Johannesburg – The struggling South African national carrier has adopted ambitious turn-around plan that includes the reducing of flights to several destinations on the continent.
Flights from and to Entebbe International Airport are set to be affected when South African Airways reduces the frequency of flights at the end of this month.
The airline has announced that from October 29th, it will adjust the capacity of flights to Entebbe from seven to six flights per week. The airline operates flights between Uganda’s only international airport and the O.R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
So how will this change affect Uganda?
Vianney Luggya, the Principal Public Affairs Officer at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) downplayed the impact of the impending change.
“The frequency will be dropped only by one. We shall miss that extra flight, especially as it is direct (between Entebbe and Johannesburg), but it will not adversely affect passenger numbers to Uganda. Anyone that wants to travel to Uganda from Johannesburg will still come to the country, but through an alternative route that will not be direct,” he told the New Vision.
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The airline has also reduced the frequency of flights to destinations such as Port Elizabeth, Luanda in Angola, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo while flights to destinations such as Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo and Libreville in Gabon.
Nicholas Matovu, the CEO of travel company; Broveny Safaris says the change is not good for the country.
“Tourist numbers from South Africa could reduce. The effects may go beyond just tourism- there is a lot of business in Uganda from South Africa,” he says.
One of the oldest and largest airlines in Africa, South African Airways has had a tumultuous few years where it has struggled to make money.
