SOUTH African Airways (SAA) has announced plans to increase its flight frequencies to several key African destinations from November 2024. The South African national carrier will ramp up services to Harare and Lusaka to 12 flights per week, up from the current 10 and 7 weekly flights, respectively. Routes to Lagos and Accra will also see a boost, with flights increasing from three to four times a week.
Expanded flights for peak season
In preparation for the peak holiday season, SAA will double its daily flights to Mauritius from December. Additionally, the airline plans to increase services to Perth in January 2025, offering five flights per week to the Australian city.
SAA is also enhancing its presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with flights to Kinshasa set to increase to five per week. Domestically, the airline will raise its flights to Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) to three times a day.
Connecting Africa and driving economic growth
SAA’s Interim CEO, Professor John Lamola, explained that the expansion reflects the airline’s strategy to meet growing demand across the continent. ‘South Africa has seen a promising recovery in travel this year, with the majority of visitors coming from other parts of Africa,’ he said.
Lamola emphasised the importance of air travel in fostering economic growth and strengthening tourism and trade links within Africa. ‘As the national carrier, our role extends beyond simply flying passengers. We are committed to growing South Africa’s economy and promoting regional connectivity across the continent.’
SAA’s rapid route expansion, which began in 2021, has been aimed at consolidating its position as a leader in connecting Africa with the rest of the world.
