BREAKING NEWS: Clearing the SAA strike backlog (14h55)

IT'S going to take about 72 hours to clear the backlog caused by the SAA strike action this past week, says SAA. Upon calling the travel trade number this afternoon to query why some overseas tour operators are still getting an "unable to confirm" message on their CRS, an SAA consultant told Travel News Now that some international flights this evening have been cancelled. SAA acting head of external communications, Sarah Uys, confirmed that it would take a few days to recover and that recovery plans were being discussed. "We are trying to move people as fast as we can to clear the backlog," she said, adding that there were no plans as yet to increase flights to certain destinations as part of the recovery plan. (Natalia Thomson)