South African Airways (SAA) and Emirates have confirmed “an expansion of their codeshare partnership, enabling access to nine cities and establishing the start of a reciprocal codeshare agreement between both carriers.” The expanded partnership opens more destinations across central and southern Africa, simplifying connectivity for customers, according to SAA.
SAA stated that “since launching their codeshare agreement, Emirates and SAA have operated on a unilateral basis, with SAA placing its code on Emirates-operated flights between Dubai and Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, as well as interline access to 68 Emirates destinations worldwide via Dubai. With regulatory approvals secured, the new agreement will see Emirates place its code on SAA-operated flights, extending its network deeper into South Africa and neighbouring countries.”
According to South African Airways, “the expansion covers nine new routes including three domestic South African links connecting Johannesburg with Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth, in addition to six regional routes linking Johannesburg with Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Gaborone (Botswana), Windhoek (Namibia), Lusaka (Zambia), Harare (Zimbabwe) and Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe).”
SAA said: “Emirates and South African Airways have been partners for almost 30 years, marking one of the longest partnerships in Emirates’ portfolio. Since 1997, millions of passengers have benefitted from the partnership, with frictionless, single-ticket travel. This extension to the codeshare underscores the ongoing commitment to providing greater access, convenience and choices to travellers from South Africa and neighbouring countries.”
Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Adnan Kazim said: “This reciprocal codeshare partnership with South African Airways is a natural evolution of a relationship that has served our customers well for many years. By placing our code on SAA’s domestic and regional network, we are opening seamless access to destinations across South Africa and neighbouring countries, backed by the reliability and consistency our customers expect from Emirates. It reinforces our long-term commitment to South Africa and the wider region, and our confidence in the continent’s continued growth.”
Acting Group CEO of SAA, Matshela Seshibe said: “The expansion of our partnership with Emirates marks an important milestone in SAA’s strategy to strengthen connectivity across Africa while enhancing access to global markets. Through this reciprocal codeshare agreement, customers will benefit from a more seamless travel experience and greater choice across our combined networks.”
Mr. Seshibe added: “This partnership is about more than connecting destinations. It is about connecting people, businesses and opportunities across the continent and beyond. By combining SAA’s growing African network with Emirates’ extensive global reach, we are creating greater value for our customers and reinforcing Johannesburg’s role as a key gateway for travel, trade and tourism in Africa.”