Viljoen distances himself from talk of SAA/Transnet divorce

Alan Peat
WHILE THERE are strong stories doing the rounds about the national air carrier becoming an independent solo entity, none of these have been directly attributed to SAA, according to Andre Viljoen, president and CEO.
During the past few days a lot has been written about the possibility of SAA being stripped out of the Transnet stable and set up as a stand-alone company.
This, the articles said, is part of the complete overhaul of Transnet.
Some of the articles have even speculated that SAA’s future will be one of two - either the airline being privatised, or turned into a national carrier focusing on promoting tourism by keeping fares low.
But none of this has come from SAA sources, he said.
“SAA’s leadership team and I are aware of the ongoing discussions and we expect to participate in these talks at the appropriate time,” he said.
Focusing on what he described as the “dedication, hard work and commitment to our company” of the airline’s staff, Viljoen added: “Their diligence has positioned the airline to become a world-class carrier - something of which all of us should be proud.”