National carrier South African Airways (SAA) can now offer its customers direct access between Johannesburg, Beijing and elsewhere in China, owing to a codesharing partnership with Air China.
The Chinese aviation company made its inaugural flight from Beijing to Johannesburg last week. The airline would offer three services a week between the two cities.
“We welcome the first Air China flight to our country and we are excited about our deepening partnership with Air China, which dates back to 2012. Our industry is a highly dynamic one and competition is ruthless. It requires adaptability and agility. Most importantly, it requires dependable friends and allies. For us, Air China is a fitting and dependable ally.
“We value this partnership, as it not only provides connectivity for our customers, but because it forms part of a strong country-to-country relationship through our membership of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (Brics) group of countries,” SAA acting CEO Thuli Mpshe said.
The two airlines would jointly market the Beijing–Johannesburg route and, beyond Beijing, to Chengdu, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chongqing. In turn, SAA’s services from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth would be on offer.
Customers would be able to buy one ticket from South Africa to China or from China to any of SAA’s destinations, while frequent flyer members were eligible for mileage accrual on the codeshared flights.
“The nonstop service between these countries will be a convenient enabler of business and leisure travel. This partnership promises to nurture economic activity, with domestic and regional benefits within the Southern African Development Community, as well as the international benefit – realised through Brics countries’ initiatives – expected to pay dividends, both in terms of trade and tourism.
“Other Brics countries, such as Brazil, will also benefit from easy and convenient access to China through Johannesburg,” said Mpshe.