[cwoodward]

SAA is set to resume flights to Perth WA and San- Paulo by month end using leased A300 aircraft.
Importantly to also to take the important leap back into the major long-haul business by restarting routes to LHR, Frankfurt and New York around mid year.

It seems that SAA are about to sign (or have signed) to lease 3 X A350 aircraft for 3 years from Air Marcius.
It would be significant and (for me) pleasing to see a major brand in world aviation re emerging near oblivion.

I hope that it actually happens -it is looking promising as the airline repaid R1 billion of of its debt to creditors last week.

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Bullfrog

[TominScotland]

Good news, indeed, cwoodward. I hope your reference to A300 is a typo – the last time I flew on one of those venerable beasts was with Iran Air (they probably still fly them) and I had assumed they were all but defunct now.

My best memory of SAA in the day was on a 747SP (a lovely aircraft). After we had boarded in Windhoek, there was a technical issue and the pilot talked those of us sitting on the right-hand side through every step of the repair/ replacement process which took more than an hour. It was fascinating!!

Good luck to the ‘new’ SAA.

[cwoodward]

Tom tks A300 =typo – A330

The A300 was always popular particularly as a freighter and still is – Cathays Air Hong Kong runs 8 or 9 of them as do several freight airlines.
I have had several ‘technical issues’ in Windhoek _ fortunately I don’t remember the names of the bars or the company.

Iran Air at one time had 14 A300’s
It is possible that they still have one 38 year old A300B4 example REG EP-IB and Iran Airtours run 5 or so.

The aircraft is very popular particularly as a freighter and there are 4 or 5 hundred still in active service many with major operators like DHL. Production ceased in 2007

[MartinJ]

Hope the A350 deal with Air Mauritius materialises. I found their business seat superb!
Any additional capacity between LON and ZA is highly welcome as business award tickets on BA, VS, LH and LX are scarce as hen’s teeth.

[maxgeorge]

A Pedant Writes-

re: ‘SAA flights to San-Paulo’

Argentinos may talk of ‘San Pablo’, but Brasileiros call their commercial capital São Paulo.

As less than 30% of Paraguayans, Bolivians or Peruvians use Spanish as their primary language, Portuguese is the most spoken first language of South America.

And more South Africans speak Afrikaans as their first language than English, ek sê..

I know, I should stay in more..

[cwoodward]

IsiZulu is the most spoken language in SA as you probably know Max.
About 25% of the population speak ‘zilu’ as a first language as against about 16% who speak Xhosa, 13% who speak Afrikaans and 11% English speakers but many more, particularly urban dwellers understand some English as well due to exposure to foreign English speaking mass media.
Its 3 years since I was last in SA but looking forward to returning later in the year.

[cwoodward]

Apologies for mis ‘Zulu’ in my above post

[maxgeorge]

Indeed, Mr CW.

I used to have a small grasp on isiZulu when I lived near Durban and worked in Empangeni, but that was back in the ’70s, and has become, like me, a thing of the past.

I can still praat die taal, though, and, interestingly, it’s alive and well in northern Moçambique, where many Afrikaaner farmers have resettled.

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cwoodward

[cwoodward]

Is there a a major airline lurking with the intention of purchasing a very major shareholding in SAA
I believe so.

[sparkyflier]

cwoodward who do you suspect? Who do you think may be the top 3 candidates? IAG/SQ etc?

[AMcWhirter]

Last February The Strategic Partnership with KQ was still proceeding.

I would have thought SIA will be busy enough with Air India.

https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/business/comesa-may-consider-kq-saa-deal-a-merger–4130328

[cwoodward]

sparkyflyer – An Asian based airline perhaps.

[Author]

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