South African Airways (SAA) has launched additional nonstop charter flights to the Maldives from April to October.
By flying direct to the southern part of the Maldives, SAA can reduce the flying time from 16 hours (via the Middle East), to only seven hours.
SAA introduced the Maldives charter flights following the success of other SAA charter routes.
This forms part of the airline’s turnaround strategy; a pillar of which is to increase the use of its aircraft. The flights make use of Airbus wide-body comfort where SAA offers its customary Business and Economy class service.
South African and international holidaymakers can make use of the special chartered flights following the conclusion of an exclusive charter agreement between SAA and Air Tour Operators (ATO) and the Ministry of Tourism in the Maldives, for nonstop flights between South Africa and the Maldives islands.
ATO and SAA have combined to offer value-for-money holidays to a pristine part of the world that has previously been extremely inaccessible.
“As part of the implementation of our turnaround plans, we are constantly seeking new and smart ways to manage costs, improve our revenues and bring more value to our customers. Internationally, SAA is a strong and preferred brand, which is renowned for quality service and reliability standards. These charters provide an ideal opportunity for us to optimise on aircraft utilisation,” SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali said.
SAA will be selling the packages through its ticketing offices in Illovo in Johannesburg, and in Durban and Cape Town.