South African Airways

2019

• SAA Cargo the Official Airfreight Partner of the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa Team at the Dakar Rally 2019 Collapsed Content

  Johannesburg, 03 January 2019.  South African Airways Cargo (SAA Cargo) is proud to be the official airfreight partner of the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa Team at the 2019 Dakar Rally.  The race takes place from 6 to 17 January in Peru, South America. The Dakar Rally is one of the biggest motorsports events in the world and is seen as the pinnacle in off-road motor racing and the ultimate test of vehicle durability.  

  The partnership, which has been in place since 2012, involves transportation of the racing vehicles to Sao Paulo, Brazil en route to Lima, Peru for the start.  The shipment consists of two vehicles and spares, which weigh about 8500 kgs. 

   

  “Transporting our race cars to South America could take months if we sent them via sea freight,” explained Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Team Principal, Glyn Hall. “But thanks to our partnership with SAA Cargo, the transport time is vastly reduced, giving us extra time to develop and prepare the cars for the race.”

   

  It takes nearly a day for the shipment to reach its destination. “The long-standing partnership is a demonstration of trust placed on us by Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Team to handle their most valuable shipment. Through this partnership, we can showcase SAA Cargo’s capability as the provider of air freight solutions.  It takes about two months to prepare for the journey, in order to ensure seamless transportation. At the centre of this, is our commitment to deliver consistently on customer expectations.  We rely on our capable team to make it possible,” said Justice Luthuli, SAA Cargo’s Acting General Manager.

   

  The 41^st edition of the Dakar Rally will start and end in Lima, Peru. The event takes place over a period of 11 days and involves 10 racing stages. There will be 450 cars, trucks, motorcycles and quads which will cover a total distance of some 6 500 kilometers.

   

  “The team has, without fail over the years, achieved Top Five finishes at the Dakar Rally.  We strongly believe that they will again impress this year, and wish them best of luck,” said Luthuli.

   

  The Toyota Gazoo Racing SA team will be represented by veteran Giniel de Villiers and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz; Nasser Al Attiyah and navigator Mathieu Baumel; and Dutch driver Bernhard ten Brinke with navigator Xavier Panseri next to him.

   

  Interesting facts

   

  • The racing vehicles are designed in line with size restrictions for commercial cargo holds and thus built in such a way that they can be disassembled to the size of the pallet and container to be used

  • It takes about three hours to disassemble each car and six hours to reassemble

  • Each car weighs approximately 2000kgs

   

   

  About South African Airways Cargo (SAAC)

  SAAC is a specialist division of South African Airways (SAA), South Africa's flag carrier and largest domestic and international airline company, focusing on freight movement worldwide. It makes use of the belly space of SAA's passenger aircraft and its dedicated Boeing 737-300 freighters. SAAC has devoted considerable resources to the improvement and installation of facilities to handle all types of cargo and its vision is to be the leader in air cargo services between Africa and the world. It has received various prestigious awards for service excellence. SAA Cargo is the proud four times winner of Best Cargo Airline - Africa.

   

   

  For media information, please contact:

   

  SAA Spokesperson

  Tlali Tlali (Mr)

  Email: TlaliTlali@flysaa.com

  Mobile: +27 82 333 3882

  Office: +27 11 978 2298

   

  For Cargo information contact:

   

  Thola Nzuza (Ms)

  Communications

  Tel: +27 11 978 5943

  Mobile: +27 83 376 9297

  Email: TholaNzuza@flysaa.com

   

  Digital

  Website: www.flysaa.com

  Twitter: @flysaa

   

   

   

   

   

   

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• SAA Cargo Congratulates Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa Team on their Win post Dakar Rally 2019 Collapsed Content

  Johannesburg, 25 January 2019.  South African Airways Cargo (SAA Cargo), the airfreight partner of Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, congratulates the team on their historic victory at the Dakar Rally 2019, which took place in Peru, South America from 6 to 17 January 2019.  The epic finish was a culmination of the team’s mental strength after 10 long and gruelling stages.

   

  SAA Cargo ensured seamless transportation of the racing vehicles including spares to São Paulo, Brazil en route to Lima, Peru. The tough off-road sport, which tests vehicles’ durability, is also a test of endurance and technical ability.  The 41st edition of the Dakar Rally happened over a period of 11 days in southern Peru. 

