KATA flags off team on a Mt Kenya Charity Climb

The Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) CEO Mr. Nicanor Sabula today morning flagged off a team heading to Mt Kenya on a charity climb.

KATA, the main sponsors of the event, raised funds during the KATA 2019 Annual Convention through its members and raised Ksh 100, 000 for the Tin Roof Foundation.

“It is with great pleasure that we get to participate in this noble cause. We are assured that the funds will be put in good use in support of the various associations Tin Roof Foundation supports,” Mr. Sabula said.

Mr. Shawn Koonce, the President, Tin Roof Foundation stated that the funds raised by the KATA members will be donated to the foundation to support its youth volunteering and development programme, ‘Simply Do Good’.

The contributions, he added, will be invested in expanding the Simply Do Good programme to over 20 campuses in 2020. This, he maintained, will help to create a new generation of leaders in Kenya who have integrity, a passion for community service, aligning well with the KATA Future Leaders Initiative.

“This year KATA has sponsored a significant portion of the Mt Kenya charity climb which due to its multi-charity involvement sends a strong message on the partnership, collaboration and empowering young leaders to take initiative and make an impact in their communities,” Mr Koonce said.

He further said, “through your support, KATA will be boosting a total of six organisations working in areas including maternal health, women and youth empowerment, education, youth leadership and sports development. We believe the multi-organisational climb message of “We can rise together” is one that resonates with KATA’s ethos.

KATA welcomed the opportunity to be a part of Simply Do Good community service projects alongside the young people sponsored.

As he flagged off the team from the KATA offices in Westlands, Mr Sabula thanked them for the collaboration and wished them a safe climb atop Mt Kenya.

 

KCAA lifts suspension of Silverstone aircrafts as Travel Agents call for resumption of services

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has lifted the suspension it had imposed on Silverstone Air’s Dash 8 Series Aircrafts last week. In a statement released to the public on Tuesday by the Director General Capt. Gilbert Kibe, KCAA confirmed that the airline had provided satisfactory corrective measures following comprehensive compliance audits conducted between 24th October and 15th November 2019.

Last week, the airline announced that it was suspending operations for the sake of safety of their customers after KCAA temporarily grounded the airline’s aircrafts to pave way for investigations following a series of reported mishaps.

Travel agents are now calling for the resumption of full services by the airline after the Aviation regulator gave the airline’s aircrafts a clean bill of health. Led by Patrick Kamanga of Deans Travel Centre, the Mombasa travel agents expressed eagerness to have Silverstone Air back in business in anticipation of the high number of passengers booking travel for the peak season.

KATA CEO Nicanor Sabula says that this being a peak season especially for local travel, the capacity of Silverstone is required in the market to meet surging demand for flights to popular tourism destinations as well as for those travelling to join their loved ones in the village for Christmas. “Whereas I do not agree in the first place with the decision by KCAA to completely ground an entire fleet of the airline, the fact that they have now reassured the travelling public of their safety is paramount.”

“I am now urging the management of Silverstone Air to reconsider their decision to suspend their operations indefinitely despite the setback they suffered in the last week. I must say that in the wake of the unfortunate decision by KCAA, Silverstone Air acted in a very responsible and professional manner, “he added.  

Silverstone Air has remained non-committal on when they are likely to resume operations with the Commercial Director Mr. Patrick Oketch stating that for now the airline has prioritized the sorting out passengers that had booked flights for December through January.

Using technology while you travel makes sense, but try to avoid these big mistakes

The arrival of November marks the unofficial kickoff to the travel season, be it over Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas road trips to see family next month or perhaps a winter vacation down south.

But in the digital age, travelers face a few extra risks that we didn’t have to worry about before laptops, smartphones, tablets and other devices were included among typical travel gear. It’s worth it to make sure to avoid some unsafe behaviors, which could be exploited by criminals, to avoid putting yourself (and your data) in harm’s way.

Here’s some travel-related tech mistakes you might be making, and how to fix them.

Avoid posting pics to social media 

While it may be tempting to post vacation photos in the moment, remember these posts are also broadcasting the fact your home is vacant at that time (insert the “face palm” emoji).

Yes, there are countless stories of travelers returning to a cleaned-out home, because they posted holiday pics to Facebook or Instagram, and didn’t quite know whom all their online “friends” were. Even if you’ve got a closed social network – where you’re super-selective about whom can see your posts – a friend could always leave their feed open and others could see it (say, at work).

