South African Airways (SAA) made its return to the skies with the first flight departing OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park heading for Cape Town International Airport on September 23.
This was the first passenger flight undertaken by the carrier since the company went into business rescue in December 2019.
The staff of SAA treated passengers to a grand welcome with everyone pitching in with a song and dance.
Fikile Mhlontlo, CFO for SAA, said the launch was part of phase one to bring SAA back to its full potential.
Mhlontlo specified that phase one will focus on being a regional airline with routes to be assessed in the future according to demand.
Captain Craig Stevenson, a captain for SAA, told the Express that it feels good to be back in the air and to wave the national flag with pride.
“We are passionate about flying. Flying will always be in our blood and it fills us with pride looking forward to making a difference in the lives of our passengers,” said Stevenson.
Flights will now start to operate daily from O.R Tambo International Airport to various planned locations around the region of Southern Africa.