Page 57 - Aviation News (February 2020)

From 1968, six Boeing 737-200s were delivered to SAA.
The airline would eventually use 29 different examples.
SAA Museum Society Archives

new airline, with Alliance Airline Holdings was no option as black people had not market and when Swissair went bust
holding 51% of the stock. SA Express became received sufficient training to fulfil the job. with A340-600s undelivered, they were
a feeder airline service, taking over some of So in order to comply with government snapped up as part of a bigger order that
South African’s low-density domestic routes, quota regulations, SAA had to hire untrained covered 11 A319s, 12 A320s, nine A340-
although it operated independently of SAA. black staff without firing white staff. This 600s and six A340-300s. The other
In 1995, Lufthansa started a codesharing obviously resulted in over-employment, low three A340-600s came from ILFC. The
agreement with SAA and at the same time an productivity and high HR-costs. new Airbus A319 replaced the ageing
order was placed for four Boeing 777-200s, In 1999, South African and Delta Air Lines Boeing 727-200 fleet. The first SAA
(although this was subsequently cancelled). started to codeshare on SAA-operated A340 was delivered in January 2003. In
In 1997, South African Airways replaced the flights from Atlanta to South Africa. The next order to speed up the re-equipment,
Springbok emblem and the old national year saw SAA jets arrive at Fort Lauderdale- A330s and A340s were leased from
colours of orange, white and blue with a Hollywood International Airport in Florida. European operators. The first A340-600
new livery based upon the new national service was operated to Hong Kong in
flag. The airline’s name on its aircraft was “In 2004, SAA February 2003 replacing the 747-200 on
changed from the Afrikaans name Suid- the route. As more Airbus aircraft arrived
Afrikaanse Lugdiens to South African. announced its these Jumbos were sold, returned to the
Towards the turn of the millennium fairly leasing companies or reduced to scrap
rapid growth was experienced, particularly application to join at Johannesburg International Airport.
on services within Africa. Later the same year, SAA made a
In 1998, a, new airline president and CEO Star Alliance as successful bid for a 49% stake in Air
was appointed who remained in office until the first African Tanzania for the price of £12.8m. The move
2001. The arrival of Coleman Andrews saw highlighted SAA’s wish to gain a foothold in
a comprehensive and controversial overhaul member of the East Africa. In 2004, Andre Viljoen resigned
of the company. During his first 18 months as CEO and was replaced by Khaya Ngqula
as CEO, SAA’s market value increased airline grouping.” who would remain in office until 2009.
fivefold. In November 1999 SAIR Group – The new management considered the Air
the holding company of Swissair – bought a Tanzania arrangement was fruitless and it
20% share in SAA for R1.4bn. (In 2002 when FLEET RENEWAL was abandoned in 2006.
Swissair encountered financial problems, In 2000, Boeing announced that In 2004, SAA announced its application
the South African government was able to SAA had ordered 21 of the 737-800, to join Star Alliance as the first African
buy back the shares for approximately a intended to replace the Airbus A300s on member of the airline grouping. When the
quarter of the sum it had received for them short-haul routes. The deal included a carrier was accepted as a full member in
in June 1999). In the meantime, though, combination of purchased and leased April 2006, the codeshare agreement with
Coleman felt that the partial privatisation jets. However, this deal was cancelled Delta Air Lines was terminated because
was insufficient and he continued and in 2002 new SAA CEO Andre Viljoen of the US airlines’ membership in rival
discussions with several airlines, including decided to work with Airbus, taking Skyteam. In July 2005, SAA started four
Lufthansa, in the hope of selling part of the advantage of a slump in aircraft orders weekly Johannesburg-Accra-Washington
shares of SAA to other well-reputed airlines. after the September 11 attacks in the DC services using the Boeing 747-400.
Staffing levels also needed to be US in 2001. SAA found itself in a buyer’s This was increased to daily flights in July
addressed. Mike Myburgh, Coleman’s
predecessor as CEO of SAA from 1993 until The HS748 replaced the venerable Dakotas from 1970. Series
1998, had already made a point that the 2A, ZS-SBU, at Windhoek, Namibia in August 1979, was sold
airline should reduce its staffing. In the past, to a Canadian operator in 1983. Bob O’Brien Collection
SAA had used a mainly white workforce
but under the new government of Nelson
Mandela, South African companies had to
‘reflect the demographical situation in the
country’ or in other words: the workforce
had to be 80% black. In the past, however,
South African governments had neglected
to educate and train black people for
technical jobs. Laying off white technicians

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