“We thank SAA employees who are back at work and those employees who have not joined the industrial action. They continue to carry our flag around the world. We also thank our loyal customers for supporting us in this difficult time”, said SAA Acting CEO, Zuks Ramasia.   

“We applaud our committed employees for understanding that the airline cannot afford salary increases at present, because of the financial difficulties we are facing. The National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA) and South African Airways Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) are demanding a wage increase of 8%, whilst the company will only be in a position to pay 5.9% in March 2020, assuming funds are available at that time. We call on all our employees to return to work for the sake of our customers and the company. After all, our customers contribute to our salaries and it is only through their confidence and custom that we can secure the future for SAA and ensure our essential contribution to the country’s economy. We are also very mindful of the contribution made by taxpayers to our sustainability,” said Ramasia.

Today, Ramasia and her executives have given the media an update on the strike by members of SACCA and NUMSA. In the media conference, SAA management explained the state of negotiations with unions, the ’no-work, no-pay’ principle; and confirmed SAA’s continued commitment to safety.

“SAA would like to record its appreciation to those employees that have decided to return to work, despite receiving threats and intimidation from the unions. It is clear and encouraging that many of our employees are increasingly determined to put our customers first,” said Ramasia.

All flights to the airline’s eight international destinations are now operating as usual and on an ongoing basis.  

Today SAA is resuming flights to six destinations on the African continent, namely Accra, Lagos, Lusaka, Maputo, Windhoek and Harare. 

Customers travelling to these destinations are being rebooked on the reinstated services and are being contacted accordingly. 

DOMESTIC AND REGIONAL ROUTES

SAA is continuing to work with its partner airline Mango to re-book all customers travelling on domestic routes. 

“We are pleased that we have been able to offer our customers alternatives on domestic routes since Sunday. In the meantime, we thank our subsidiary airline, Mango, and partner airlines, Airlink, and SA Express, for doing a sterling job in supporting our domestic and regional networks. Once again, we regret the inconvenience caused to our valued customers,” said Ramasia.

SAA will continue to work hard to focus on gradually ramping up our regional and domestic services. The next announcement in this regard will be made later today.

OPERATIONAL SAFETY

As previously mentioned our operations are fully compliant with regulations in force. Furthermore, we acknowledge the confirmation by the SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) that our operations are safe and fully compliant with international safety standards. 

Safety is our primary responsibility. SAA has never – and will never – compromise safety under any circumstances. 

The statements made by SACCA and NUMSA are deeply regrettable, untruthful and without foundation. In response, SAA is taking appropriate legal action for these statements to be retracted.

“Our flight deck, cabin crew and technicians are highly qualified. For example, on the international flights operated by SAA on Sunday, each member of our cabin crew team had an average of 16 years’ experience, and each pilot on the flight deck had an average of 20 years’ experience.’

STATUS OF ONGOING INDUSTRIAL ACTION 

A growing number of our employees do not support the strike. Evermore workers are coming back to work, and this is evidenced by the increasing number of flights we are operating.

“SAA strongly condemns the intimidation of employees who have decided to report for work. Let us be clear: describing some of our employees as “traitors” and threatening that “we know where you are” are flagrant methods of intimidation –  and will not be tolerated by SAA.” said Ramasia.  

Participating in industrial action is a personal choice. Unfortunately, there have been several incidents relating to intimidation against staff, as well as attempted non-compliance of picketing rules.  

No one should ever be pressured by any union official or member to participate in this industrial action. The airline will not tolerate any form of intimidation against those wishing to report for duty, and is taking the necessary measures to protect them in the workplace.

The Trade Unions in dispute with SAA have added additional demands, which are not part of the conflict. 

The company has decided to approach the labour court on an urgent basis to interdict these demands, which are not procedural and also to address the non-compliance with picketing rules.

THE PERSONAL COST OF STRIKING

The strike comes at a personal cost to employees.  With SAA’s “no-work-no-pay” principle, the salary loss for a striking employee embarking on strike action for seven days will take him or her approximately four months to recover. This is calculated on the basis of a 5.9% salary increase, implemented against the total cost of employment.

COST OF THE INDUSTRIAL ACTION

The cost to the company of industrial action consists of many elements. These include the costs related to rebooking customers on other airlines, claims from customers, denied boarding compensation, lost average daily revenue, lost future sales, aircraft parking, SAA Cargo revenue losses, and salaries for pilots and cabin crew who are not on strike. The cost of the reputational damage to the company is immeasurable. 

STATUS OF NEGOTIATIONS

The conciliation process with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) will be reconvened shortly to mediate in the current deadlock between unions and management is ongoing. 

Our efforts are focused on finding solutions that recognise employees’ concerns, safeguard the business and return operations to normal without delay. 

Our statement follows a Sunday Times story headlined “Jet scare highlights criminals in the SAA workshop.”

We wish to assure customers that all components and parts are procured from approved suppliers and all supporting documentation complies with South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) requirements on components. 