Instead, if you want to #travelbrag (a hashtag coined by Hotels.com), wait until you get back home. It can wait!

Don’t use public Wi-Fi hotspots

While airports and hotels offer free Wi-Fi, you’re putting your information at greater risk when using these public “hotspots.” Malicious types can more easily access your data on these than when you are on a private network. And you might think you’re joining a legitimate network, like “Miami Airport Wi-Fi” when in fact it’s a fake (“rogue”) network setup by someone nearby, who’s seeking to access travelers’ info.

Also, those who provide free Wi-Fi can (and often) collect and sell data about your browsing habits.

Another misconception: a public Wi-Fi hotspot is safe if there’s a password required, often given out by the establishment. It’s not much safer than not having a password if it’s freely given out to everyone indiscriminately.

If you can avoid them altogether, don’t use public Wi-Fi. Instead, consider your smartphone’s cellular connection by creating a personal hotspot. If you want to use free public Wi-Fi, at least use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to browse anonymously. A VPN – ExpressVPN ($99/year) is an example – is a service you connect to that protects your data from outsiders.

Otherwise, your online activity can be tracked by your service provider, the government, advertisers, and malicious types. And no, this isn’t the same as enabling your browser’s “Private” or “Incognito” mode, as that simply wipes your history and cookies when you close the browsing session (but what you’re doing while online can still be seen.

And once you’re on a Wi-Fi hotspot, refrain from inputting personal information, such as passwords and usernames. And of course, never conduct financial transactions, such as paying bills, shopping online, day trading or filing taxes.

Be smart with your smartphone 

All smartphones let you lock it with a PIN code, password, pattern or biometrics login (using a part of your body) to confirm it’s really you.

So long as you lock your device in some fashion, no one else can access your information should your device be lost or stolen. A thumbprint or face scan is most convenient, if your device offers it. 

The same advice could be applied to your laptop or tablet: require a password to use all your tech. That way, if it’s lost or stolen, no one can access your private information. 

Also, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to set up your device’s “Find My Phone” feature, so you can locate it on a map, if lost or stolen. If it’s stolen, never try to retrieve it yourself. Instead, work with the local authorities, just to err on the side of caution.

Use a smartphone case and screen protector, in case you drop your phone while traveling.

Some travelers choose not to have any important files with them on the road. Instead, they store everything in the cloud – such as OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, or Dropbox – and access what they need, virtually. Or you can use “remote desktop” software, such as Splashtop, to log into another PC, perhaps at home, and use it on your laptop while away, as if you were sitting in front of your home computer.

Don’t overdo it on data

Since it’s not recommended to use public Wi-Fi hotspots – at least not for more than, say, reading the news – be sure to have a healthy data plan if you’re using your smartphone while traveling.

But you can minimize the amount of data you use, in a few ways. For one, remember you can download a lot of content while you’re on your own private Wi-Fi network, before you leave home. Google Maps, for example, lets you download entire city maps to your phone to use offline should you expect to navigate around a new city.

The same goes for entertainment: Rather than having the kids eating up precious data while streaming Netflix or Amazon shows or movies in the backseat, you can download most (but not all) videos to your phone or tablet before you depart. Most music services such as Spotify let you do so, too.

 

If you’re using your phone outside of the U.S., remember you’ll incur roaming fees, so contact your carrier to inquire about the best travel plan they have, so you don’t come home to a surprise on your wireless bill. Those who travel overseas might consider renting or buying a local SIM card to put into the phone, as it’ll likely be cheaper than paying your carrier.

Here’s a few more travel tips to keep your data and devices safe and secure while you are on the road:

  • It’s not recommended to use a communal/public PC in a hotel’s business center or airport lounge, as a cybercrook could secretly install software to capture your passwords. But if you do, at least remember to log out of your online activity (such as a webmail service or social media account) before you leave.
  • Don’t use public printers at a hotel’s business center, especially if it’s sensitive financial or work documents, as those could be hacked, too. And what about that print job you don’t think worked? It might spit out those papers after you’ve left.
  • Consider a “privacy shield” on your laptop to avoid over-the-should snoopers. Unless they’re directly in front of your screen, which is where you are, it will look blacked out, as if the display was turned off. You can buy one based on the laptop’s screen size, such as 13 or 15 inches.
  • It’s incredibly important to back-up your phone’s important files – irreplaceable photos, videos, contacts, text conversations, and so on – just in case the device is lost, stolen, or damaged. You can back up files to your favorite cloud-based service or to your home computer using a USB drive or Wi-Fi/AirDrop. While you’re at it, keep a digital scan of your passport on this cloud drive, just in case this is stolen or lost, too, which could be helpful should you need to get a replacement.

Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2019/11/02/travel-enhanced-technology-but-raises-some-safety-concerns/4114402002/

 

Boost for trade as Air India set for direct Mumbai-Nairobi flights

Air India is set to resume direct flights between Mumbai and Nairobi on November 27 following a two-month delay.

The direct flights were to begin on September 27 but were delayed to this month due to operational hitches.

“The planning for flights usually takes time and that is why there were operational delays. But all is now set for the flights this month with air tickets currently being sold…The maiden flight is scheduled to depart Mumbai for Nairobi at 6.25 am (local time),” said Indian’s High Commission to Kenya in a statement.

India’s national carrier is scheduled to fly four times a week between Nairobi and Mumbai and will cut travel time from between 10 and 11 hours to six hours. This will save travellers hours spent on flights that usually involve long layovers in Dubai, Middle East.

The commission notes that the flights are expected to shore up trade between India and Kenya as well as other East African Community countries.

Trade between India and Kenya is estimated at $2 billion annually.

According to 2018 data from India’s department of commerce, Kenya exports to India grew from $7.2 million to $137 million in 2017.

The data also indicates that India imports to Kenya went up from $1.974 billion in 2017 to $2.071 billion last year.

Air India used to operate directly between India and Kenya but later abandoned its operations.

Some of the key economic sectors that are expected to greatly benefit from the Mumbai-Nairobi direct flights include tourism, agriculture, health and pharmaceuticals as well as education.

“This week, we had a delegation of 40 Indian investors who met various Kenyan government authorities with a possibility of setting up or expanding their businesses in Kenya. It is expected that these flights will bring more people to Nairobi,” adds the statement.

In July this year, Indian High Commissioner to Kenya, Rahul Chhabra first disclosed that the flights would resume, noting that this was expected to shore up trade and connectivity between the two countries.

“I am excited to announce that Air India is launching direct flights between Mumbai and Nairobi on September 27 that also coincides with World Tourism Day. This will improve trade between Kenya and India and is a testimony that India attaches great significance to the people of Kenya,” added Mr Chhabra then in Eldoret.

Data released in January by Tourism CS Najib Balala showed that India ranks among the top five markets for tourist international arrivals in Kenya.

In the last three years, the number of visitors from India has doubled from 60,000 to 125,000 annually and it expected that the direct flights will boost the number. In August, Bollywood, India’s biggest film industry, also announced it would shoot a film next year in Kenya that is expected to showcase Kenya’s rich tourism potential. A huge number of Kenyans travel to India mostly for medical reasons, such as for cancer treatment, transplant surgery and joint replacement.

India is one of the most popular destinations for medical travel, with low travel fares and more affordable treatment options.

The India’s commission in Kenya said that there are plans to link Kenya’s and Indian’s hospitals as well as institutions of higher learning through satellite connectivity to boost health care services. The Indian government also offers 400 fully-funded scholarships to Kenyan students yearly to study in various institutions of higher learning.

Last November, Kenya Airways started its maiden direct flights from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to New York City, US, in a historic flight in Kenya’s aviation industry.

Achievement of this milestone has not come easy for the Kenyan airline.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposes stringent conditions on African airports for clearance to fly directly to the US. Normal flights from Kenya to the US take up to 22 hours for the 11,849km between Nairobi and New York. But passengers now save up to seven hours, as the flights take 15 hours.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/shipping/4003122-5355262-qqtfm6z/index.html

 

Why Nairobi-Mogadishu direct flights are yet to take off

The aviation regulator is yet to provide approval for resumption of direct flights between Kenya and Somalia following the recent meeting between the heads of state of the two countries.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has not issued Notice to the airmen ((Notam), which will set off direct flights between Nairobi and Mogadishu.

KCAA said they will issue the Notam soon after they get some clarification.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Somalia counterpart Mohamed Farmajo agreed last week to restore relations after months of frosty affair between the two nations.

“We have not yet issued the Notam but we will do that soon after getting some clarification,” said KCAA Director General Gilbert Kibe.

Kenya had in May suspended direct flights from Somalia’s capital Mogadishu to Nairobi for security reasons but Somalia argued that the measure could have been politically instigated. The move required all the flights from Somalia to first land in Wajir before proceeding to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Mr Kibe had in May said the suspension would last until August 9 when a review would be carried out and a decision made on whether to maintain or lift it.

