Our top five stories this week: Diplomatic crisis 'will not block Qatar Airways' growth'; World Routes 2018 Marketing Awards; Ryanair's Dublin cuts; Italy in focus; SAA targets partnerships and more.
After less than a year in the role Vuyani Jarana outlined his turnaround plans for South African Airways, including bringing a "culture of winning" to the carrier.
Key figures from the international aviation industry are gathering in Accra, Ghana for the 11th Routes Africa. The event, which is the continent’s longest-standing aviation forum bringing together leading airlines, airports and tourism authorities, comes at a time when the market is growing rapidly.
Routesonline analyses the African aviation industry, taking a monthly look at the top routes served and revealing the airlines that are dominating the market. We also rank the top ten airports by available seat capacity and examine the most common aircraft used.
The airline has agreed to initially acquire five E-Jets - three E170s and two E190s, from ECC Leasing, a wholly-owned Embraer subsidiary. It will start to receive the aircraft in the first half of this year with a further eight E190s joining the Airlink fleet subject to formalisation of lease deals.
South African low-cost carrier Mango will help launch a new Connecting Partner Model from global airline grouping Star Alliance as it seeks to further expand its network reach. The South African Airways (SAA) subsidiary will be the first ‘low-cost’ or ‘hybrid’ carrier to introduce its network into that of the wider grouping.
WATCH the World Routes Strategy Summit on stage interview between our Head of Content & Industry Relations, Michael Miller and Nico Bezuidenhout, Chief Executive Officer, Mango and up until very recently also acting Chief Executive Officer, South African Airways.
In what is described as a new era of cooperation between the two national flag carriers, SAA will introduce the daily link from March 29, 2015, which will complement Etihad Airways’ existing flights between the two cities to offer a combined double-daily frequency on the route.
The enhanced focus on the African market is a key part of the carrier’s Long-Term Turnaround Strategy, and is in response to positive market growth. Over the course of the first week of December 2014, SAA is adding another seven weekly flights across four routes.
The founder and chairman of West African carrier ASKY Airlines, Gervais Djondo has dismissed recent speculation that South African Airways (SAA) was to open talks to acquire a stake in the Togolese carrier.
