South African Airways’ plans to cut its Johannesburg–Buenos Aires route next year is proving controversial in both South Africa and Argentina.
The struggling national carrier is working through a turnaround plan aimed at returning it to profitability. The airline has admitted all of its long-haul network, which includes services to London, Frankfurt, New York and Beijing, are loss-making.
SAA said earlier this year that some long-haul routes would be axed from its network and it has been reported that the airline opted to axe Buenos Aires instead of China’s capital Beijing.
But the decision to cut Buenos Aires has drawn fury from Argentina, with tourism operators there writing to South Africa’s public enterprises minister Malusi Gigaba and SAA CEO Monwabisi Kalawe lobbying to keep direct flights between Buenos Aires and Johannesburg alive.
South African tour operators have also criticised the move. According to Johannesburg-based publication Tourism Update, inbound operator Rhino Africa Safaris has written an open letter to SAA’s Kalawe expressing concern at the decision.
“We at Rhino Africa Safaris believe that this termination would have grave repercussions, not just for businesses like ourselves, but for South African tourism as a whole,” CEO David Ryan was quoted as writing.
