South African Airways (SAA) has confirmed it will resume flights to Windhoek before the start of the festive season. In a recent media statement, the airline revealed it will recommence flights to four destinations, namely two cities in Malawi – Lilongwe and Blantyre, Windhoek as well as Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. 

SAA issued the statement noting the International Air Services Council (IASC) has ratified the airline’s retention of all its historical route traffic rights, following the airline’s voluntary relinquishing of a number of frequencies on the destinations not currently being serviced. 

SAA’s executive chairman and CEO John Lamola said in the statement that SAA, as a buoyant national airline, plays an important enabling role in the South African economy. 

“Those routes and frequencies that are not part of SAA’s medium-term plans will progressively be released to the council for the benefit of the industry,” said Lamola. 

According to the statement, the addition of the four regional destinations is expected to lend some muscle to SAA’s Africa route map. Additionally, the airline is expected to increase its frequencies from Johannesburg to Cape Town and Durban as well as Accra, Harare, Lusaka, Mauritius and Kinshasa.

SAA stated it is on course to re-enter some of its traditional regional markets and enter new routes, which remain underserved. 

Plans are also underway to launch SAA’s first intercontinental route during the first quarter of 2023 since the airline’s re-start.