SAA strongly refutes claims in the media that the airline admitted to possibly having been supplied with “suspect parts” or components. Whilst any acts of criminality cannot be ruled out, it is untrue that there is a known international crime syndicate that has infiltrated SAA or SAAT that is responsible for tender manipulation and/or corruption at SAA or SAAT. There is no link, direct or indirect between the aircraft incident involving the Mango flight reported on and matters that are currently under investigation at SAAT. 

For background purposes: On 2 September 2019 a flight operated by Mango Airlines experienced technical difficulties that resulted in an air turn-back.  The event itself had a limited impact on passengers, who on the day, would have experienced a minor jolt, akin to driving through a pothole, as the flight crew disengaged autopilot to assume manual flight controls in accordance with the operating procedures of the aircraft manufacturer.  The crew noted that no significant loss of height was experienced, with Mango’s Director of Flight Operations noting a loss in elevation of less than two feet.  Mango’s flight crew handled the incident in accordance with the airline’s standard operating procedures, and the event was duly reported to the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA).  

The cause of the air turn-back related to a component failure.  The part, a stabiliser trim motor, failed during the climb of the flight to its planned cruise altitude. After levelling off in the cruise the crew’s attention was drawn to a “Stab out of trim” condition. This simply notifies the crew that the autopilot is maintaining the flight condition, but that the aircraft is not trimmed correctly. The crew read the checklist which very simply instructs them to hold the control column and disconnect the autopilot, which they complied with.  

The aircraft component that failed on the Mango flight of 2 September 2019, was legitimately procured from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of Boeing 737-800 aircraft. SAAT received the part from the manufacturer on 5 August 2019.  It was fitted on Mango’s aircraft on 7 August 2019 and failed after 96 flights and 125 hours of operation.

We are awaiting feedback from the OEM – to whom the failed component has been returned to establish the cause of the component failure. Mango and SAAT are providing the required assistance to the SACAA in progressing their investigation.

SAAT is audited, inclusive of site inspections, by independent global organisations such as the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA).

It can also be confirmed that none of the independent oversight audits that Mango has performed over SAAT over the years have at any stage given rise to any finding as it relates to traceability of parts.  “In all my career spanning 20 years of flying for different airlines, including 6 years within management in Mango Airlines, I have never been made aware, nor have I ever heard any rumours of bogus or untraceable parts being used by SAA Technical or in relation to Mango aircraft,” said Captain Juan Naude, Director of Flight Operations for Mango.  

To ensure that SAA, SAAT and Mango comply with airworthiness requirements each year, civil aviation authorities issue two certificates for every aircraft in our fleet. The first licence is the airline operating certificate and the second one is the airworthiness certificate. We have obtained and maintain both certificates. Our safety management systems, quality assurance and airworthiness records have been confirmed by regulatory authorities.

Our commitment to the safety of our passengers and staff lies at the heart of our operations. All of our staff are accountable for the delivery of the highest level of safety performance.

We wish to reiterate our commitment to the safety of our customers and assure the South African public that we continue to operate according to the highest possible safety standards.

Acting CEO Marelize Labuschagne says GO Rewards™ is a rewards programme with a difference. 

“Where most reward programmes are designed to motivate consumers to be brand loyal over an extended period of time, GO Rewards offers instant rewards. For every flight you book, you are entitled to three rewards up to the value of R 2000. If you book a return flight you get double the rewards. And a family of four flying on return tickets can enjoy rewards up to R16 000.”

The rewards are based on experiences, and are divided into six categories including entertainment, days out, dining, fashion, pamper options and accommodation.

Labuschagne says: “For example, all our passengers paying for tickets as of 15 July will be rewarded with personalised options such as a restaurant or spa voucher, tickets to local sports games and shows, movies, adventures and experiences for the whole family. 

In a statement released by SAA, it said that the Board of South African Airways supports the appointment made by the Board of Mango Airlines

This latest appointment of a permanent CEO at Mango, a subsidiary low-cost airline wholly owned by South African Airways, is a further step in stabilising leadership and strengthening the executive capacity of the Group.

“We are pleased to welcome Nico Bezuidenhout back into the SAA Group. His appointment will advance the implementation of the turnaround strategy of SAA Group,” said SAA Board Chairman JB Magwaza.

The addition of a new destination is the result of a collaborative airlift work between the City, Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, Lanseria International Airport and Airports Company South Africa, operated by Mango Airlines to offer travellers an alternative point linking Gauteng province with Nelson Mandela Bay.

The service is expected to capture a mix of visiting family and relatives (VFR), business and leisure traveller originating around the greater Johannesburg, the Gauteng province and beyond. Lanseria International Airport offers a gateway to the North, which covers The Cradle of Humankind and Sun City.

Marelize Labuschagne, acting CEO at Mango Airlines says: “We are very excited to finally launch this route – an enormous amount of work has been done to increase our network out of Lanseria. This additional route is a win for both cities, and Mango is privileged to be a part of boosting local tourism. 

