South African Airways reinstates flights between Johannesburg and Blantyre, Malawi

JOHANNESBURG. 1 February 2019. South African Airways (SAA) advises customers that the airline will resumes operations between Johannesburg and Blantyre, Malawi on Saturday, 2 February 2019.

The resumption of operations follows the conclusion of audit and inspection processes at the Chileka International Airport in Blantyre relating to the condition of that airport. SAA suspended its operations on 18 January after it emerged that the state of the airport did not fully comply with conditions set out in its operating license.

“We are pleased that we are able to reinstate flights between the two points (Johannesburg and Blantyre) following the implementation of our corrective action plan. The plan was a battery of remedial interventions aimed at curing or responding to the audit findings,” said SAA Spokesperson, Tlali Tlali.

SAA operates a three weekly service between Johannesburg and Blantyre (Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays).

South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) notified SAA on Friday afternoon that the regulator is satisfied with the measures taken to respond to the situation at the airport in Blantyre.

“We are grateful to all our partners and stakeholders, including the Malawian Ministry of Transport and the municipality, for collaboration, commitment and understanding as we worked towards resolving the situation as speedily as possible.

“We appreciate the guidance of the regulator to ensure that the condition of the airport now meets our licensing conditions for SAA to operate,” said Tlali.

The following flights will operate as per schedule:

Saturday
SA172 - 2 February 2019 | Johannesburg to Blantyre
SA173 - 2 February 2019 | Blantyre to Johannesburg

“We truly apologise to our passengers and customers for the inconvenience caused by the suspension of services for the last two weeks. Safety of our passengers and crew will always remain paramount in our operations,” Tlali concluded.

All customers who had elected to rebook their flights will be assisted based on the re-accommodation policy conditions that were published at the time when the cancellation of flights was announced.

Customers who have enquiries may contact SAA on the following Call Centre numbers:

South Africa

· Johannesburg | +27 (0) 11 978 1111 or 0861 606 606

SAA will make the necessary decisions in response to demand and to clear any possible backlog as a result of the suspension of flights between Johannesburg and Blantyre.