Canada's Travel Industry Directory
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South African Airways (SAA) is South Africa’s national flag carrier, founded in 1934 and headquartered at O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Its origins date back to Union Airways, established in 1929 and brought under government ownership in 1934. After World War II, the airline expanded its international footprint and, in 2006, became the first African airline to join Star Alliance. Today, SAA operates a streamlined fleet of around 20 aircraft and follows a hub-and-spoke model from Johannesburg, supported by key subsidiaries including SAA Technical and Air Chefs.
As a Star Alliance member, SAA connects customers to more than 18,400 daily flights serving 1,300 airports in 191 countries. Domestically, the airline operates routes between Johannesburg and both Cape Town and Durban. Regionally, its African network includes destinations such as Harare, Lusaka, Kinshasa, Lagos, Accra, Victoria Falls, Windhoek, Blantyre, Lilongwe, and Mauritius, alongside long-haul services to Perth and São Paulo. This network is further strengthened through codeshare agreements with partner airlines. With a strong focus on sustainable growth across Africa, SAA continues to earn industry recognition, including being ranked Africa’s second-best airline by Skytrax in 2021.
