South African Airways’ Australian operation has spoken of its confidence that an east coast solution will be found by the end of the year – with direct flights a distinct possibility – when its codeshare with Qantas comes to an end.
The International Air Services Commission (IASC) ruled earlier this month that the agreement will not be extended beyond the end of 2012.
SAA reiterated its commitment to Australia after learning of the verdict but added it would “review its options”.
NSW sales executive Graham Ware told Travel Today last night that direct flights from Sydney are among the two possibilities on the table, with a codeshare from Sydney to Perth also in the mix.
He said many east coast clients were already connecting with the Perth service because its morning arrival eradicated the need for an overnight stop in Johannesburg, unlike the Sydney service.
Dealing with the codeshare issue will be one of the first tasks of SAA’s new Australasia head Tim Clyde-Smith, formerly of Emirates, who takes over from Thevan Krishna next week.
SAA has continued to sell fares from Sydney into 2013 with a spokesman reiterating that the airline will not walk away from the east coast.
“I’d be surprised if there wasn’t some kind of plan to fill the hole once the code share came to an end,” he said. “SAA have put to much effort in the market here to walk away. We are confident we will have something to offer beyond the end of the year.”
