The past week or so has brought with it various announcements and developments in the South African airline industry:
Kulula and Kenyan Airways enter codeshare agreement
Kulula Airlines (MN) and Kenya Airways (KQ) announced a bilateral code share agreement that will connect the airlines’ route networks via Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.
The agreement is an extension of the airlines’ 2013 interline agreement, and is very much aligned with Kulula’s mid-term strategy for regional expansion. The deal carries the approval of both Kenyan and South African regulatory authorities, and bodes well for both airlines regional growth plans. Flight sales are slated to start on 1 May 2014.
Etihad Airways looking to buy half of Alitalia – Reuters
On 11 April Reuters quoted informed aviation industry sources, reporting that Etihad Airways is one step closer to buying Alitalia. Alitalia has been making significant losses for quite some time, necessitating a 500 million Euro government rescue package during 2013.
Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways has been considering Alitalia as an investment since the beginning of 2014, yet potential job losses and the airlines operational debt of more than 800 million Euro have been key stumbling blocks.
Both Etihad and Alitalia have to date declined to comment.
Qatar Airways increases flight frequency to SA
Qatar Airways recently announced that the airline will be increasing its flight frequency to Johannesburg, South Africa, and deploying a brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner along the route. The Dreamliner is the world’s first fully Wifi enabled aircraft, giving passengers the ability to stay connected via chat, browsing and texting while in flight.
As of May 2014, Qatar will be increasing its number of flights to Johannesburg to a total of 10 per week. This announcement should come as good news to both leisure and corporate travellers, as it brings faster daily connections to international destinations such as Singapore, Tokyo, Shangai and Manilla. To read iAfrica.com’s coverage of this development, click here.
Keep an eye on our blog for more airline related news updates in the near future.
Until next time, safe travels!
