SAA said the pact did not preclude either firm from pursuing commercial cooperation with other carriers and said collaborating would help contain costs.
JOHANNESBURG – South African Airways and Kenya Airways on Tuesday signed a cooperation agreement with a long-term view to create a Pan African airline group.
In a statement on Wednesday, Kenya Airlines said: "It’s not a merger but a partnership that seeks to re-organise its own assets along with those of SAA into an ecosystem that will make the South African and Kenyan aviation sector more competitive."
SAA said the pact did not preclude either firm from pursuing commercial cooperation with other carriers and said collaborating would help contain costs.
State-owned SAA restarted domestic flights last week and this week it will launch a scaled-down international service to five African capitals after its longstanding financial problems were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Memorandum was signed in Johannesburg by our Group MD & CEO @Kilavuka and SAAs Interim CEO Thomas Kgokolo. This collaboration will see an increase in passenger traffic, cargo opportunities, and general trade by taking advantage of strengths in South Africa, Kenya, and Africa Kenya Airways (@KenyaAirways) September 28, 2021 Download the Eyewitness News app to your iOS or Android device.