South Africa’s national carrier announced on Thursday that it will stop flying to a dozen national and international destinations as part of its restructuring effort.
The airline explained would shut down its routes from Johannesburg to Abidjan, Entebbe, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Luanda, Munich, Ndola and Sao Paulo.
It added that it would continue its flights to other African destinations and internationally to Frankfurt, London, New York, Perth and Washington.
According to SAA it would “continue to serve Cape Town on a reduced basis, while all other domestic destinations, including Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth, will cease to be operated by it.
“SAA’s low-cost subsidiary Mango will continue flying its domestic routes.’’
SAA said customers booked on any cancelled flights would either be refunded for international and regional routes or booked onto Mango flights for domestic routes.
It added that the changes to SAA’s network are part of initiatives to support the airline’s transformation into a sustainable and profitable business.
SAA has long faced financial difficulties and was put under business rescue measures in November.
“The decisions and actions announced today are aimed at improving SAA’s balance sheet, creating a platform for a strong and sustainable airline, and ensuring that the company is more attractive for potential strategic equity partners.’’–dpa
