All South African Airways articles
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NewsOpposition remains highly suspicious over SAA rescue funding
South Africa’s treasury has yet to detail how it intends to fund the rescue plan for South African Airways, as the country’s political opposition warns that it will intervene to prevent any illegitimate attempts to finance the airline’s revival. While finance minister Tito Mboweni appears to have reassured the ...
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News
Government yet to clarify any funding commitment to rescue SAA
South African Airways’ state shareholder, the department of public enterprises, is claiming that the government is committing to funding the newly-agreed rescue plan for the airline, but details on the source of any financial support remain hazy. The department says the government is required to provide the rescue practitioners ...
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Creditors approve South African Airways rescue plan
Creditors have today approved a business rescue plan (BRP) for South African Airways.
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Government tries to divide SAA pilots as creditor vote looms
South Africa’s government is appealing to individual South African Airways pilots to break from their union’s position and accept voluntary severance packages, as the beleaguered airline faces a critical creditor vote on its proposed rescue. Cockpit union SAAPA has put forward alternative proposals intended to reduce retrenchments and increase ...
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News
SAA pilots seeking ‘unaffordable’ staff retention: government
South African Airways pilots have sought to more than halve the proposed number of employee retrenchments, and instead retain almost 3,100 personnel for the carrier’s relaunch, according to the country’s government. But the proposal has been dismissed by the department of public enterprises, which insists it is “not prepared ...
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News
SAA pilots isolated as other unions gradually back severance scheme
South African Airways unions have largely indicated acceptance of voluntary severance packages as part of the airline’s rescue, after the government warned that workers’ representatives that it cannot improve on the severance offers. Cockpit union SAAPA has not followed other unions’ gradual shift into accepting the proposals, but it ...
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News
SAA rescue remains uncertain as treasury highlights funding pressures
South Africa’s government is urging creditors and unions to support South African Airways’ proposed rescue, warning that the airline’s liquidation is the worse of the options available. But the opposition Democratic Alliance believes the country’s treasury, which is having to cope with funding pressures from the coronavirus crisis, is ...
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SAA’s future remains in limbo as unions secure delay to rescue vote
Decisions on the future of South African Airways have been pushed back by nearly three weeks, after three unions secured an adjournment of a crucial creditor meeting, in order to buy time to adjust the business rescue plan. The SAAPA, SACCA and NUMSA unions – representing pilots, cabin crew, ...
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News
Government urges support as SAA rescue faces critical creditor vote
South African Airways’ creditors are set to decide the future of the troubled flag-carrier, more than half a year after it entered a business rescue scheme, with the government urging support for a new business plan. At least 75% support from creditor voting interests, following a meeting due to ...
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News
Government reviewing funding proposals for restructuring SAA
South Africa’s government is claiming to have received a number of unsolicited proposals to fund a new national airline in the aftermath of South African Airways’ business rescue process. These proposals have been received from private-sector funds, equity investors, and potential airline partners, says the government’s department of public ...
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News
South Africa’s Airlink bids to have SAA liquidated
South African carrier Airlink is attempting to disrupt plans to convene a creditors’ meeting to discuss whether to approve the rescue plan for South African Airways, and is seeking to have the airline liquidated. The government’s department of public enterprises says Airlink has filed a court motion “aimed at ...
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SAA rescue plan revises down initial heavy losses
South African Airways’ final business rescue plan considerably revises down the losses projected over the first three years for the restructured carrier. While a draft plan circulated at the beginning of June indicated losses close to R20 billion ($1.1 billion) for the period, the final plan estimates pre-tax losses ...
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SAA rescue plan sets out initial fleet and personnel requirements
South African Airways’ resurrection plan would involve an initial restart period of eight months, running to January 2021. Over this period the fleet would be gradually built up to around 26 aircraft, comprising seven long-haul jets – about half of which would be in place at the end of ...
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Government unsure over SAA plan as opposition demand carrier’s liquidation
South Africa’s government has expressed doubts as to whether the long-awaited business rescue plan for South African Airways will meet its expectations for creating a viable and sustainable national carrier. Publication of the plan has also drawn condemnation from the opposition Democratic Alliance party, which says the strategy relies ...
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External carriers should be handed repatriation services: South African opposition
South Africa’s shadow public enterprises minister is insisting that the government ease air transport pressures by allowing other operators to conduct repatriation services. Ghaleb Cachalia, from the opposition Democratic Alliance party, argues that South African Airways – which has been mired in a drawn-out business rescue process – does ...
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SAA unions force further delay to business plan publication
South African Airways’ rescuers are seeking creditors’ approval for a further postponement to the deadline for publishing a business plan for the embattled flag-carrier. The rescue practitioners have previously secured four extensions to deadlines for publishing a plan – the most recent to 8 June – since SAA entered ...
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In depth
Coronavirus pushes fragile African carriers closer to the edge
While no region has escaped the impact of the coronavirus grounding, arguably its most immediate damage has been felt among Africa’s already struggling carriers.
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SAA draft rescue plan signals termination of half its fleet leases
South African Airways’ rescuers are terminating leases on nearly half the airline’s 40 leased aircraft, while those on another 15 have been undergoing renegotiation. The carrier had a fleet of 49 jets when it entered the business rescue process on 5 December last year, including nine A340-300s and -600s ...
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SAA rescuers request time to consult on government proposals
South African Airways’ rescue practitioners are seeking an extension to the deadline for publishing a business plan for the troubled flag-carrier. Under South African legislation a business plan is normally required within 25 days of a company entering business rescue, but extensions can be granted if necessary. SAA, ...
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Administrators see ‘reasonable’ prospect of SAA rescue
Business rescue practitioners at South African Airways describe as “reasonable” the prospects of rescuing the struggling carrier, though stress this is dependent on the necessary funding.
