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Johannesburg - South African Airways celebrated their very first flight to Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
SA278 took off from Johannesburg at 09:30 on Sunday morning and arrived in Abu Dhabi at 20:25 local time, the national carrier said in a press statement.
The daily service will see frequencies between Johannesburg and Abu Dhabi double with partner Etihad Airways continuing its seven weekly departures. The new network addition will also see SAA’s intercontinental reach expand significantly through the carrier’s onward codeshare partnership with Etihad Airways.
The service is operated by a two-cabin Airbus A330-200 aircraft, configured to carry 36 passengers in Business Class and 186 in Economy class.
What a welcome for our inaugural Abu Dhabi flight. History in the making #WhatAboutAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/kE9BNb9rWJ
— SAA - South Africa (@flysaa) March 29, 2015
Pretty chuffed to be on the inaugural SAA daily flight to Abu Dhabi. #WhatAboutAbuDhabi @EtihadAirways pic.twitter.com/N2JQjRIdPD
— Sizwe Mdladla (@AuraAlways) March 29, 2015
“Since first signing our codeshare agreement in 2013,” says Acting SAA CEO Nico Bezuidenhout, “the important partnership between SAA and Etihad Airways has grown positively. Our deepening relationship not only sees both airlines enjoy network expansion through codesharing, but together we are exploring means to share knowledge and best practice across a wide variety of aviation related and commercial matters.”Abu Dhabi here we come! About to take off on SAA @flysaa inaugural flight. Here we go @jody_jacobs #whataboutabudhabi pic.twitter.com/FGJlFVzhqH
— Leanne Manas (@LeanneManas) March 29, 2015
Business and leisure travellers will benefit from the convenience of multiple flight options between Johannesburg and Abu Dhabi within the same day.
More than 1 000 connections will also be offered each week over Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi hub to key markets including the GCC region, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, and North and South East Asia including China.
The airlines have also significantly expanded their codeshare agreement to include a total of 51 routes, more than double the previous number.
Etihad Airways will also place its ‘EY’ code on South African Airways’ new Johannesburg-Abu Dhabi flights, in addition to 17 of SAA’s other services from Johannesburg to key destinations across the African continent. In return, South African Airways will place its ‘SA’ code on 35 Etihad Airways routes beyond Abu Dhabi to a range of destinations worldwide.
“Aviation plays an important role not only in the movement of people and goods, but, as an economic growth and development catalyst,” says Bezuidenhout. “And the new service will support this.”
It is estimated that there are currently more than 200 South African companies doing business in the UAE and trade between the countries passed the R20 billion mark in 2013. South African exports to the UAE rose from R5.2 billion in 2009 to more than R11 billion in 2013, and it continues to grow.
“It is connectivity to growing markets, for South African companies, that underpins the role of SAA as the national airline, a role charged with supporting and enabling economic benefit across all strata, including tourism.”
The UAE is considered one of South Africa’s Top 10 emerging export partners. The UAE is also the 24th largest investor in South Africa with foreign direct investment into South Africa having already reached the R 12 billion mark by 2012 and, it has continued to grow. It is also estimated that more than 50 000 South African nationals now work and live in the region.
Check out the flight schedule for the new SAA Abu Dhabi route
