Industry addresses airline seat capacity issue

THE Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) recently discussed the airline capacity problem from Europe to South Africa with South African Airways (SAA) and says the national carrier has provided a strategy that it believes will address the capacity issue in both the short and long term from Europe. Part of the solution is the purchase of the new fleet of "narrow body" aircraft, which the TBCSA fully supports as being of a matter of urgency. As a result of the post 11th September event, airlines have had to adopt a "survival strategy", managing cash flow and costs against a rampantly depreciating rand, whilst at the same time, SAA has had the task of preparing itself to expand capacity for tourism. The strategies devised will be presented to Government to gain support for SAA's important tasks ahead. "Government has identified tourism as a priority economic area and has indicated to us their commitment to remove any impediment to tourism growth in South Africa," said Dr Tanya Abrahamse, Executive Director of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa. In an interview with Now Media Group travel editor, Mark Gray earlier in the week, SAA president and ceo, André Viljoen indicated that the airline was investigating introducing services to Portugal and Italy. (Miguel de Sousa)