, it will enjoy a cost-cutting factor, as only two instead of the standard three aircraft will now be required for the Johannesburg-Brussels route. The aircraft does not stand longer than an hour on the apron at Johannesburg International Airport in their daytime outward-bound flight schedule.
Sabena will move its South African head office from the Carlton Centre to Rosebank in March. The airline is the last remaining European carrier in the Johannesburg CBD.