   

  SAA Cargo’s Acting General Manager, Justice Luthuli said, “We are elated that Toyota have continued to entrust us with the responsibility to transport their vehicles.  We are also very proud of the association with the winning team”.

   

  Team SA was one of the front-runners as the Al Attiyah/Baumel combination bagged three stage wins during the race.  The Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Team once again demonstrated a high level of endurance and navigational skills to strive in the most challenging off-road conditions. 

   

  “Winning the Dakar Rally has been our goal from the start,” said Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Team Principal, Glyn Hall, after Al Attiyah brought the South African-built Toyota Hilux home in first place. “Now that we’ve achieved that goal, it is clear that South African technology and design is not only good enough to compete at the highest levels, but also to win.”

  Overall Toyota Gazoo Racing SA standings after Stage 10:

  1. Al Attiyah / Baumel – overall winner
  2. De Villiers / Von Zitzewitz  –  9^th place
  3. Chabot / Pillot – 10^th place  (as Toyota Gazoo Racing France)

  “We congratulate Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa for their outstanding finish at the world’s most gruelling off-road race.  The Team has lived up to expectations and represented our country with pride despite the many challenges faced in some of the stages of the race,” said Luthuli.

   

  Well done to the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa Team!

   

  Interesting Facts:

   

  • The racing vehicles are designed in line with size restrictions for commercial cargo holds and thus built in such a way they can be disassembled to the size of a cargo pallet and container to be used;

  • It takes about three (3) hours to disassemble each car and six (6) hours to reassemble;

  • Each car weighs approximately 2 000 kilogrammes;

   

   

  -ENDS-

   

  Issued by SAA Group Corporate Affairs

   

  About South African Airways Cargo (SAAC)

  SAAC is a specialist division of South African Airways (SAA), South Africa's flag carrier and largest domestic and international airline company, focusing on freight movement worldwide. It makes use of the belly space of SAA's passenger aircraft and its dedicated Boeing 737-300 freighters. SAAC has devoted considerable resources to the improvement and installation of facilities to handle all types of cargo and its vision is to be the leader in air cargo services between Africa and the world. It has received various prestigious awards for service excellence. SAA Cargo is the proud four times winner of Best Cargo Airline - Africa.

   

   

  For media information, please contact:

   

  SAA Spokesperson

  Tlali Tlali (Mr)

  Email: TlaliTlali@flysaa.com

  Mobile: +27 82 333 3882

  Office: +27 11 978 2298

   

  For Cargo information contact:

   

  Thola Nzuza (Ms)

  Communications

  Tel: +27 11 978 5943

  Mobile: +27 83 376 9297

  Email: TholaNzuza@flysaa.com

   

  Digital

  Website: www.flysaa.com

  Twitter: @flysaa

   

   

• 2018- SAA Cargo Makes a Difference in the Lives of Needy Children This Festive Season Collapsed Content

  JOHANNESBURG. 20 November 2018 – South African Airways (SAA) freight division, SAA Cargo, is the proud airfreight partner of The Love Quilt Project (LQP), the US-based non-profit organisation that helps vulnerable children in South Africa and the US. 

   

  SAA Cargo, as part of the airline being a responsible corporate citizen, when contacted once again by LQP through its New York office, jumped at the opportunity to extend a helping hand to those less fortunate.  To assist, Cargo recently transported over 100 handmade quilts from the US on behalf of LQP.  Many of these quilts were handed over in Pretoria to children who are orphaned and many of them affected by the HIV/Aids pandemic on Saturday, 17 November 2018.  More quilts will be given to children in the Western Cape on Saturday, 24 November.

   

  Justice Luthuli, SAA Cargo’s General Manager (Acting) says, “SAA Cargo has a long-standing relationship with The Love Quilt Project and is proud to be associated with an organisation that makes great impact on many children’s lives.  In 2016, we were honoured to have supported LQP by helping to bring the quilts to South Africa.  We consider it a privilege to have once again partnered with the organisation to bring hope and show love to these children through the beautifully handmade quilts.”

   

  SAA Cargo, in partnership with LQP, has transported over 400 quilts over the past five years for the benefit of the children.

