SAA has revised its plans to relaunch flights to Asia, citing ongoing challenges with aircraft availability.
The airline had initially aimed to launch its Mumbai route in October this year. However, due to difficulties acquiring suitable aircraft, the timeline has been pushed back. SAA now aims to announce the route and open it for sales by July, with the inaugural flight expected to take place during 2026.
Tebogo Tsimane , SAAs Chief Commercial Officer, told Travel News that Mumbai was just one of several Asia routes on the airlines radar. SAA is considering two, or potentially three, routes in the region, but each route is strategically linked to the others, and success will depend on aircraft availability and route economics.
One of the other potential routes under consideration was a direct service from Johannesburg to Guangzhou, China. However, the long distance and the resulting payload penalties, exacerbated by the limited availability of appropriate aircraft, have made a non-stop service unfeasible for now.
As a result, SAA was exploring the option of introducing a commercial stop in South East Asia, said Tsimane. Details of exactly which South East Asian destination have not yet been disclosed, but the airline has applied for rights for flights to both Bangkok and Bali, as reported here by Travel News .