South African Airways Officials Deny Merger Reports
Kenyan president had indicated arrangement in address >>
by: Harvey Chipkin
South African Airways officials have denied reports of a full merger with Kenya Airways. In a New Year’s address, Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta had suggested the two carriers were prepared to join forces in order to overcome their respective financial difficulties. However, an SAA spokesperson said no such move was imminent. Vimla Maistry, the SAA spokesperson, said that previously announced plans to cooperate were moving ahead. The plan, said Maistry, is to leverage both networks for the benefit of customers, including extensive codeshare and leveraging operational efficiencies between the two, but with the brands operating independently. In September, SAA and Kenya Airways signed a memorandum of cooperation with the goal of creating “a pan-African airline group.” According to a statement by the two carriers at the time, such an airline group could, in time, “enhance mutual growth potential by taking advantage of strengths of the two airlines’ busy hubs.”
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