However, that was not done. But the recent meeting by the two heads of state in Nairobi opened the window for resumption of direct flights between the two countries.

Kenya and Somalia are currently engaged in a row over maritime border on the Indian Ocean coast. The case has ended up at the International Court of Justice.

In 2006, Kenya imposed a strict security policy requiring flights from Mogadishu to land in Wajir for security checks before heading to any other part of the country.

The idea, Kenya argued, would ensure the safety of passengers and cargo, as Al-Shabaab militants had taken control of vast areas of the country.

In September 2016, Kenya and Somalia signed an agreement to lift the ban, after both sides certified security arrangements for departing flights at Aden Abdille International Airport, the agreement was honoured in December of the same year.

Freight carriers plying Nairobi–Mogadishu route were hit by the new directive to have all airlines make a stopover in Wajir, saying the move added Sh1 million dent in their operating cost.

The operators, who were previously exempted from the stopover, are now required to make a security stop following a notice issued by KCAA.

Air freight cost had dropped by at least 15 percent between Mogadishu and Nairobi in 2018 following the resumption of direct flights to Somalia in 2017.

 

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/shipping/Why-Nairobi-Mogadishu-direct-flights-are-yet-to-take-off/4003122-5355260-2xjwi6/index.html

 

Kenya Airways still has some value proposition to investors

A hilarious quote from The Godfather (Part 1), “In Sicily, women are more dangerous than shotguns” got me thinking of something that’s equally dangerous; the vanity projects called African airlines.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 2019 report, while the global industry generated Sh685 per passenger in 2018, African carriers generated average losses of Sh109 for every passenger they flew.

While the global airline industry experienced another year (2018) of robust financial outcomes (IATA estimates that airlines generated a net post-tax profit of Sh3 trillion on EBIT margin of 5.8 percent), most African airlines fared poorly. What’s worse, 80 percent of air travel from or to Africa is still done by non-African carriers while African airlines cater to only 20 percent of the air traffic in the continent.

This got me wondering: Is the Sh45 billion ask akin to throwing good money after bad? Do investors believe things will be worse, the same, or somewhat better in the future? If one is leaning towards the same or better, then the airline stock equity upside potential appears highly attractive. But not too fast, the airline industry has plunged more than two-thirds since the beginning of the year.

First half 2019 performance has not been exciting – it posted a pretax loss of Sh8.56 billion, compared with a loss of Sh3. 99 billion in the same period last year. Besides, it faces the daily risks of labour issues, flight cancelations and high oil prices (jet fuel prices in the region are significantly higher than the global average).

Further, although the airline hedges a maximum of 41 percent of the current year’s projected fuel requirements via options, volatile jet fuel prices this year means its hedges are unlikely to have seen much benefit.

KQ also has to deal with fierce competition. Our neighbours (Ethiopian Airlines) are currently Africa’s largest in both revenue and profit. They have also managed to overtake Dubai as a conduit for long-haul passengers to Africa under its strategic expansion plans.

That said, KQ is not a vanity project. The “Pride of Africa” can still fly the friendly skies. Crucial factors such as the launch of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) initiative, procurement of more efficient and cost-effective aircraft, launch of more strategic routes, normalisation of its labour issues and a focus on marketing could turnaround its fortunes. Indeed, these should drive returns and profitability.

Moreover, being a high-volume and a low-margin business, every penny counts. Focus on its “rationalisation” programme, deepening (and increasing) their regional partnerships – 41 percent of the airlines revenue in 2018 was realised from Africa – and non-interference from the government would be key to its future success.

This is one way the airline can increase return on capital, create value for its shareholders and reclaim its strategic position in African routes that are now being dominated by Turkish Airlines and Emirates.

To close, at the market level, long-term investors can still smile because the stock looks cheap and attractive at current prices despite the uncertainty. While it may be hard to make a case for adding shares to one’s portfolio right now, KQ is a compelling stock. No one doubts that it is still the “New Spirit of Africa”.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/analysis/ideas/Kenya-Airways-still-has-some-value-proposition/4259414-5355164-10btm9p/index.html

Silverstone Air Suspends flights for a week

Silverstone Air temporarily suspended all it’s scheduled flights from November this week, following a directive from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).

KCAA stated that they had made the decision after conducting adhoc compliance audits on the operations of the local airline.

They however pointed out that all other Silverstone Air Fleet remain operational as the outcome of the ongoing surveillance activities by the authority are waited on.

