SOUTH African Airways is drawing up plans to refurbish its aircraft and improve its on-board product following increasing competition on flights between the UK and South Africa.
Seats, service and inflight entertainment in all the three classes on long-haul flights, and airport lounges, will be improved from next year. The new product will also aim to reflect Africa’s history. Details will be unveiled in Johannesburg towards the end of the winter with the refurbishment starting early next summer.
The UK market is crucial to SAA and it will want to keep pace with improvements planned by rivals British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Both the UK airlines are to refurbish all classes with new sleeper seats and improved service from next year.
SAA marketing manager UK and Ireland Russel Barlow-Jones said: “There will be changes to uniform, the interior of aircraft and service to reflect the new South Africa.”
SAA’s new Horizon Mark livery was rolled out two years ago to replace the orange Springbok look as the airline sought to distance itself from the apartheid era.
This winter more frequencies have been allowed under an expanded bilateral between the two countries. From Heathrow, SAA will have 12 weekly flights to Johannesburg and up to nine a week to Cape Town. An eighth frequency starts to Cape Town next month, and a ninth later this winter when Heathrow slots are found.
Virgin Atlantic is to launch a weekly Cape Town service, likely to be on December 3, to complement its daily Johannesburg flight. BA serves Johannesburg with 13 weekly flights and Cape Town with six.