DPE WILL NOT BE HELD TO RANSOM BY DISGRUNTLED PILOTS ON SAA FLIGHT TO BRUSSELS TO BRING BACK VACCINE DOSES
PRETORIA 26 February 2021 – Once again a minority of South African Airways (SAA) pilots tried to protect their own self-interests and pockets by attempting to discredit a flight to transport vaccines back into the country to protect health workers from the Covid19 pandemic.
This flight was also a test relaunch of the SAA Cargo business. Many airlines around the world, including Lufthansa and Ethiopian, have intensified their cargo businesses while the passenger loads declined sharply, in order to bring in revenue. There will be many such flights by SAA in the months to come. This will also include transport of vaccines from manufacturers to African countries during the next months.
For many years SAA has proved that the cargo business has merit and value to serve the interests of customers and the country’s economic development. The Brussels flight to bring back the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is proof that a restructured and well-managed airline operated in a professional and sustainable manner can support key economic sectors – including travel, tourism and even cargo to solidify South Africa as an African gateway to international markets.
This relaunch of the cargo business serves many purposes: increase the volumes of cargo transported by SAA into and out of SA; ensure that sovereign logistics capacity is sustained – just as when repatriation flights to bring back home South Africans stranded in various parts of the world under level 5 lockdown.
Over time cargo will become a profitable business. Partnerships with private sector will be considered at the appropriate time. These flights will become commercially viable.