South African Airways (SAA) said yesterday that it would redirect all its Indian traffic through Abu Dhabi as part of its codeshare agreement with Etihad and Jet Airways.
By flying via Abu Dhabi, SAA hopes to tap into the Indian expat community in the capital. The airline is also adding new destinations such as Delhi, Hyderabad and Madras.
The arrangement starts on April 1, SAA said.
The airline said: “The cessation of direct flights between Johannesburg and Mumbai will stem substantial losses.”
Last week, the SAA acting chief executive Nico Bezuidenhout said “the optimisation of the SAA network is an ongoing process and a critical aspect of the long-term turnaround strategy”.
SAA is planning to cut down on loss-making routes as part of a 90-day makeover.
SAA and Etihad started their codeshare agreement in 2013. Codeshares allow airlines to sell and market air tickets as their own. Usually carriers employ codeshares to offer passengers more flight options.
Like Etihad, Emirates Airline has been building up its South African business, but not without snags.
In November, South Africa's transport department said that a fourth flight given to Emirates to Johannesburg was awarded by an individual who was not authorised to do so.
Emirates has 49 flights a week to and from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. The Dubai-based carrier started its fourth daily flight to Johannesburg in October.
The Emirates Airline president Tim Clark has said that he is optimistic about talks with South African authorities to settle the status of the fourth daily flight.
selgazzar@thenational.ae
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