SAA has officially withdrawn as co-champion of the Pan African Airline Group (PAAG). The airline says the decision stems from the need to focus fully on rebuilding its brand, stabilising operations and securing long-term financial sustainability.
“SAA continues to support the idea of the consolidation of Africa’s airline industry along the model envisaged in the PAAG project, but it is no longer able to devote itself as the co-champion of this project,” SAA told Travel News.
The PAAG initiative, a partnership between SAA and Kenya Airways, faced numerous hurdles to turn the concept into an implementable project.
“The process consumed an inordinate amount of human and financial resources, which both airlines could ill afford as they were recovering from histories of negative economic performance,” said SAA.
The airline explained that the PAAG project had been conceptualised in 2021, at a time when SAA was still exploring the possibility of taking on a strategic equity partner.
However, since the beginning of this year, SAA adopted a new five-year (2026-2030) corporate plan prioritising the long-term financial sustainability and independent recovery. During this shift, SAA notified Kenya Airways of this change to its strategic focus during a series of structured discussions.
