South Africa: South African Airways (SAA) suspends service to Hong Kong Nov. 23 /update 3

Event

South African Airways (SAA) announced on Thursday, November 21, that all service between Johannesburg and Hong Kong will be suspended from Saturday, November 23, through Saturday, December 14. According to SAA, the service is being suspended due to current financial losses on the route and the ongoing political tensions in Hong Kong. A re-accommodation policy for affected travelers will be implemented in the coming days. 

Service from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Durban, and Victoria Falls resumed on Thursday. SAA is also operating flights to six other locations on the African continent: Accra, Lagos, Lusaka, Maputo, Windhoek, and Harare. Regional service remains disrupted as trade unions continue their strike.

Continued flight disruptions are expected over the coming days, including an increased demand for alternative flights. Further information can be found on the SAA website here.

Context

Around 3000 SAA workers, including cabin crew, ground staff, check-in, and ticket sales staff launched an indefinite strike on November 15, after SAA officials did not meet their salary demands and started consultations for removing over 900 workers. SAA officials have warned that the strike may cause the airline to collapse and threatens all of their jobs and those in related industries. Union leaders are calling for a three-year guarantee of job security and an 8 percent salary increase.

Advice

Potentially impacted travelers are advised to keep abreast of the situation, plan alternative travel arrangements, anticipate heightened demand for other flights, and to contact their airline for additional information.