Two struggling African national airlines plan to join forces, and I’m curious to see how this plays out…
Continue reading: Kenya Airways & South African Airways Plan Alliance
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Unmatched continental reach and global coverage?
I'm pretty sure Global Ghana and Goldstar Air (maybe BALTIA) would say hold my beer.
They're going to eventually sell out to Chinese investors.
China Eastern Kenya Airways.
South African Hainan Airways.
SAA indeed still has long haul aircraft. I flew their A330 a few weeks ago. Registration ZS-SXM.
Sounds like an awful idea to be honest, combine two struggling airlines with history of corruption issues. What can possibly go wrong?
Kind of pointless, unless they are planning some sort of pan-African global airline. They are both basket case companies.
Yeah, I think the caption meant to say SAA no longer has THIS type of long haul aircraft - the A340.
“unmatched” global connectivity = a SkyTeam partner and a Star Alliance partner being partners.
It's always been a little crazy that so many African countries seem to start loss making airlines. Based on the recent news about the bailout, it also seems like kQ is bound to shrink somewhat in the near future as well, so I wonder if this means it may abandon a couple of Southern African Routes (Nampula and Ndola for example, but really any unprofitable route in SA's backyarad) in favor of letting SAA serve these smaller destinations for them.
A merger or alliance between two weak players rarely makes a strong one in any industry, not just aviation.
First, idea is good, successful implementation and details remain unclear as of now. Secondly, the track record of 'successful' airlines e.g. Emirates, Lufthansa (Germany) and so forth are nothing but decades of gov subsidies into the billion USD. So please just because your horizon is limited to only criticise Africans its not valid or even useful. Chinese buy European companies all day long(Eg Mercedes Benz ownership structure) why not Africans if we can't do a better job (meaning constructive criticism instead of Africa bashing and responsive governments else quit them).
It's 2022 sick of African haters with no meaningful input while Europeans, Americans, Arabs, and Chinese still keep coming to 'poor' Africa for business and leisure. Learn to international game instead of superficial and harmful arguments. Africa is the future, albeit without these corrupt leaders and corrupted mind puppets of the East and West amidst us here in Africa!
"while Europeans, Americans, Arabs, and Chinese still keep coming to 'poor' Africa for business and leisure."
Do you realize these people didn't go to Africa for business and leisure in the way you think. They go there for profit and exploitation. I don't think any Africans hunt rhinos for fun.
And what is your point of government airline subsidies? They got subsidies, so does KQ and SA. Many successful airlines without subsidies and many failed with subsidies.
A lot of readers here do want airlines to succeed, we like to try great products. But ask someone who has local knowledge like @Sean M and what he thinks of this from idea all the way to execution.
That is your reality check Africa and Will.
South African Airways has denied media reports about a potential "merger" with Kenya Airways.
I guess that KQ could better intensify the cooperation with KLM and Air France. When looking at geography it is a shame that SkyTeam member Saudia never got to build up a global network. Then again, having flown them numerous times I do see that their planes are OK, but when it comes to staff you always have to wait and see - had numerous red-eye flights where the staff and cabin chief thought that crew's breaks with chatter and laughs were more important than the sleep of their BC customers.
Just think that SAA would be the worst option that KQ could choose. SAA just lacks the ambition to improve and survive.
The article says "Given that South African Airways doesn’t have any long haul aircraft anymore" which is not correct.
The article says "Given that South African Airways doesn’t have any long haul aircraft anymore" which is not correct. They have 1 A330-300 in the fleet which currently flies to ACC, LOS, and occasionally to CPT.
Seems nobody got out their history books and looked at previous airline alliances with multi-government control/funding. Gulf Air. Alliance Air. Africair. Doesn't work. The governments will want to suck passengers to their hubs and maintain home employment. Everyone will scrap for long-haul vanity routes. The network teams will be arguing the whole way and if they merge it into one with profit-optimisation as a genuine objective then fleet capacity will be sucked South to the higher GDP, Kenya will complain bitterly. The only benefit will be in reducing the burden on the exchequer by reducing losses on some low-density routes between JNB and NBO, CAI until Egyptair fills the gap, Khartoum, FCO until a European carrier fills the gap and maybe BOM over an NBO hub. The disbenefit will be for consumers on those routes who will see capacity removed. Otherwise plus ça change. In the end each will go their own way. It's two optimists sucking on the same bong.