It’s been a turbulent few years for South African Airways, the beleaguered national carrier, and just as the reshaped carrier looked to be hitting cruising altitude, there’s another bump: strikes.
After wage negotiations failed to make headway, the SAA Pilots Association (SAAPA) this week issued a notice that they will go on strike as of Wednesday, December 5, 2024.
That’s just as national school holidays begin, and right before the peak tourist season hits. Bad news all round.
At the time of writing there were just two SAA flights in the air, and none on the popular (and lucrative) Cape Town-Johannesburg route. According to Reuters the airline cancelled flights to Perth, Australia, and Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Wednesday to avoid planes being stranded abroad.
According to the latest travel advisory, the strike will disrupt all SAA-operated flights along major domestic and regional routes, with the most heavily affected routes likely to be:
- Johannesburg (JNB) to/from Cape Town (CPT)
- Johannesburg (JNB) to/from Durban (DUR)
- Johannesburg (JNB) to/from Gqeberha (PLZ)
- Johannesburg (JNB) to/from Windhoek (WDH)
- Johannesburg (JNB) to/from Mauritius (MRU)
At the heart of the matter is, no surprise, money.
According to an SAA statement, SAAPA’s initial demand (tabled in May 2024) was for a 30 percent increase in pilot salaries. This was later reduced to 15.7%, plus associated benefits. SAA has offered salary increases of 8.46 percent, backdated to April 1, 2024.
‘Ironically, the pilots have chosen to go on strike exactly on the fifth anniversary of the day SAA was placed in Business Rescue in 2019. SAA cannot return to the lucrative benefits that SAA pilots have historically enjoyed. Acceding to SAAPA current demand for a 15.7 percent wage increase will trigger SAA’s decline into bankruptcy,’ he says.
‘SAA has only recently regained its operational viability after emerging from business rescue in 2021. In order not to disrupt this momentum, we are committed to ongoing negotiations with SAAPA and to do everything possible to reach a fair settlement that is mutually beneficial to both the pilots and the company.’
Until that happens, travellers booked to fly with SAA are going to be stuck on solid ground, searching for new tickets that are likely getting more expensive by the hour.
Travellers booked on SAA flights should contact their travel provider or airline directly for updates, rebooking options, or alternative arrangements.
Airports are expected to be busier than usual as passengers seek alternatives. Travellers are advised to arrive earlier than usual and remain flexible with their plans.
'Flight Centre understands the inconvenience and uncertainty caused by the SAA strike, particularly during this critical travel period,' said Euan McNeil, Flight Centre South Africa MD. 'We are fully focused on helping our customers navigate this situation and will continue to provide regular updates as new information becomes available.'
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