SAA expands route network

• Rwanda and Burundi added to African network
• Pointe Noire added to African network
• Cotonou added to African network  
• Abidjan via Accra added to African network  
• Brazzaville added to African network  

Rwanda and Burundi added to African network

South African Airways has added two more travel options to our African route network as part of the airline’s growth plans on the continent.

Effective 17 January 2012, SAA will commence operations from Johannesburg to Kigali (Rwanda) and onwards to Bujumbura (Burundi).  The return flights will operate from Bujumbura to Kigali and onwards to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International airport. These flights are now available for reservations in the Global Distribution System (GDS’s) and via flysaa.com, the airline’s online website.

SAA is focused on strengthening its intra-Africa network in line with its Africa Expansion programme. Adding even more destinations to our already extensive Africa route network gives our customers more travel options to thriving destinations that were previously difficult to reach by air.

In addition to being the capital city of Rwanda, Kigali is also its economic, cultural and tourist transit hub.  Bujumbura is Burundi’s capital and largest city and is close to the country’s main port, shipping coffee as its primary export.

The route between Johannesburg to Kigali and onwards to Bujumbura will be serviced three times a week by a SAA’s A319 aircraft which is able to accommodate 120 passengers in a two class (business and economy) configuration.

SAA’s most recent addition to its African route network was the start of flights to Ndola, Zambia on 2 October. The Ndola service is largely aligned to growth in demand from mining executives, especially those flying into South Africa from countries such as Australia.

Schedule for Johannesburg -  Kigali – Bujumbura.

*All times are local. Please note that these slots may change.

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Pointe Noire added to African network

In line with our strategy of expanding SAA’s presence in Central Africa we will introduce a service to Pointe Noire in the Congo, effective 26 January 2012.

This welcome addition to the airline’s ever-expanding route network on the continent offers our customers further access into Central Africa. SAA will operate to 21 cities on the continent with the commencement of this service.

Pointe Noire, the economic capital of the Congo, is SAA’s fourth new destination on the continent this financial year (2011-2012), joining Ndola (Zambia), Kigali (Rwanda) and Bujumbura (Burundi) as the airline’s most recent additions to its expansive route network in Africa.

Pointe Noire is also the second-largest city in the Congo, after the capital - Brazzaville, and the main commercial centre of the country. Pointe Noire is the centre of the oil industry in the Congo, which is one of the main oil-producers in Central Africa.

Our first flight to Pointe Noire departs from Johannesburg on Thursday 26 January 2012 to arrive at the Agostinho Neto Airport, one of the busiest international airports in the country, on the same day at 13h05.

Pointe Noire will be served twice a week, with a narrow body aircraft, the Airbus A319. These aircraft offer 120 seats - 95 Economy and 25 in Business Class.
 

Schedule Johannesburg to Point Noire.

 *All times are local. Please note that these slots may change.

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Cotonou added to African network

We are pleased with the introduction of yet another route to our African schedule as part of our plans to focus growth in Africa. Effective 17 May 2012 we will extend our new route from Pointe Noire in the Congo -  which was introduced from 26 January - to also include Cotonou in Benin.

Cotonou will be served twice a week with an A319 aircraft. The flights are already available for sale in our reservations system.

Cotonou will be the fifth new destination on the continent that the airline has introduced since October last year. Ndola (Zambia), Kigali (Rwanda), Bujumbura (Burundi) and Pointe Noire (Congo) were other recent additions to our expansive route network in Africa.

SAA also has flying rights between Point Noire and Cotonou and introducing Cotonou as an add-on flight on the newly-opened route between Johannesburg and Point Noire, allows us to also serve this market. The flights have been timed to ensure easy connections with the rest of our route network.

Cotonou is the economic capital of Benin and the country’s largest city.  In addition to being Benin's largest city, it houses several of its government and diplomatic services including the Beninese seat of government.

International relations have been strengthened between South Africa and Benin with the state visit by President Yayi of Benin by invitation of President Zuma in November 2011.

Schedule Johannesburg-Point Noire-Cotonou:

*All times are local at departure/ destination points.
 

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Abidjan via Accra added to African network

From 17 August 2012, SAA will introduce twice-weekly services to Abidjan in the Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire). These flights will be added as an extension to our Accra (Ghana) flights on Tuesdays and Fridays. In addition, SAA also secured traffic rights between Accra and Abidjan which enables us to serve customers flying between these two cities in either direction.

Abidjan is the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. It is also the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris and Kinshasa.

Considered a cultural hub of Francophone West Africa, Abidjan is characterised by a high level of industrialisation and urbanisation. This picturesque city stands in Ébrié Lagoon, where several converging peninsulas and islands are connected by bridges.

The city grew after the construction of a new wharf in 1931 and its designation as the capital of the then French colony in 1933. The completion of the Vridi Canal in 1951 enabled it to become an important sea port. In 1983, Yamoussoukro was designated as the nation's capital, but most government offices and foreign embassies are still in Abidjan.

Schedule Johannesburg-Accra-Abidjan:

Note: Days 1467 JNB-ACC-JNB remain unchanged

*All times are local at departure/ destination points. 
 

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Brazzaville added to African network

As from 13 September 2012, SAA will introduce a twice-weekly service to Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo. This route will be served using an Airbus A319-200 aircraft and is scheduled to fit optimally with the arrival and departure of our international flights at OR Tambo International Airport thereby offering our passengers convenient connections through Johannesburg.

Brazzaville is the capital, and largest city, of the Republic of the Congo and is located on the Congo River. As of the 2001 census, it has a population of 1, 018, 541 in the city proper, and about 1, 5-million in total when including the suburbs located in the Pool Region.

The populous city of Kinshasa (more than 10-million inhabitants in 2009) and capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; lies just across the Congo River from Brazzaville. Together with Kinshasa, the combined metropolitan area of Kinshasa-Brazzaville has nearly 12-million inhabitants.

Over a third of the population of the Republic of Congo lives in the capital, and it is home to 40% of non-agricultural employment. Brazza, as the capital city is affectionately called by residents and visitors alike, is the financial and administrative capital of the Republic of Congo.

Schedule Johannesburg-Brazzaville:

*All times are local at departure/ destination points.

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