SAA aims for the sky again

JOHANNESBURG - South African Airways (SAA) aims to resume flights in July or August, but the restart date will depend on how the COVID-19 pandemic progresses and whether the airline can resolve a pilot dispute, its chief executive has said.State-owned SAA, which was put into administration in December 2019, has not flown commercially since September, when its administrators mothballed all operations pending funding for a restructuring.The airline exited administration in late April after receiving R7.8 billion from the government, but at the time it did not say when it would take to the skies again."As a draft or as a proposal we are looking at July-August 2021," SAA's chief executive Thomas Kgokolo said Friday during a presentation to a parliamentary committee.‘COMPLEXITIES’"However, these dates come with some complexities, the issue of the Covid-19 is something that we still need to consider ... and there is a complex matter that we are dealing with of pilots as well," he added.Kgokolo said SAA would meet again with its pilots on Friday to try to find a solution to a disagreement over outstanding salaries and layoff terms.The airline has been trying to reach a settlement with the pilots for months.SAA is one of a handful of South African state companies reliant on government bailouts, placing the country's budget under strain at a time of rapidly rising debt. – Nampa/Reuters

SAA aims for the sky again

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-19

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SAA aims for the sky again

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-19

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