South African Airways Returns in September

South Africa Airways will once again welcome passengers to the skies almost a year since its last flight.

On Wednesday, the carrier announced that it will relaunch passenger service starting on Sept. 23, with tickets going on sale today. South Africa will initially fly service from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Accra, Kinshasa, Harare, Lusaka, and Maputo.

After that, South Africa plans to add more service based on “market conditions.” Right now, the country is still dealing with international travel restrictions in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Interim CEO Thomas Kgokolo said that the team is “delighted that SAA is resuming service and we look forward to welcoming on board our loyal passengers and flying the South African flag. We continue to be a safe carrier and adhering to COVID-19 protocols.” 

“There is a profound feeling of enthusiasm within Team SAA as we prepare for takeoff, with one common purpose – to rebuild and sustain a profitable airline that once again takes a leadership role among local, continental, and international airlines.”

The carrier had been dealing with financial troubles since before the pandemic—in Sept. 2019 it entered a formal business rescue process. It came out of business rescue at the end of April 2021. The South African government eventually agreed to sell its majority stake in the carrier to investors in June.

According to the chairman of the board John Lamola, the plan now for the airline is to restart “with a formidable business case.”