[cwoodward]

SAA’s 14 weekly slot pairs at Heathrow ownership will be maintained for at least the next 3 years according to an announcement this week by the reformed SAA chief executive Professor John Lamola.

The slots had been leased to Qater Airways however that lease expired at the end of March and the now reformed SAA is looking to again use the slots.
This is fantastic news for many South Africans but also tempered somewhat as SAA since returning the leased A350-900s when the airline went bankrupt has lacked the equipment to undertake long haul international routes.

There had been much speculation that 2 X 350s would be leased from Air Marcius but this has now been said to have been wishful thinking by the old guard at SAA and is not going ahead. However 6 new aircraft have recently been leased with one being an additional A330.
News re long-haul aircraft for the LHR route is expected prior to year end.

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sparkyflier

[sparkyflier]

Interesting news. A problem however is that SAA’s slots into LHR are for early morning arrival and evening departure – leaving the aircraft idle on the ground for 12+ hours and not making money during that time.

While SAA is low on aircraft and until it can build up a fleet of sufficient A330s or A350s (I am sure Air Mauritius need their own aircraft especially now) it might be more commercially sensible to use any long haul aircraft where they can get more efficient use from them – for example GRU (Sao Paulo) or Perth. Currently there are no flights from Southern Africa to Brazil and these had been running for years, and I believe were actually very profitable unlike many of their other routes. Plus no competition.

Once they have a sufficient fleet they should then resume LHR. In the meantime domestically in SA so they actually operate many flights now? For example JHB to Durban, Richards Bay or Port Elizabeth?

[cwoodward]

The airlines best long haul potential I suggest is where there is an immediate market ‘LHR’ for them at minimal spend – leveraging the asset used to be the term. LHR is that market as is AU but they can reach there with the two 330s that they will soon have.
In my view all other destinationscan come naturally later
I see LHR as a vital statement and cash cow. Others may disagree of course

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AMcWhirter

[SimonS1]

With the steady collapse of the South African economy I wish them the best of luck. If there are any green shoots financially then some government clown will get involved and it will fall apart again.

[cwoodward]

In contrast inward tourism in the Cape is doing well and that perhaps will be a bigger focus than Johannesburg.

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