Since the start of the year, South African Airways (SAA) has expanded its fleet to 20 by incorporating two Airbus A320s. These two leased narrow-body Airbus A320s, featuring SAA's livery, have been delivered to Johannesburg from AerCap, the world's top aircraft leasing company based in Ireland. SAA asserts that their collaboration with AerCap highlights the airline's improved credit status with major international aviation finance institutions although the terms of the lease have not been made public.
According to Professor John Lamola, interim CEO at SAA “This is a remarkable achievement considering that just over three years ago, the airline emerged from business rescue with just six aircraft. Since 2021, the team at SAA has worked strategically and consistently to grow the fleet and route network sustainably. These additional aircraft will enable SAA to continue fulfilling our promise to add seat capacity in both the domestic and regional markets, thereby contributing to passenger air travel's affordability. ”
The aviation industry is currently facing a supply chain crisis in the wake of COVID-19, leading to delays in new aircraft deliveries and increasing both the cost and shortage of used aircraft.
In addition to the A320s, SAA's fleet of 20 aircraft includes 2 wide-body A330s and 2 long-range A343s, used for intercontinental routes. The Airbus A330 typically offers a lower cost per seat compared to the A340 because of its better fuel efficiency, attributed to having two engines instead of the A340's four. This makes the A330 a more economical option for airlines, particularly on long-haul routes where fuel consumption is a significant consideration.
“SAA’s fleet growth comes as the airline enters a phase of consolidation, increasing the frequency of flights to service an existing route network, to ensure South African leisure and business travellers enjoy more direct access to major African cities. In addition, SAA Cargo facilitates trade links between economic hubs across the continent and beyond,” Lamola added.
On January 20, 2025, SAA introduced a route between Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg and increased the number of flights to Harare (Zimbabwe) and Lusaka (Zambia) to 12 per week, up from 10 and 7 flights per week, respectively.
Flights to Lagos, Nigeria, and Accra, Ghana, have been expanded from three to four times weekly. Additionally, SAA now operates flights to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) five times a week and started services to Lubumbashi, the DRC's mining centre, in November 2024.
Comments