South African Airways (SAA) is ready to
commence flights from a second entry point in Nigeria after announcing
plans for its Abuja take-off.
The airline believes adding a second
gateway in Nigeria to SAA’s existing daily service to Lagos materially
strengthens its position in West Africa where it plays a significant
role in enabling the movement of goods and people between Southern
Africa and West Africa.
The addition of Abuja to SAA’s network
follows closely on the successful introduction of the Accra, Ghana to
Washington Dulles, USA route, as a West African platform in August 2015.
Sylvain Bosc, SAA Chief Commercial
Officer said “A second entry point in Nigeria forms part of our
Long-Term Turnaround Strategy, which identified growth on the African
continent as one of its key objectives. Nigeria is one of the fastest
growing air travel markets in Sub-Saharan Africa and will be well served
with our additional services to Abuja.
“Introducing Abuja as a second entry
point in Nigeria will add more travel options, especially for the
business community, and will enhance our footprint on the continent.
“Enhancing air travel links with Nigeria
speaks to the growth in bilateral relations between South Africa and
Nigeria. The two countries historically have had strong economic,
diplomatic, social and fraternal ties. These are the two economic
powerhouses of Africa, with much more to offer and share,” says Aaron
Munetsi, SAA Regional General Manager for Africa.
Abuja flights have been scheduled for
seamless connectivity into SAA’s inter-continental route network to
destinations such as Perth, Hong Kong and Sao Paulo.
These connections will make it easy for
regional traders, leisure travellers, travellers visiting friends and
relatives, diplomatic communities, and international organisations from
the northern and central parts of Nigeria to seamlessly connect through
O.R Tambo International airport onwards to the airline’s
inter-continental and regional route network.
With Abuja, SAA will be serving eleven
destinations in Central and West Africa, with flights from its
Johannesburg hub to Lagos (Nigeria); Abidjan (Ivory Coast); Cotonou
(Benin); Accra (Ghana); Douala (Cameroon), Dakar (Senegal), Libreville
(Gabon), Kinshasa (DRC), Pointe Noire and Brazzaville (Republic of the
Congo) already forming part of the extensive regional route network.
The three weekly flights will operate
non-stop between Johannesburg and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airport in Abuja aboard modern Airbus 330-200s, offering SAA Business
class comfort and luxury, with the latest in In-flight entertainment.
The first flight is scheduled to depart O.R Tambo International Airport on 26 January 2016.