“At a time when our economy needs stimulating Mango has set its sights on unlocking the immense social and economic value that tourism provides.”

Labuschagne adds: “We are expecting that the route will capture a combination of business and leisure travellers originating from the Southern and Northern parts of Johannesburg, the wider Gauteng province and beyond. Port Elizabeth is the gateway to the Garden Route and a highly populated tourist area so we are expecting this to be a popular network choice.”

Economic development, tourism and agriculture executive director at the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Anele Qaba says: “Access to Nelson Mandela Bay and the cost thereof was identified as barriers to tourism and economic growth within the region. To unlock the full tourism potential air access needed to be prioritised in order to make it easier and more affordable for visitors to explore Nelson Mandela Bay.”

“It is thus with great excitement that the NMB Airlift Steering committee can announce that Mango Airlines has launched a new route from Lanseria International Airport to Port Elizabeth International Airport starting on the 11th of July 2019.”

“With Quarter one of 2019 showing favourable growth on the domestic travel front, the latest Mango route will further enhance our plans to increase domestic travel,” Sthembiso Dlamini, South African Tourism Acting CEO.

“When compared to the period time last year, holidays trips have increased by 60,5% and I am confident that the latest route between Lanseria International Airport and Port Elizabeth Airport will influence these figures positively.”

“This route is a great opportunity to showcase the wonderful tourism experiences and products in the Eastern Cape and Nelson Mandela Bay areas with the region growing as an Ocean Safari destination,” concluded Dlamini.

Originally published by Bizcommunity.

According to Mango, the airline will be working with Tourvest to develop new food and beverage products that will include a broader range of spirit miniatures and snack box options, amongst other new products.

The Tourvest technology will include an omni-channel e-commerce solution, incorporating retail within the traveller’s booking journey either via Mango’s website or own mobile device application.

Tourvest will introduce their inflight electronic point of sale device, allowing customers to purchase products inflight through multiple payment types.

Product demand will be met through the use of Tourvest’s demand forecasting tool, together with the introduction of their warehouse management system and operational solution design to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.

This will ensure that product distribution to the aircraft is on time and within the multiple locations that the airline services, thereby assisting with on-time departures.

Direct messaging with Mango will allow seamless access to its content, and Passenger Name Records (PNRs) will be confirmed immediately with a Mango record locator. This enables travel sellers to easily make changes to any Mango booking and use the same invoicing and billing process as for any other air content available through Amadeus. Booking LCCs on the Amadeus system is five times faster compared to the direct channel, while modifying tickets can be done eight minutes quicker than any other channel.

“The Southern African aviation landscape is changing dramatically, and Mango is an important player in this space. We are very excited about the opportunity and benefits that this partnership will bring to the market,” says Andy Hedley, General Manager for Southern Africa at Amadeus.

“Many low-cost carriers are starting to distribute to travel agencies to pursue revenue growth. Through distributing via Amadeus we have shown how airlines can improve margins by targeting the higher yield business passenger and extending their reach into new segments. The travel agency community also benefits from deeper access to content, enabling them to respond to the travellers’ evolving needs.”

For travellers, itineraries booked on Mango will now be available online and on mobile via CheckMyTrip.
“Mango believes in a multi-channel strategy where travel sellers and travellers can have access to a broad range of content and services. This new distribution agreement means Mango can continue to deliver transparency and choice to travellers and travel sellers worldwide,” said Nic Vlok, acting CEO at Mango Airlines.

Effective, 8 March, the airline will add a Thursday flight to the existing Tuesday and Saturday departures from OR Tambo International Airport.

According to the airline, the 10h00 departure time on a Thursday will allow for seamless connections from other South African cities such as Cape Town and Durban.

“As the only direct airline to Zanzibar, the short flight of 3 ½ hours adds to the appeal of the destination,” the airline said in a statement.

In the second statement the airline states that it wishes to clarify a paragraph in the said first media statement on the airline sub-leasing 10 aircraft, at a significantly discounted cost to Mango Airlines, while continuing to pay the market related premium to the lessor.

According to SAA, it did sublease a number of aircraft to Mango from time to time over different periods between 2006 and 2016. SAA acquired 10 new A320 aircraft during FY2015, while Mango increased its capacity by acquiring some of the aircraft that exited the SAA’s fleet in FY2015.

The value of the sub leases to Mango fully recovered SAA’s aircraft lease cost for FY2015 over the balance of the lease period, the airline said.

“Owing to a recent unrelated consideration of this very issue, the SAA Board is confident in its assertion regarding the cost of aircraft sub-leases. During March 2016, the SAA Board, with the assistance of external advisors, analysed these lease agreements with Mango and satisfied itself that all such agreements had been concluded on a full cost recovery basis. These aircraft were accordingly not leased at a discount,” SAA said.

SAA further stated that it cannot comment on the recent arbitration between SAA and South African Airways Pilots Association (SAAPA) which is private.

For more details refer to flysaa.com