Durban - IF YOU are flying out of Durban, be sure to check flight schedules as SAA’s Durban-to-Johannesburg route has been the most affected by the airline’s decision to cancel flights.
The airline said it had cancelled three flights from Johannesburg to Durban and three from Durban to Johannesburg from Monday until tomorrow.
SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali said people who had already bought tickets and were moved to Mango airlines would have to talk to their travel agents. He said SAA had a policy of accommodating people on other flights.
In a statement yesterday, SAA said it was consolidating its flights and had cancelled several domestically as well as selected services between Johannesburg and Munich.
The national carrier’s move comes as the government struggles to find R2billion it promised as part of a deal which placed the airline under business rescue in December.
SAA’s business-rescue practitioners have held several rounds of talks with the government on the promised funding, but have failed to reach a breakthrough, according to a person briefed on the talks.
On Sunday, the Public Enterprises Ministry said it was still consulting the National Treasury to raise funds for SAA.
Last week, a trade union official said SAA might have to suspend some flights and delay salary payments if the government didn’t come up with a plan to provide the R2bn soon.
Two other unions said yesterday they thought the government was deliberately sabotaging rescue efforts by not providing the funds.
The government’s treatment of SAA and whether it is willing to sacrifice jobs will send a signal ahead of a much bigger battle with unions over Eskom, which is struggling to keep the lights on and is drowning in debt.
“SAA is working closely with its sister airline, Mango, to re-accommodate passengers on alternative services operated by both airlines to minimise disruption,” SAA said.
The airline added that it would accommodate passengers affected by the Munich cancellations on its services between Johannesburg and Frankfurt as well as London.
“Some passengers travelling to Munich, and others travelling via Munich to other destinations, will be re-accommodated for some of their journey on partner airlines in the Star Alliance to minimise delays,” SAA said.
These decisions coincided with its policy of “reviewing flights and consolidating services with low demand”, it said.
“During the current process of business rescue, these cancellations represent a responsible strategy to conserve cash and optimise the airline’s position ahead of any further capital investment,” SAA added.
Parliament’s portfolio committee on public enterprises said it supported efforts by the government to rescue SAA. Chairperson Khaya Magaxa said everything should be done to save the airline. “We have confidence in the minister, the department and National Treasury that they are going to secure funding and rescue SAA,” he said.
Magaxa said the Ramaphosa administration had faced serious challenges with state-owned entities (SOEs) since June last year.
“It’s not just SAA. We have Eskom, Denel and all these SOEs face a financial problem and they put pressure on the National Treasury. Finding money is not going to be a walk in the park,” said Magaxa.
DA MP Alf Lees called for SAA to be sold. He said the government could not continue to bail out the airline and this was the time to put it up for sale.