South African Airways has leased three aircraft into its fleet, in partnership with China Aircraft Leasing Group (CALC).
These A320CEO aircraft, manufactured in 2016, were previously in use by Vietnamese carrier Pacific Airlines before they were recently introduced to the SAA fleet.
“This delivery marks CALC’s commitment to expanding its footprint across Africa by partnering with South Africa’s flagship carrier,” CALC stated.
“We are thrilled to bolster SAA’s fleet growth by offering young A320CEO aircraft leases,” added Ms. Winnie Liu, President, and Chief Commercial Officer of CALC.
CALC also said that its intention with the leasing of the aircraft to SA’s flagship carrier, is to assist in broadening its presence across the African continent and the Southern Hemisphere.
Prof. John Lamola, SAA’s interim CEO, stated that adding the aircraft to SAA’s fleet is an achievement, especially given the supply chain constraints of aircraft globally.
Lamola added that the aircraft will play a crucial role in executing SAA’s fleet strategy, aimed at establishing a profitable business model.
This forms part of the carrier’s objective to stabilise finances after a “long-standing history of taxpayer-funded injections,” as BusinessTech puts it.
Image: Facebook / FlySAA
