South African Airways launches flights to Kigali and Bujumbura

South African Airways launched flights to two more destinations on the African continent from Johannesburg to Kigali in Rwanda and onwards to Bujumbura in Burundi. This is in line with the airline’s Africa growth plans.

The flights will operate from Johannesburg to Kigali (Rwanda) and onwards to Bujumbura (Burundi). The return flights will operate from Bujumbura to Kigali and onwards to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International airport. Travellers and freight on the Kigali-Bujumbura-Kigali sectors will allow for growth in the Great Lakes region of Central and Eastern Africa, thereby increasing intra-regional connectivity.

“South African Airways is focused on strengthening its intra-Africa network in line with its Africa Expansion strategy. Adding even more destinations to our already extensive Africa route network gives our customers more travel options to exciting destinations that were previously difficult to reach by air,” says Theunis Potgieter, SAA General Manager Commercial.

In addition to being the capital city of Rwanda, Kigali is also its economic, cultural and tourist transit hub. Bujumbura is Burundi’s capital and largest city and is close to the country’s main port, shipping coffee as its primary export. The route between Johannesburg to Kigali and onwards to Bujumbura will be serviced three times a week by SAA’s A319 aircraft which accommodate 120 passengers in a two class (business and economy) configuration. The flight is scheduled to connect with the rest of SAA’s African and international route network.

Qantas/SAA codeshare agreement failed to win government approval

Qantas' global network has been dealt a blow as the airline's proposed five year extension of its codeshare agreement with South African Airways failed to win government approval.

The International Air Services Commission (IASC) branded the arrangement a "poor substitute for competition" and proposed that the arrangement be extended only until December 31, 2012 rather than granting the five years sought by the airlines.

The codeshare currently enables both airlines to offer combined double daily services on the Johannesburg-Sydney and Johannesburg-Perth routes at a reduced overall operating cost.

Since IASC granted short-term approval to the agreement in September 2010, the competitive environment had deteriorated significantly, it said. The year saw V Australia withdraw from the route and South African Airways reduce capacity on its Perth service.

"Over the longer term there is a greater prospect of either entry and/or more competition between the incumbent airlines for traffic which currently travels via third countries in the absence of the code share," IASC said.

Rather than ending the arrangement with immediate effect, IASC granted short-term approval to prevent disruption to both the airline and the travelling public, and to avoid any monopoly.

Qantas argued earlier this year that refusal would result in the route eventually being served by a single carrier.

However, a submission by Virgin Australia to the IASC disputed this, warning that a renewed long term agreement would actually deter new entrants.

The commission also proposed to impose a condition that both airlines maintain a combined minimum of 14 services per week for the duration of the codeshare, meaning SAA must resume daily flights after 31 December 2011. "This is necessary, in the commission's view, to prevent the airlines from reducing capacity in order to cut costs and drive up load factors and fares," IASC said.

Comair deals with baggage pilfering as problem gets ‘out of control’

Comair, which manages British Airways and Kulula.com in South Africa, says it is tackling the scourge of baggage theft head-on. This comes after SAA said baggage theft at OR Tambo International Airport was out of control, with more than a dozen bags being stolen every day.

Gidon Novick, the joint chief executive of Comair, said efforts to deal with baggage pilfering was yielding results. “Less than one per 5 000 bags carried on Comair flights is being pilfered,” Novick told IOL. This works out to .2 per 1 000 bags, which is less than the international average of .3 bags per 1 000.

Last month South African Airways (SAA) CEO Siza Mzimela said that “baggage theft remains very high and OR Tambo International is out of control”. She added that pilfering at South Africa’s other airports was also “very high”. SAA’s acting head of group corporate affairs, Dileseng Koetle, said that pilfering at OR Tambo was .6 bags per 1 000.

"How can we promote SA as a tourist destination if their first experience of the country is the loss of their luggage?" asked Greg Krumbock of the Democratic Alliance.

According to a report released by SITA several years ago, 98% of the 2.25 billion items of luggage checked in at the world’s airports arrive at the right time at the right place. But the remaining percentile still amounts to 42 million bags, passenger frustration and US$3.8 billion in fines.

The Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) said it had been working hard to solve the problem, which has been on the decline over the past few years. ACSA head of communications Solomon Makgale, said there had been “a consistent improvement” in the situation for the past five years and the average number of bags pilfered at OR Tambo had dropped from 36 a day to 14 a day. Since January last year, 18 people at OR Tambo have had their access cards blacklisted after being caught pilfering luggage.

Makgale said that baggage theft happens in three main areas – within the baggage sorting system, on the way to the aircraft, and in the hold of the aircraft. Consequently, “ACSA has installed CCTV cameras which enable us to catch the criminals in the act,” in the sorting area. He recommended that airlines install CCTV cameras in the holds of their aircraft.

Novick said Comair had improved the baggage pilfering situation by physically monitoring baggage whilst it was at the airport and getting baggage handlers to wear thick gloves so they cannot feel the contents of the luggage. “If an irregularity is found, baggage handlers’…restroom and lockers are searched both at the departure and arrival airports,” Novick said. “Staff face disciplinary action and polygraph testing if warranted.”

“We will continue to take this zero tolerance approach with all loopholes tightly closed until pilfering is eradicated,” Novick told IOL.

Other airlines are also taking steps to mitigate the problem. British Airways said its team at OR Tambo has seen a decline in baggage damage and pilfering and that security guards were present when bags were being loaded and unloaded.

Mango spokesperson Hein Kaiser told IOL that “presently pilferage averages between 0.2% and 0.6% dependent on the time of year,” adding that “Mango continues to work with all role players including ACSA, the SA Police Service, our shareholder SAA, and other airlines among others toward a remedy.”