SAA to reinstate flights to Tanzania

SOUTH AFRICA: THE South African Airways (SAA) is set to reinstate daily flights between Johannesburg and Dar es Salaam, it has been stated.

“This flight is not simply a milestone for SAA and linking Johannesburg and Dar es Salaam through air travel; it heralds a bridge that connects two of Africa’s most influential economies and strengthens the friendship between our nations,” said SAA’s interim CEO, Professor John Lamola.

He added that the service brings together industries, communities and resources, creating opportunities for trade, investment and development for both South Africa and Tanzania.

Dar es Salaam, East Africa’s largest city by population, serves as a vital regional economic and logistical hub.

The city is also a gateway to several popular tourist attractions in the region. South Africa remains a major source of foreign direct investment in Tanzania, with strong trade ties in sectors such as agriculture, precious metals, chemicals and machinery.

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Prof Lamola noted that the relaunch aligns with SAA’s strategy to strengthen its footprint across Africa. “SAA’s regional network has emerged as a top performer, contributing significantly to the revenue of the SAA Group. More importantly, these regional connections are crucial for the broader economic growth of South Africa,” he said.

The daily flights will depart OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 10 p.m. (SAST) and arrive at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam at 2:30 a.m. (EAT).

The return flights from Dar es Salaam to Johannesburg will depart at 5:10 a.m. (EAT) and arrive in Johannesburg at 7:55 a.m. (SAST).

Dar es Salaam is one hour ahead of Johannesburg. According to Prof Lamola, the schedule of seven weekly return flights has been designed to cater for both point-to-point and connecting passengers. In November last year, SAA expanded its services to Harare (Zimbabwe) and Lusaka (Zambia), increasing flights to 12 per week, up from 10 and seven flights, respectively.

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Flights to Lagos (Nigeria) and Accra (Ghana) were also increased from three to four times a week, while services to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) now run five times a week. Additionally, SAA launched flights to Lubumbashi, a key mining hub in the DRC, in November.

The airline has also increased its intercontinental services to Perth, Australia, offering five weekly flights from January 7 this year. On November last year, Air Tanzania (ATCL) officially resumed direct flights between Tanzania and South Africa connecting Dar es Salaam with Johannesburg