   

  Gretchen Ginnerty, the LQP President says, “LQP uses the healing power of love to change the lives of vulnerable and orphaned South African children, many of them affected by HIV and AIDS. American children send messages of love expressed through art to brighten lives and help heal these children. These messages are created on fabric squares stitched into beautiful quilts that are given to children in need. LQP teaches tolerance and compassion, and through this initiative, the children are taught about the healing power of love and its ability to positively impact the world”.  

   

  This project is in line with our belief that, “Love is the common thread that binds us all together as humans.”  In a spirit of reciprocity, the South African children receive this same lesson before they receive their quilt and also create art squares for quilts to be given to American children mostly affected by HIV/AIDS.

   

  -ENDS-

   

   

  Issued by SAA Group Corporate Affairs

   

  About South African Airways:

  South African Airways (SAA) is the leading carrier in Africa, serving 57 destinations, in partnership with SA Express, Airlink, and its low-cost carrier, Mango, within South Africa and across the continent, and nine intercontinental routes from its Johannesburg hub. It is a member of the largest international airline network, Star Alliance. SAA’s core business is the provision of passenger airline and cargo transport services together with related services, which are provided through SAA and its wholly owned subsidiaries: SAA Technical; Mango its low-cost carrier; and Air Chefs, the catering entity of SAA. SAA is the winner of the Best Airline Staff Service award in the Africa category; this shows that our customer-facing employees are our true brand ambassadors who made a difference to millions of travelling customers.  

   

  About South African Airways Cargo:

  South African Airways Cargo (SAAC) is a specialist division of South African Airways (SAA), South Africa's flag carrier and largest domestic and international airline company, focusing on freight movement worldwide. It makes use of the belly space of SAA's passenger aircraft and its dedicated Boeing B737-300 freighters. SAAC has devoted considerable resources to the improvement and installation of facilities to handle all types of cargo and its vision is to be the leader in air cargo services between Africa and the world. It has received various prestigious awards for service excellence. SAA Cargo is the proud winner of Best Cargo Airline - Africa 2017 received at Air Cargo News Awards and Air Cargo Brand of Year Africa 2017 received at the STAT Times International Awards for Excellence in Air Cargo.

   

  For media information, please contact:

   

  SAA Spokesperson
  Mr Tlali Tlali
  Email: TlaliTlali@flysaa.com
  Mobile: +27 (0)82 333-3880
  Office: +27 (0)11 978-2298

   

  For SAA Cargo Information:

   

  Communications

  Ms Thola Nzuza

  Tel: +27 (0)11 978-5943

  Mobile: +27 (0)83 376-9297

  Email: TholaNzuza@flysaa.com

   

  General Enquiries:

  Switchboard: +27 (0)11 978-1000

  Website: www.flysaa.com

  Twitter (Primary): @flysaa - https://twitter.com/flysaa

  Twitter (Customer Service): @flysaa_care - https://twitter.com/flysaa_care

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/flysaa

• 2020 - SAA Cargo using Passenger Aircraft for Cargo only to Transport Essential Cargo during COVID-19 Lockdown Collapsed Content

  SAA Cargo Ramped Up Capacity Using Passenger Aircraft for Cargo Only to Transport Essential Cargo during COVID-19 Lockdown

  Johannesburg, 8 April 2020. For the first time in its history, the Cargo division of South African Airways, SAA Cargo, operated a passenger aircraft for a pure cargo uplift. 

  On 06 April 2020 and in response to the increased demand for cargo flights to distribute critical and essential goods during the lockdown, SAA Cargo operated an Airbus A340-600 as a cargo only flight, transporting essential goods between Johannesburg and Frankfurt.

  The outbound cargo included perishables such as fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, laboratory supplies as well as automotive and aircraft parts for repairs. On the inbound leg from Europe the aircraft landed last night in Johannesburg and the cargo included testing kits for COVID-19, immunological pharmaceuticals, insulin, surgical personal protective equipment (PPE), and processing equipment for food such as baby milk powder.

  “SAA has demonstrated agility and we are working with our partners to provide them and our country with solutions that are relevant in these difficult times. The decision to deploy an A346, is based on both its capacity and range and so bolsters our freighter services during this time when there is high demand for cargo shipments,” said SAA Cargo’s acting General Manager, Justice Luthuli.

  The next pure cargo flight is scheduled to depart from Johannesburg to Guangzhou on Friday, 10 April 2020. It will operate on the same aircraft type for collection and delivery of medical supplies.

