SAA reveals bold Africa expansion plans

SOUTH AFRICAN Airways has put its money where its mouth is and announced bold expansion plans on its Africa route network. Last Wednesday saw the launch of its Libreville, Gabon service operating twice a week using an Airbus A319. The airline has also bolstered its existing network with additional frequencies and larger aircraft. And while the restructuring is largely passenger-driven, cargo is an increasingly relevant part of the mix, general manager commercial Rushj Lehutso told FTW last week. SAA will add capacity on 10 of its current 19 African destinations with the 737- 800, which will be deployed on some of these routes, offering more cargo capacity than existing aircraft, he said. Capacity will be added to Entebbe, Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam, Mauritius, Blantyre, Lilongwe, Gaborone, Windhoek, Luanda, Kinshasa, Libreville and Abidjan. Later in the year the Gabon route will include a flight to Abidjan, operating Johannesburg – Libreville - Abidjan while the route from Johannesburg to Accra will also include Abidjan operating Johannesburg – Abidjan – Accra – Johannesburg. The airline will also realign its New York flights, operating four flights via Accra and three via Dakar. Of the 34 routes operated by the airline, Africa is the best performing region, Lehutso said, followed by domestic and international. The restructuring is not only about cost-cutting but about the growth of the airline, he added.