South African Airways Announces Significant Route Cuts

Real World Aviation
1

image

South African Airways has announced significant route cuts in order to restructure itself to avoid losses.

From February 29, 2020, SAA will be cutting these international routes from Johannesburg:

  • Guangzhou
  • Hong kong
  • Munich
  • São Paulo

From February 29, 2020, SAA will be cutting these regional/domestic routes from Johannesburg:

  • Abidjan via Accra
  • Durban
  • East London
  • Entebbe
  • Luanda
  • Ndola
  • Port Elizabeth

Cape Town will be the only remaining domestic destination served by South African Airways.

However, domestic destinations served by subsidiary Mango will not be affected.

Route Cut Map:

image

Accra (ACC) will still be served

Now, SAA will continue serve the following cities:

Intercontinental:

  • Frankfurt
  • London Heathrow
  • New York JFK
  • Perth
  • Washington Dulles via Accra

Within Africa:

  • Blantyre
  • Dar Es Salaam
  • Cape Town
  • Harare
  • Kinshasa
  • Lagos
  • Lilongwe
  • Lusaka
  • Maputo
  • Mauritius
  • Nairobi
  • Victoria Falls
  • Livingston
  • Windhoek

Full Press Release: https://www.flysaa.com/about-us/leading-carrier/media-center/media-releases/newsroom

Really not a good time for the airline. Recently, they announced they were looking to sell their A340s. Hopefully these cuts will allow them to recover.

13 Likes
2

Poor South African, hope they get back up soon

1 Like
3

Well, rip their status as one of the airlines to serve all 6 continents.

1 Like
4

Man these are very domestic.

3 Likes
5

Lol thanks, fixed it.

3 Likes
6

Excuse me???

2 Likes
7

Mango will continue to operate it.

2 Likes
8

Yep I know! Just sad to not have an SAA plane fly here :)

2 Likes
9

That is a shame. Btw were the A340s sold yet?

1 Like
10

Hopefully Mango will be enough to keep them afloat?

1 Like
11

Those are some big cuts, im not surprise about the china ones but why munich?

1 Like
12

Probably because it either doesn’t have a high enough demand, they aren’t able to acquire the appropriate aircraft for the route or they don’t have the cash flow to keep the route afloat along with the aircraft serving the route (taking fuel costs, in-flight entertainment costs, aircraft maintenance costs, estimated amount of passengers that would be on this route and more into account).

13

Likely it went like AA and their ORD-PEK route where there was very little demand thus no need for the route opening unless they use an insanely efficient tiny plane.

14

While JNB-MUC may not have had much demand, AA’s ORD-PEK wasn’t cut because lack of demand but rather the Chicago to China market was flooded with capacity so AA couldn’t charge high enough fares and was losing millions by operating the flight.

Chicago is one of the largest U.S. markets from China.

1 Like
15

Welp, was planning to fly on their flight from Munich to Johannesburg later this year. At least they still have Frankfurt

16

LATAM is planning to increase Sao Paulo to Johannesburg by two frequencies making it daily, likely in response to SAA ending the route.

1 Like
17

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.