South African Airways looking for 4 Airbus jets

A request for proposals sent out by South African Airways confirms the airkine is actively looking for four jets, which include three A320-200 narrowbody jets and one A330 widebody jet. The airline hopes to relaunch international routes as well as increase capacity on regional routes with the new jets.

“SAA has today, a narrow body fleet consisting of 5 x A320 and 1x A330 aircraft on operating lease agreements. These operating lease agreements are scheduled to expire starting February 2025 and 2026. SAA shall also consider proposals that include the replacement of these aircraft with A320 CEO or NEO aircraft (not older than 2013) as a package deal…”

South African Airways is hoping to have received the first jet by the end of July, and all aircraft should be delivered before the end of the year. Interim CEO, Professor John Lamola said; “The four aircraft that we are ordering will all be deployed by September 2023. This is a significant boost for the domestic and regional markets and underscores our commitment to expanding our route network and increasing our frequency in the African market. It will also ensure that the equilibrium between the supply of seats and the flow of traffic will benefit our passengers.”

South African Airways recently completed phasing out the A319s that were in its fleet. The three A319s were withdrawn from service in February and March. The airline did not rule out plans to operate the A350 in the near future with longhaul routes to Frankfurt, London, New York, and Washington being possible routes.