TBCSA pledges support to national carrier

FOLLOWING a presentation on Tuesday by André Viljoen, president and chief executive of South African Airways (SAA), the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) has expressed support for the complete fleet replacement of the national carrier's aircraft. The TBCSA, in its mandate as the "one voice for tourism", invited Viljoen to present to its board and key members of the industry, on the future plans for SAA. The purpose of the presentation was to satisfy role-players in the industry that SAA would be in a position to play a pivotal role in the growth of tourism in South Africa. In his presentation, Viljoen explained that this was the first time in the history of the airline that a strategic decision had been taken with regard to the entire fleet and was confident that the purchase of the new Airbus fleet would best suit the demands of Africa's largest carrier. He continued that the new fleet would give greater flexibility in these times of change within the aviation industry and would make SAA much more responsive to new and emerging trends in international travel. SAA currently operates 11 aircraft types with 9 different engine types. By consolidating the aircraft types, SAA will be in the position to operate more effectively in a competitive environment. The new generation aircraft will also result in greater cost efficiency. Viljoen said that he anticipates that the purchase of the Airbus fleet will reduce SAA's current operating cost of R8bn per annum by 40%.. Dr Tanya Abrahamse, executive director of the TBCSA, said that the industry welcomed the extensive research and planning that had gone into such a decision. She said a strong South African carrier was essential for the future success of the country’s tourism industry and that the TBCSA would support the airline during the phasing in of this project. (Adéle Mackenzie)