London Heathrow Airport has announced that the new Terminal 2 will be the home for all Star Alliance member carriers when it opens in 2014. Having all Star Alliance members co-located in Terminal 2 will allow the minimum connecting time between flights to be halved to just 45 minutes, thereby increasing the number of possible flight connections by 31%.
Vuyisile Kona, Acting Chief Executive at South African Airways, said:“We are delighted with today’s announcement by Heathrow. For many years South African Airways has led the way by investing in new products and services that we offer our customers. We believe our move into what will effectively be Heathrow’s newest terminal will offer our customers an unrivalled passenger experience on arrival, on departure and also when connecting with our Star Alliance partners.
“By joining up our extensive network of over 30 destinations in Southern Africa with our Star Alliance partners at Heathrow, South African Airways will continue to offer our customers an amazing experience and will reinforce our position as South Africa’s most awarded carrier.”
Once the new Terminal 2 opens in 2014, the 23 Star Alliance member carriers operating at Heathrow will move in various stages from their current locations. South African Airways currently operates out of Terminal 1. Star Alliance is the second largest alliance at Heathrow, offering more than 21% of all available seat capacity from the airport.
SAA and Air Canada Sign Codeshare Agreement
Meanwhile, SAA and Air Canada have announced a code share agreement that will make it substantially easier for customers to travel between South Africa and Canada. In addition, SAA and Air Canada received approval from the US authorities last week and connections through New York will be added in the near future.
