How to save SAA – an expert speaks

EK ups DUR frequency, bag allowance

I HAVE been in the

aviation business for

several decades and

have sat by as SAA has

headed to oblivion. One

rescue plan follows

the other, without any

success. SAA is stubborn

and will only listen to the

expensive consultants who

bring the airline nothing

but more pain.

The government is not

helping either – politicians

like to fly ‘with the SAA

tail’, too many free flights

for entourages, too

many free upgrades, free

this and free that have

become the norm. The

airline has been a toy for

officials, their families and

their buddies.

The staff at SAA are

mere bystanders, but at

some point they will lose

their jobs.

However, the airline

can be saved and some

of the jobs, too. There

will be tough choices,

not pleasant ones, but

necessary ones. You

cannot be a commercial

entity and still provide

jobs to save votes for the

ruling party.

There are not many

options left for SAA, but

if the carrier keeps on

doing the same thing over

and over, it will see the

same results. But, if the

decision-makers at SAA

think out of the box and

tackle the problems head

on there will be pain, but,

more important, there will

be long-term gain.

I will give you a radical

view on how to save

SAA, in five not-so-easy

steps. This remedy will be

hard to swallow and very

painful, but necessary,

given that radical

transformation is required.

SAA should create a

virtual airline, selling

seats only. SAA has the

infrastructure, and should

use it effectively and drop

its expensive (outdated)

hardware.