What it does indicate is that SAX is a well run airline, with a great CEO, and that it makes money... Which is super, and most commendable indeed. The current CEO is the first to really shine (and be respected by the pilots) since the days of Don Wallace, and the Deluces. It also goes to show that an affirmative action, woman CEO can do a great job of running a very complex and challenging business. Refreshing, encouraging stuff indeed! I wish she would move across to SAA!
SAA however, is by nature and history, a more complex organization than SAX, with heavily entrenched staffing, cultural, and scale challenges. One (and maybe the only) way to sort this out is a total, and very difficult thinning out, and staff retrenchment move. The idea here is simply to reduce the number of mouths each aircraft is required to feed, so-to-speak. How to choose which ones though… Let’s not forget union involvement, and judgement mistakes. This will require some very, very good, and very tough leadership.
The CEO who has the guts to do this will most likely face death threats, and other nasty things along the way. Not an easy task at all, and one which will place heavy ethical and moral burdens on the organization. To get someone to handle this burden, will cost big bucks, and that's a reality we will not easily escape. Along with such change, comes the inevitable erosion of staff and stakeholder confidence in the airline. This usually precedes a big resignation wave, of staff that the airline will really need, to keep the show on the road. Some of this has already taken place, as we have all seen.
If this had to come about as a result of privatization, it would be an even more difficult task to manage.
What I am certain of though is the viability of the airline. I, and many others among you have done the reading and thinking on this. Sure… I accept that many will not agree. So be it. None of us are actually wearing the repairman's shoes anyway.
The South African world-image, and economy will most definitely develop a bad cough if SAA were to fold. This will not benefit the taxpayer, whether he likes SAA or not. Now is not the time to pull the rug out under SAA. It will be to everyone’s detriment for a long, long time.
This is, once again, just a personal expression of opinion, and should not be taken to represent that of anyone else but myself.
Cheers, and enjoyable flying to all, I’m going to stop my nonsense now.
Pitch & Fan