Cape Town - South African Airway Sunday morning flights are set to resume, following the grounding of flights between South Africa and Zimbabwe on Friday and Saturday due to Foreign Operating Permit non-compliance
SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali confirmed to Traveller24 that flight SA025 which was grounded on Saturday, 19 August will now depart Harare at 10:00 on Sunday, 20 August.
Tlali added that SA022 would be the first flight from Johannesburg to Harare on Sunday, expected to depart at 10:45.
SEE: SAA suspends all Saturday flights between SA and Zimbabwe
What to do if you've been affected:
SAA says assistance will be provided to all ticketed passengers holding South African Airway’s Ticket (only) affected by the flight cancellations on Saturday, 19 August via any SAA Call Centre, City Travel Office or dedicated Travel Agent with the following conditions. Check the SAA website for more details.
Rebooking Conditions applicable:
- Rebook onto another South African Airways flight for a later date at no extra charge and subject to availability of the same booking class. Provided the same ticket is used.
- Change of cabin will not be permitted
- This policy is applicable to South African Airways flights only, issued on SA (083) ticket stock and not on separate tickets of other airlines
- Separate ticket purchases on other airline will not be supported for a refund
-Tickets must be re-issued on or before Tuesday, 22 August 2017
Contact details:
South African Airways Call Centre and City Office Contact details South Africa
- Johannesburg Call Centre | 27 (0) 11 978 1111 or 0861 606 606
Zimbabwe
- Harare City Office | 26 3 8677 702 702
- Harare Airport International Airport | 26 3 8677 702 702
- Victoria Falls International Airport |26 3 8677 702 702
SEE: What to do when your flight gets cancelled
The cancellations are centred on non-compliance with both airline operators needing to be in possession of a Foreign Operator’s Permit in order to conduct operations into South Africa or Zimbabwe. The SACAA says a copy of the Foreign Operator’s Permit, together with other documents, must be on-board an aircraft at all times, and made available for inspection on request by the relevant authorities.
The airline is currently in flight recovery mode, after all SAA flights out of Zimbabwe were cancelled on Saturday.
Flights affected from Johannesburg to Harare on Saturday were SA 022, SA 028 and SA 024. The flights affected from Harare to Johannesburg are SA 025, SA 023 and SA 029.
This followed the grounding of Air Zimbabwe flights at OR Tambo in Johannesburg on Friday 18 August and SAA flights on Saturday 19 August in Harare, Zimbabwe.
SEE: UPDATE: More SAA flights prevented from leaving Zim in cross-border compliance issue
Following an emergency meeting between SA’s department of transport and aviation authorities it was confirmed that both South African Air Ways and Air Zimbabwe had had to submit the necessary compliance documents in order to resume flights - which both airlines scrambled to do over the weekend.
On Saturday Minister of Transport Joseph Maswanganyi confirmed that both SAA and Zimbabwe Air had submitted the documents required for permit approval.
‘SAA issue was a co-incidence’
From the South African side, the SAA issue was a co-incidence and had nothing to do with the restriction of the Air Zimbabwe aircraft by the SACAA, the statement said.
In the statement Maswanganyi apologised for the inconveniences that might have been caused to the passengers of both carriers.
“Aviation safety and security are paramount and agencies such as SACAA mandated to ensure compliance with the applicable regulations are discharging their mandate without any fear or favour.”
Red alert for Grace Mugabe
Air Zimbabwe was blacklisted by the UK Aviation Authority in May this year due to safety concerns.
SEE: EU Air Safety Blacklist: Mozambique and Benin airlines cleared as Zimbabwe carrier banned
Added to this, Robert Mugabe arrived in a similar aircraft via Waterkloof Airbase- but Mugabe’s personal airplane, operated by Air Zimbabwe, was not affected by the cancellations due to non-compliance.
A "red-alert" has been issued by police in case Grace Mugabe attempts to cross the South African border after she allegedly assaulted a 20-year-old model in a Sandton Hotel on Sunday - which is further fuelling diplomatic tensions between the two countries - Read News24's latest report here.
Irrespective of the compliance permits now being met some 24 to 48 hours later - business and leisure tourism between the two countries has been affected with the overall cost and losses yet to be determined. Passengers are being advised to keep in touch with their respective airlines and make alternative arrangements as necessary.
