SAA and Emirates Airline enhance partnership

Travellers can look forward to an increased offering of destinations with both South African Airways (SAA) and Emirates as the two popular airlines have signed an enhanced commercial partnership.

The enhanced agreement between SAA, the South African flag carrier, and Emirates, a leading international airline, means that the existing codeshare will be expanded across both airlines’ networks.

The two airlines first signed a codeshare agreement in 1997.

The new contract will see the airlines working together to improve synergy in their route networks, customer touch-points, cargo services, and flight schedules to ensure improved connectivity and enhance passenger flow.

Adjustments to the connecting times through Johannesburg will improve connectivity for travellers.

SAA CEO Vuyani Jarana explains the importance of the new agreement.

“This agreement marks a significant forward step in the execution of our strategy and in transforming our business. It will enable us to explore and leverage synergies between ourselves in [an] … enhanced relationship of mutual benefit. Our route network and that of Emirates complement one another. The expansion of our commercial relationship will further strengthen key focus areas of the implementation of our turnaround plan,” says Jarana.

The President of Emirates, Tim Clark, says the enhanced codeshare agreement is a significant milestone for the airline in South Africa.

Emirates and SAA customers can expect more and easier access to destinations across the world.

“We have seen great success with the codeshare agreement, having enabled greater connectivity to both SAA and Emirates customers, by offering more choice, flexibility and ease of connections to a wide range of cities via Dubai and across more points in Southern Africa. Increasing the scope of our agreement underpins the strong bonds we share with SAA and our belief that this enhanced partnership will enable further success and gain to the airlines and their customers,” Clark says.

Plans to enhance frequent flyer programs such as SAA’s Voyager and Emirates’ Skywards are part of the new agreement. This means Voyager members are able to redeem miles on flights operated by Emirates and Skywards members are able to earn miles on SAA-operated flights.

Emirates airline first launched operations to South Africa in 1995, starting with offering flights from Johannesburg to Dubai.

SAA offers eight daily flights operated by Emirates between South Africa and Dubai, with four daily flights going from Johannesburg, three from Cape Town and one from Durban.

– Joydeep Sareen, UAE Country Manager – Sales, SAA; Anand Lakshminarayanan – SVP Revenue Optimisation; Peter Davies, Chief Restructuring Officer, SAA; Adnan Kazim – Divisional Senior Vice President Strategic Planning, RO & Aeropolitical Affairs, Emirates; Orhan Abbas – SVP – Commercial Operations (Africa) Emirates; T. G. Venugopal – SM Codeshare Cooperation, Emirates; Ben Leon, Office of the CRO, SAA.

Picture: South African Airways/ Twitter

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