Silverstone Air assured their customers that they would work with customers to help minimise disruptions in their travel.

Members of the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) stated that though there were minor hiccups, most of their clients had been rebooked with other airlines.

Mr Patrick Kamanga of Deans Travel Centre said, “Our Support for Silverstone Air remains unwaivered. We hope the process can be quickly sorted and of course, safety assured for all.

KATA Chief Executive stated that despite the challenges which many other airlines have experienced at one point in time, Silverstone Air has made air travel accessible to most Kenyans through safe and affordable flights across the country.

KATA, he however emphasised, remains steadfast in ensuring the highest standards of professionalism are maintained by all her members in their operations.

IATA calls upon Africa to develop through Sustainable Development Goals

Governments and industries in Africa have been urged to focus on travel and trade as one of the priorities that will allow aviation to drive economic and social development in the continent.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said travel and trade is among four other priorities that will further enable the achievement of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In a keynote speech given during the 51st Annual General Assembly of the African Airline Association (AFRAA) in Mauritius, IATA’s Director General and CEO Mr. Alexandre de Juniac stated that safety, cost competitiveness and gender diversity are other priorities that will see to the realisation of the SDGs.

“Across the African continent, the promise and potential of aviation is rich. Already it supports USD 55.8 billion in economic activity and 6.2 million jobs. And, as demand more than doubles over the next two decades, the critical role that aviation plays in Africa’s economic and social development will grow in equal proportion. With the right tax and regulatory framework, the opportunities aviation creates to improve people’s lives are tremendous,” he further said.

To improve safety aviation in Africa, the IATA boss called upon more states to incorporate the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) into their safety oversight systems.

Smaller operations, Mr. Juniac said, should consider becoming IATA Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA) certified as ISSA provides a valuable operational benchmark for carriers not eligible for IOSA.

African states, he added, need to implement ICAO standards and recommended practices in their regulations. Currently, only 26 states meet or exceed the threshold of 60% implementation.

“Our top priority is always safety. And we must never forget that global standards have helped to make aviation the safest form of long-distance transport. There is a good example of that in the safety performance of African airlines. The continent had no fatal jet accidents in 2016, 2017 and 2018. That is largely due to the coordinated efforts of all stakeholders with a focus on global standards, guided by the Abuja Declaration. But there is still more work to do. Taking these three steps will raise the safety bar even higher,” said Mr. de Juniac.

IATA called on governments to liberalize intra-Africa access to markets and urgently implement three key agreements that have the potential to transform the continent. The key agreements are The African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) – to boost intra-Africa trade through the elimination of import duties and non-tariff barriers, the African Union (AU) Free Movement Protocol – to ease the severe visa restrictions that African countries impose on African visitors and Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) – to open up intra-Africa air connectivity.

“My message to governments on this triumvirate of agreements is simple—hurry-up! We know the contributions that connectivity will make to the UN SDGs. Why wait any longer to give airlines the freedom to do business and Africans the freedom to explore their own continent,” Mr. de Juniac said.

IATA also called for the industry to do more to improve its gender diversity and for airlines in the region to support the recently launched 25by2025 campaign.

The 25by2025 campaign is a voluntary program for airlines to commit to increasing female participation at senior levels to at least 25% or to improve it by 25% by the year 2025. The choice of target helps airlines at any point on the diversity journey to participate meaningfully.

“It is no secret that women are under-represented in some technical professions as well as in senior management at airlines. It is also well-known that we are a growing industry that needs a big pool of skilled talent. Africa can be proud of its leadership in this area. But we need to do more. The 25by2025 initiative will help move our industry in the right direction,” said de Juniac. 

5 tech trends to keep an eye on in 2020

It’s no secret that technology is becoming an increasingly integral part of not only the travel industry, but humanity itself.

Add to that the rapidly evolving expectations of customers – immediacy, accuracy and personalisation are key to winning them over these days – and travel professionals well and truly have their hands full.

Identifying trends is key to staying ahead of the pack when it comes to the use of technology in travel. Here are five big ones you should be taking note of in 2020:

Biometrics

As government authorities and travel companies look for faster, more efficient and seamless ways of identifying and authenticating visitors, passengers and guests, expect to see biometrics to become a more commonly adopted approach.

While fingerprints and facial recognition are already widely used at airports across the world, airlines and hotels are also starting to implement these types of biometric technology to help speed up the check-in and check-out process, improve security and even authorise payments. 

