The government will formally reintroduce South African Airways (SAA) in Cape Town on Thursday, 26 October. This event will mark two years since the airline resumed operations and will also announce the reinstatement of its direct routes to São Paulo, Brazil.
Also read: WC anticipates record-breaking season with over one million inbound seats
Pravin Gordhan, the minister of public enterprises, indicated that this reintroduction signifies an important turning point for SAA, which faced operational challenges after being grounded for 16 months. During this time, the airline went through a business rescue procedure to avoid going out of business.
‘The upcoming event marks a very significant step in the resurgence of South African Airways. We look forward to the official relaunch of SAA, along with the introduction of its first intercontinental flight to São Paulo, Brazil,’ said Gordhan.
Earlier in the year, a statement from SAA disclosed plans for four weekly flights to São Paulo, with two originating from Cape Town and two from Johannesburg.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Appreciate the beauty of Cape Town with a 60-minute cruise for R155 (valued at R310). Get it here.
The interim CEO of SAA, Professor John Lamola, expressed his enthusiasm about the decision to launch the long-distance flight, a move that followed an in-depth sustainability review.
‘We are overjoyed to announce São Paulo as our first international destination since the airline successfully emerged from an intensive business rescue process and COVID-19 lockdown. It also marks the return of our long-haul service out of Cape Town. The teams at SAA are working hard behind the scenes to gear our operations for this much-anticipated route launch to South America,’ said Lamola.
‘Our decision to begin the relaunch of our long-haul service with São Paulo was taken based on a rigorous analysis of the viability of the route. Sustainability has been at the heart of SAA’s approach since our restart,’ he added.
According to the airline, the inaugural flight to São Paulo is set to take off from Cape Town on Tuesday, 31 October. This will be followed by the Johannesburg flight, scheduled for Monday, 6 November.
Explore Cape Town and its surroundings with these incredible deals on cars for under R100 000. Find car listings here.
Also read:
Community, culture and tourism: iMzu Tours goes beyond sightseeing