SA Alliance suspends UK – South Africa operations

Report Kirsten Bowling

SA ALLIANCE has suspended its twice weekly UK to South African operations pending a shareholders meeting on the future of the company.

SA Alliance Air aircraft will remain at Heathrow until next month’s meeting.

South African Airways marketing manager Russel Barlow-Jones explained: “SA Alliance Air is part owned by African Joint Air Services, with a 40% stake, the Uganda Government, who hold a 30% stake and the Tanzania Government with another 30% stake.

“In March SA Alliance Air were presented with an opportunity to expand and offer more flights to South Africa. However this required the successful negotiation of the new shareholder’s agreement, which was not achieved as Uganda and Tanzania, as shareholders, could not come up with the collateral.”

The suspension of SA Alliance Air does not affect South African Airways or SA Alliance Express, SA Alliance’s Air regional feeder airline. Alliance Express will continue to operate from Rwanda as scheduled.

Passengers booked on SA Alliance Air flights will be offered alternative flights with British Airways, given a full refund or re-routed to South Africa.