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1st Oct 2010, 05:39
SAA plans new airlineSep 30 2010 07:06 James-Brent Styan Print this article | Email article Addis Ababa - Within months South African Airways (SAA) is expected to make an announcement about the new airline that it will launch in collaboration with two other African airlines.The idea is for it to be an entirely new carrier, said SAA chief executive Siza Mzimela on Wednesday.Earlier this week Sake24 reported that SAA was collaborating with Ethiopian Airlines and Egypt Air to establish a new airline in Africa.Mzimela said the partnership would be used in two regions: in central and in west Africa. She did not exclude the possibility of two new airlines.Prospects for Central Africa are currently more feasible, but both options are on the table, she said, adding that the strategy will be to use the new airline to feed existing SAA routes. Mzimela said the three partners would invest in the new airline, not necessarily with money, but management skills and technical services could be provided as a contribution to the new airline.The details of the partnership are still being ironed out, but each of the three would probably hold a minority stake in the new venture. It would be much like Ethiopian Airlines’ existing subsidiary in Togo.The central African countries being targeted are Gabon, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, São Tomé & Principe and the Central African Republic. Mzimela declined to expand further.NEWS24