South African Airways (SAA) is increasing connectivity to Australia with more scheduled flights to Perth.
South African Airways is the only airline offering direct scheduled services between Johannesburg and the Western Australian city.
SAA added a fourth weekly service between the two cities on December 17, 2024.
Furthermore, the carrier will increase this to five flights a week in January 2025.
The airline operates this route with an Airbus A340-300 aircraft seating up to 253 passengers.
The two-class cabin is configured with 38 business class seats and 215 economy class seats.
SAA FLIGHTS TO PERTH
South Africa’s national airline resumed services to Perth (from Johannesburg) in April 2024 after an absence of four years.
The airline was forced to suspend all flights in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the airline’s relaunch in 2021 – after its business rescue process – South African Airways has cautiously relaunched international routes.
Hence the absence of SAA flights on many of its former international routes.
Perth Airport’s Chief Commercial and Aviation Officer Kate Holsgrove said that South African Airways adding more flights to Perth was good news for Perth and Western Australia.
“The increase to five services per week on the airline’s Airbus A340-300 aircraft will result in 131 560 seats being available on the route per year – which is a massive bump to the Perth market,” Holsgrove said.
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SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA
The increase in scheduled flight frequencies is indeed good news for South Africans, Australians – and indeed anyone wishing to travel between Africa and Western Australia.
Australia is home to one of the largest South African expat communities abroad.
In fact, data from the 2021 Australian census, states that 189 207 Australian residents were born in South Africa.
Aerotime states this makes up 0.7% of the Australian population.