Source: http://www.traveller24.com/News/Flights/update-saa-flights-from-zim-set-to-resume-20170820
SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali confirmed to Traveller24 that flight SA025 which was grounded on Saturday, 19 August will now depart Harare at 10:00 on Sunday, 20 August.
Tlali added that SA022 would be the first flight from Johannesburg to Harare on Sunday, expected to depart at 10:45.
SEE: SAA suspends all Saturday flights between SA and Zimbabwe
What to do if you've been affected:
SAA says assistance will be provided to all ticketed passengers holding South African Airway’s Ticket (only) affected by the flight cancellations on Saturday, 19 August via any SAA Call Centre, City Travel Office or dedicated Travel Agent with the following conditions. Check the SAA website for more details.
Rebooking Conditions applicable:
- Rebook onto another South African Airways flight for a later date at no extra charge and subject to availability of the same booking class. Provided the same ticket is used.
- Change of cabin will not be permitted
- This policy is applicable to South African Airways flights only, issued on SA (083) ticket stock and not on separate tickets of other airlines
- Separate ticket purchases on other airline will not be supported for a refund
-Tickets must be re-issued on or before Tuesday, 22 August 2017
Contact details:
South African Airways Call Centre and City Office Contact details South Africa
- Johannesburg Call Centre | 27 (0) 11 978 1111 or 0861 606 606
Zimbabwe
- Harare City Office | 26 3 8677 702 702
- Harare Airport International Airport | 26 3 8677 702 702
- Victoria Falls International Airport |26 3 8677 702 702
SEE: What to do when your flight gets cancelled
The cancellations are centred on non-compliance with both airline operators needing to be in possession of a Foreign Operator’s Permit in order to conduct operations into South Africa or Zimbabwe. The SACAA says a copy of the Foreign Operator’s Permit, together with other documents, must be on-board an aircraft at all times, and made available for inspection on request by the relevant authorities.
The airline is currently in flight recovery mode, after all SAA flights out of Zimbabwe were cancelled on Saturday.
Flights affected from Johannesburg to Harare on Saturday were SA 022, SA 028 and SA 024. The flights affected from Harare to Johannesburg are SA 025, SA 023 and SA 029.
This followed the grounding of Air Zimbabwe flights at OR Tambo in Johannesburg on Friday 18 August and SAA flights on Saturday 19 August in Harare, Zimbabwe.
SEE: UPDATE: More SAA flights prevented from leaving Zim in cross-border compliance issue
Following an emergency meeting between SA’s department of transport and aviation authorities it was confirmed that both South African Air Ways and Air Zimbabwe had had to submit the necessary compliance documents in order to resume flights - which both airlines scrambled to do over the weekend.
On Saturday Minister of Transport Joseph Maswanganyi confirmed that both SAA and Zimbabwe Air had submitted the documents required for permit approval.
‘SAA issue was a co-incidence’
From the South African side, the SAA issue was a co-incidence and had nothing to do with the restriction of the Air Zimbabwe aircraft by the SACAA, the statement said.
In the statement Maswanganyi apologised for the inconveniences that might have been caused to the passengers of both carriers.
“Aviation safety and security are paramount and agencies such as SACAA mandated to ensure compliance with the applicable regulations are discharging their mandate without any fear or favour.”
Red alert for Grace Mugabe
Air Zimbabwe was blacklisted by the UK Aviation Authority in May this year due to safety concerns.
SEE: EU Air Safety Blacklist: Mozambique and Benin airlines cleared as Zimbabwe carrier banned
Added to this, Robert Mugabe arrived in a similar aircraft via Waterkloof Airbase- but Mugabe’s personal airplane, operated by Air Zimbabwe, was not affected by the cancellations due to non-compliance.
A "red-alert" has been issued by police in case Grace Mugabe attempts to cross the South African border after she allegedly assaulted a 20-year-old model in a Sandton Hotel on Sunday - which is further fuelling diplomatic tensions between the two countries - Read News24's latest report here.
Irrespective of the compliance permits now being met some 24 to 48 hours later - business and leisure tourism between the two countries has been affected with the overall cost and losses yet to be determined. Passengers are being advised to keep in touch with their respective airlines and make alternative arrangements as necessary.
Source: http://www.traveller24.com/News/Flights/update-saa-flights-from-zim-set-to-resume-20170820