  SAA Cargo has stepped up as a trade facilitator and a solution provider to sustain supply chains to and from various countries. The solution is provided on a charter basis at the request of our customers, who are producers and suppliers of essential cargo. All flights are operated under strict operating procedures and in full compliance to COVID-19 civil aviation and health regulatory measures by both our staff and our customers. 

  “As a national carrier, we are pleased that we can contribute in response to our country’s needs to bring in much needed medical supplies and other essential goods to assist in the fight against COVID-19. We extend our gratitude to all our employees for their commitment and service during this time,” Luthuli concluded.

  ENDS

  About SAA Cargo

   

  SAA Cargo, the airfreight division of SAA provides terminal services and a global distribution network for purposes of cargo air transportation logistics.  The division is integral in providing various solutions for global rapid movement of essential goods such as agri-products, pharmaceuticals, valuable and vulnerable cargo, human remains, spare parts, pets, courier, diplomatic mail, dangerous goods and other related service.  The operating model for SAA Cargo division is based on a combination of the line flights, purchase of capacity from strategic partner airlines and freighter service for regional transhipment. This is supplemented by an extensive global interline and road feeder service.

  -Ends-

  For Media Enquiries, please contact:

  SAA Spokesperson
  Mr Tlali Tlali 
  Email:               TlaliTlali@flysaa.com
  Mobile:             +27 (0)82 333-3880
  Office:               +27 (0)11 978-2298

  Customer Enquiries

  South African Airways Call Centre on +27 (0)11 978-1111 or 0861 606 606 or 0800 214 774 (South Africa only) or +27 (0)11 978-2888.

  General Enquiries:

  Website: www.flysaa.com

  Twitter (Primary): @flysaa - https://twitter.com/flysaa

  Twitter (Customer Service): @flysaa_care - https://twitter.com/flysaa_care

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/flysaa

• Solidarity Fund Media Release PPE Delivery Collapsed Content

  06 June 2020

   

  SOLIDARITY FUND LEVERAGES PARTNERSHIPS TO BRING IN MUCH-NEEDED PPE

  The Solidarity Fund took delivery of a consignment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which arrived in the country this morning as part of its health and humanitarian intervention to provide much needed PPE for frontline health workers.

  The delivery was made possible by a partnership between the Fund, South African Airways (SAA) through its Cargo division as well as fuel operators BP and Total who donated jet fuel. The collaboration helped to reduce overhead costs, thereby enabling the Fund to optimise resources and direct spend towards the critical equipment.

  The Chairman of the Solidarity Fund, Gloria Serobe said: “We are grateful for this partnership as it embodies the Fund’s principle of unity in action. It is further proof of what can be achieved when different stakeholders come together and contribute their expertise for the benefit of a shared objective.”

  Today’s delivery of gowns and masks (N95), takes the number of PPE pieces that the Fund has received to date to 25 million, against a target of 35 million pieces.

  “The collaboration with our partners to fly in much needed essential medical supplies in response to our country’s needs, was a source of pride and fulfilment”, said Justice Luthuli, the Acting General Manager of SAA Cargo. 

  The Fund’s interim CEO Nomkhita Nqweni said the delivery of the arrival of this essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is crucial for the safety of healthcare workers and efforts to manage COVID-19, as hospitals prepare for the peak of coronavirus infections in the months ahead.

  The fund was set up to support the national health response, contribute to humanitarian relief efforts and mobilise South Africans to drive a united response against Covid19. It has so far received R2,8bn in pledges, with R2,5bn of these deposited into the Fund’s account. 

   

  FOR MEDIA QUERIES, PLEASE CONTACT:

   Viwe Tlaleane

  Viwe.tlaleane@solidarityfund.co.za

  Media@solidarityfund.co.za 066 301 6520

   

  SAA Spokesperson
  Mr Tlali Tlali
  Email: TlaliTlali@flysaa.com
  Mobile: +27 (0)82 333-3880
  Office: +27 (0)11 978-2298

   

  For SAA Cargo Information

  Communications

  Ms Thola Nzuza

  Tel: +27 (0)11 978-5943

  Mobile: +27 (0)83 376-9297

  Email: TholaNzuza@flysaa.com