It must be noted, however, that the gathering of customer data through biometrics brings with it privacy concerns around how the data is used and who can access it.

Smart rooms

An increasing number of hotels are cottoning on to the Internet of Things, and for good reason.

From enhancing the customer experience through greater personalisation and the ability to control rooms remotely, to improving sustainability and quickly identifying and responding to maintenance issues, the IoT is evolving hotels to better serve the needs and wants of tomorrow’s guests.

AI and VR

Artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) are already playing respective roles in the travel industry, but it’s the extent of their roles that will be interesting to watch.

Right now, travel companies are mostly using AI to sort through customer data to analyse business performance and manage their inventory, and to respond to customers faster with the creation of chatbots.

More and more hotels are utilising VR to showcase their offering online and increase bookings with things such as simulated hotel tours and interactive maps. VR is also set to be used for a customer’s entire travel search and booking experience, and with sustainability a major focus for all travel organisations, we could soon see the rise of virtual vacations.

Blockchain

Blockchain’s potential has been talked about for some time, but the power of this technology is finally starting to be realised within the travel industry.

Essentially, blockchain is a public ledger that allows information on transactions between parties to be stored and distributed across a decentralised, peer-to-peer network. Check out the below video for a more detailed explainer:

The most obvious and important benefit of blockchain for the travel industry is its ability to facilitate secure, traceable payments. However, this technology also has the ability to simplify customer loyalty schemes, track luggage movements and improve ID authentication methods.

Big data

If understanding and utilising big data is not already a priority for travel businesses, they may as well start digging their own grave.

Big data is simply a term used to describe huge sets of data that can’t be processed using traditional methods.

For those in the travel industry who make the most of big data, the rewards are game-changing. They can better understand their customers and target them more effectively, accurately predict future demand, enhance product pricing, and manage their reputation a lot more easily.

Source: https://www.travelweekly.com.au/article/5-tech-trends-keep-eye-2020/

SAA grounds itself – flights canceled in wake of strike action

South African Airways (SAA) has cancelled nearly all its domestic, regional and international flights scheduled for Friday, 15

November and Saturday, 16 November 2019. 

The cancellations follow an announcement by the South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) that their members will embark on industrial action from Friday morning. This is notwithstanding SAA’s repeated overtures to the unions to acknowledge the severity of the current situation facing the airline.

In a statement, SAA says the rationale for grounding the flights is that “to minimise the impact of disruptions for its customers.”

“We are putting our customers first and regret the inevitable inconvenience that these cancellations may cause our customers. However, by acting proactively SAA can certainly help customers find alternatives,” said Tlali Tlali, SAA Spokesperson.

“Unless alternative arrangements are in place, customers are requested not to go to their departure airports during the disruption as SAA will be unable to provide any assistance. Information on the status of our flights will be regularly updated on our

website,” said Tlali.

Only flights operated by South African Airways will be affected. 

All flights operated on partner airlines, including SA Express, Mango, SA Airlink and all codeshare partners, including flights operated by our Star Alliance partner airlines. 

These flights can be identified by their flight numbers and will operate as normal: SA 1000 – 1999, SA 2000

– 2999, SA 7000 – 7999 and SA 8000 to 8999.

SAA will operate flights from selected outstations on Friday 15 November 2019 back to SAA’s base, OR Tambo International Airport.

Regional flights, which will operate on Friday morning, will return from Maputo (SA147), Lusaka (SA067), Harare (SA025), Windhoek (SA073), and Accra (SA210).

International flights, which will operate on Friday evening, will return from Frankfurt (SA261), New York (SA204), Munich (SA265), Hong Kong (SA287), Perth (SA281), and London (SA235).

The airline will assess the situation on an ongoing basis and Customers will be kept informed of all operational developments on a daily basis.

Tlali stated that, during the negotiations with the unions, SAA presented a revised offer for employees delivering a 5.9% increase subject to the availability of funds from lenders. NUMSA and SACCA are demanding an 8% increase.

The National Transport Movement (NTM) has not stated whether their members will embark on a strike or not.

SAA says it attempted to dissuade the unions from embarking on industrial action by providing firm commitment dates to SAA’s offer of 5.9%. Discussions are continuing to resolve the wage matter at the time of issuing the statement.

“SAA will spare no effort to work jointly with the labour unions to find solutions that accommodate the employee demands, safeguard the business and return operations to normal,” says Tlali. 

Our Source: https://www.jacarandafm.com/news/news/saa-grounds-itself-flights-cancelled-wake-strike-action/