South African Airways has announced plans to introduce the new A330-300 on its London route from March 2018. The airline has also decided to adjust frequencies on the route to a single daily service.
“We have decided to focus on those areas of our business that will enhance our efficiencies, bring more value to our customers, and produce improved overall performance of the airline,” said Vuyani Jarana, Chief Executive. “Network optimisation is one such area that can contribute towards containing our costs and we introduced some initiatives that must yield dividends to return the business to commercial sustainability in the shortest time possible.”
At the end of 2017, SAA announced network remediation on the domestic and regional markets and the airline has now turned its attention to its international network.
“We have also decided to upgrade the service operating between Johannesburg and London Heathrow to the new Airbus A330-300 with effect from Sunday 25th March 2018. This will afford customers a significantly improved onboard Business Class and Economy Class product, with state-of-the-art technology, increased comfort and capacity.”
With effect from Friday 20th April 2018, SAA will operate a single daily flight from Johannesburg to London Heathrow, replacing the double daily service operating on the route currently.
Airbus A330-300
“Our announcement to introduce the new A330-300 on the very competitive London route next month is exciting and positive news for our customers,” added Vuyani.
SAA took delivery of five new A330-300 aircraft last year. The aircraft offers state-of-the-art technology and is environmentally friendly and super-comfortable. The interiors are striking in warm, neutral colours to provide a comfortable, elegant and relaxed ambience, leaving customers feeling well rested. The A330-300s offer more Business Class seats than any aircraft already in the SAA fleet. In total, the aircraft has capacity for 249 passengers, with 46 in Business Class and 203 in Economy Class. They are quieter than previous generation aircraft, equipped with advanced avionics and navigation systems, and have ultra-fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent engines, resulting in lower fuel burn and, as a result, lower carbon emissions.
Business Class
Business Class on the new A330s is set to make customers between London and Johannesburg feel at home in their very own ‘living space’. Seating in Business Class cabins is in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration, offering all customers a forward-facing, lie-flat seat with 45” pitch, increased privacy, and direct access to the aisle. To give customers the best possible viewing experience, each seat is fitted with its own high-tech, 15” easy-to-use touchscreen.
There is space for personal tablets to rest in the back of the seat and SAA has introduced an app where customers can download additional entertainment before their flight. Customers can, of course, continue to expect restaurant quality à-la-carte dining, served with award-winning South African wines.
Economy Class
Economy Class is fitted with newly designed seats with personal space and generous legroom for travelling comfort. Each seat is fitted with a 10.1” high-resolution screen, individual USB charging ports, and access to shared PC power points, so customers can enjoy the latest movies and TV shows on demand.
Seating in the Economy Class cabin remains in the 2-4-2 configuration with 30-32” pitch, continuing to ensure that customers are only ever one seat away from the aisle.
The A330s complement SAA’s existing Airbus long-haul aircraft on the domestic/regional fleet, which include A320s that were delivered in 2015.
SAA Network
“We will continue to operate the daily non-stop SA234/SA235 service that offers customers convenient connections into and out of Johannesburg on SAA and our codeshare partners’ domestic and regional networks,” added Vuyani.
SAA has leased the second London Heathrow slot, giving the airline the flexibility to reinstate a second flight at the end of the lease period, providing the airline an opportunity to grow and develop in the future.
SAA has also announced a flexible re-accommodation policy for customers currently booked on SA236/SA237 to switch on to the earlier SA234/SA235 service and enjoy the new aircraft.
