[J_Pathmore]

Perhaps the dumbest thing about the South African travel scene is that the government has now allowed SA passengers to leave for a variety of reasons. The problem is that the national carrier has no flight schedule, and the government isn’t allowing foreign airlines to operate commercial flights. This means that both foreign and SA passport holders need to wangle their way onto a repatriation flight, which is next to impossible given the outsized demand.

SA must be one of the only countries in the world right now that’s not allowing commercial flights. Even Australia, which has a similar ban, allows commercial flights in and out…

[LuganoPirate]

Apparently commercial flights will start again on June 19th.

[J_Pathmore]

Lugano where did you get this information? And is it commercial international flights too?

[cwoodward]

There was an SAA aircraft in HK this morning.
Yum Cha lunch outing for the ANC perhaps ?

[capetonianm]

Some of the headlines from this weekend’s ZA press about the pipe-dream of a new SAA. What is it interesting is that it is only those who would benefit from it who believe in it. It’s real Alice in Wonderland stuff.

New SAA plan not cleared for take-off
https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/business/2020-06-07-new-saa-plan-not-cleared-for-take-off/

Union investment firms say airlines make little sense

SAA business rescue: a tale of two clashing ideologies

SAA is selling tickets – but there’s ‘no certainty’ it will fly

Aviation experts explain why ‘bizarre’ SAA draft rescue plan cannot fly

“The only savings related to employment costs SAA has at the moment, is the fact that it has not been paying salaries since 1 May,” says this expert.

An aviation analyst, who also wouldn’t be named, is of the view that three things would be needed for a business rescue plan for SAA to be successful – and he thinks all three these will be “impossible” to achieve.

1 user thanked author for this post.

GivingupBA

[VMR Travel UK]

I remeber the time when SAA was an absolute crown jewel, profitable, excellent maintenance, super reliability and a good service onbaord.
Unfortunately in the last 25 years it has become a self service unit for certain areas of the government and while other airlines manage to make healthy profits on routes to/from SA SAA has been going down the pits. It is a real shame that we cannot seem to get our act together and save SAA from the many hands that keep taking from it. But as long as there is not an independant board without any external influence from the government it will keep failing and become SA’s version of Alitalia.

Here is another interesting link:

https://www.flightglobal.com/airlines/saa-unions-force-further-delay-to-business-plan-publication/138726.article

2 users thanked author for this post.

cwoodward, capetonianm

[capetonianm]

Welcome to the forum, VMR Travel UK, I think you are a new arrival and it looks as if you have valuable contribution to make.

I look forward to reading more from you, specially if you come up with more expressions like this : “it has become a self service unit for certain areas of the government”. That raised a hearty laugh!

You are so right about SAA and indeed the country as a whole, which ‘they’ have destroyed since the days when I was privileged to have enjoyed so many happy years there. Sadly, in many ways, like Slough, much of it ‘isn’t fit for humans now’.

[capetonianm]

The liquidation of SA Express has been postponed to 09SEP.

[LuganoPirate]

[postquote quote=999988][/postquote]

Sorry for late reply, I was told by Swiss and Lufthansa who will both recommence flights to SA on the 19th, but it seems it will not be a daily rotation for the time being.

The big question though, is will you have to go into quarantine and will there be internal connections?

I should add I have a flight booked for June 30th and Swiss have confirmed the flight to me. But……

[capetonianm]

Meanwhile, more snouts in the trough, this time, the so-called Business Rescue Practitioners, and b…. all to show for it.

timeslive.co.za/politics/2020-06-08-consultants-net-millions-from-saa-business-rescue/

Consultants net millions from SAA business rescue
SAA business rescue practitioners have earned just over R36m in 6 months

This contrasts with the stated attitude of the President of Namibia :
independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/air-namibia-airline-south-west-africa-president-a9557121.html

But in a remarkable show of good sense, the Namibian President (Hage Geingob, in case you’ve momentarily forgotten his name) announced in a state-of-the-nation address this week:
“Air Namibia must be liquidated. It is not making any profits, just being bailed out, bailed out.”

It was a brave thing to say. Many governments in Africa and elsewhere are easily persuaded by the bosses of their national airlines that they are a vital part of the infrastructure.

[capetonianm]

SAA flew 3 of their 343s (ZS-SXA/B/C) into Lourdes/Tarbes, arriving early this morning, one landing at this moment. I can’t imagine them flying for revenue again, they will probably be parted out.
One of the 346s is on route MIA-CPT.

A sad end to a once fine airline.

[capetonianm]

https://www.news24.com/fin24/Companies/Industrial/just-in-saa-rescue-plan-to-cost-the-state-more-than-r10-billion-20200616

Three letter Afrikaans expletive deleted!

1 user thanked author for this post.

openfly

[capetonianm]

businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2020-06-16-state-to-fork-out-r26bn-for-new-saa/

State ( err…. no … taxpayer) to fork out R26bn for new SAA
Business rescue plan details retrenchments, repayment of funders and restart costs
BL PREMIUM
16 June 2020 – 22:29 Carol Paton

The business rescue plan for SAA, which was published on Tuesday night, envisages a restructured airline that will begin flying in the near future due to a new bailout from the government.

It is envisaged that the new company will employ 1,000 (meaning they will get rid of nearly 4000) of the existing staff with the remainder retrenched.

businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2020-06-16-no-sight-of-final-saa-rescue-plan-as-june-15-deadline-passes/

No sight of final SAA rescue plan as June 15 deadline passes
The DA calls for the practitioners to immediately release their final flight path

[LuganoPirate]

Well Swiss said they would start flying to JNB from the 19th, but seems to be only cargo flights. Next one is schedule for the 24th!

[LuganoPirate]

Just spoke to Swiss, who told me they will now start with passenger flights on the 12th, 15th, and then daily from the 19th July. However it’s still a question of if the government will allow them to bring in passengers. I’ve just emailed the SA embassy here to see if i can get some more info.

[Author]

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