South African Airways has published an RFP on its website, in which it informs that it is receiving proposals from those interested in supplying two Airbus A320-200s and one Airbus A330-300 with offers due by April 25, 2022, and deliveries due in summer 2022.
The company’s fleet currently comprises three Airbus A319s, two A320s, one A330-300, and one A340-300, with the A330 and A340 currently dedicated to flights to destinations in African countries such as Nigeria and Ghana.
The airline is focusing on rebuilding its regional routes which creates additional demand for domestic connections and vice versa, according to the chief operating officer Simon Newton-Smith speaking to CH-Aviation. “ We are building capacity and expanding the network as the numbers tell us”.
According to Newton-Smith, SAA will need additional aircraft in the second half of the year if demand continues to recover at the current pace. The original plan was to expand the fleet to 25 aircraft in six to five years.
However, the return of international routes outside the African continent should wait a little longer, as the national airline, which now has a private equity partner, hopes to better organize its operation before taking new steps.
In terms of long-haul flights, however, SAA is cautious. “One wrong decision, in the long run, can bring the whole business down. Margins are so tight and costs are so high that we have to be careful. The opportunities are in Africa”, Newton-Smith said.
