Emirates and South African Airways (SAA) have expanded their codeshare partnership, adding nine new routes and improving connectivity across South Africa and central and southern Africa.
The expanded agreement marks the start of a reciprocal
codeshare arrangement, allowing Emirates to place its code on SAA-operated
flights following regulatory approvals.
Previously, the partnership operated on a unilateral basis,
with SAA offering access to Emirates flights between Dubai and Johannesburg,
Cape Town and Durban, as well as connections to 68 global destinations through
Dubai.
The new agreement includes three domestic South African
routes connecting Johannesburg with Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth, along
with six regional routes linking Johannesburg to Kinshasa in Congo, Gaborone in
Botswana, Windhoek in Namibia, Lusaka in Zambia, and Harare and Victoria Falls
in Zimbabwe.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial
Officer, said: “This reciprocal codeshare partnership with South African
Airways is a natural evolution of a relationship that has served our customers
well for many years. By placing our code on SAA’s domestic and regional
network, we are opening up seamless access to destinations across South Africa
and neighbouring countries, backed by the reliability and consistency our
customers expect from Emirates. It reinforces our long-term commitment to South
Africa and wider region, and our confidence in the continent’s continued
growth.”
Matshela Seshibe, Acting Group CEO of SAA, said: “The
expansion of our partnership with Emirates marks an important milestone in
SAA’s strategy to strengthen connectivity across Africa while enhancing access
to global markets. Through this reciprocal codeshare agreement, customers will
benefit from a more seamless travel experience and greater choice across our
combined networks. This partnership is about more than connecting destinations.
It is about connecting people, businesses and opportunities across the
continent and beyond. By combining SAA’s growing African network with Emirates’
extensive global reach, we are creating greater value for our customers and
reinforcing Johannesburg’s role as a key gateway for travel, trade and tourism
in Africa.” -TradeArabia News Service