■ SOUTH AFRICA: Trade Union Solidarity threatens SAA with legal action over alleged bias against white males at Academy intake.

South African trade union Solidarity has embarked on a legal process on behalf of white male candidates who were excluded from the cadet programme at South African Airways (SAA), allegedly because of the colour of their skin. The trade union requested SAA to provide reasons why Daniël Hoffman, Dirk Kotze and several other white male candidates' applications for inclusion in the cadet programme had been unsuccessful.

● IATA: Who said what during IATA's recently ended 69th AGM.

As the 69th International Air Transport Association's Annual General Meeting came to a close on Tuesday in Cape Town, South Africa, many a speech and promise was made by various industry heavyweights (both African and international), politicians and analysts. Herein lies a brief summary of the more interesting, relevant bits.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Ethiopian wants more 787s as SAA eyes 25+ A350s or 787s for delivery from 2017 on.

During the ongoing International Air Transport Association's (IATA) 69th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Cape Town, South Africa,  two of Africa's heavyweights, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) and South African Airways (SA), have hinted at their proposed future fleet acquisition plans with Ethiopian looking for more 787s and SAA considering either the 787 or its rival Airbus' A350 offering.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Ex SAA boss Vuyisile Kona takes dismissal to court.

Vuyisile Kona, the former interim CEO of South African Airways (SA), has taken his dismissal by South Africa's Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba to the High Court in Pretoria.

► PERU: South African Airways considering Lima flights as talk of possible codeshare deals with Brazil's TAM and Azul grows.

South African Airways (SA) has expressed interest in commencing flights to Lima, Peru according to Carlos Canales, the head of Peru's National Chamber of Tourism (Cámara Nacional de Turismo del Perú - CANATUR).

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Dudu Myeni reckons SAA will add $100billion+ in spinoff benefit to SA's economy over next 20 years.

South African Airways (SA) claims the downstream economic benefit of its Group operations over the next twenty years will total USD107billion (ZAR1trillion), Acting Chairperson, Ms Duduzile Myeni, has said. The estimate is based on direct and indirect growth in direct and downstream employment creation with a forecast of 88'000 South African jobs across on aggregate through all sectors including tourism, foreign direct investments, goods and services. 

► SOUTH AFRICA: SAA to finally take delivery of its long deferred A320 order beginning Q3.

South African Airways (SA) will at last, begin taking delivery of twenty Airbus A320s in the next quarter (i.e.. July - September), South African Minister of Public Enterprises, Malusi Gigaba, has said. The order has been repeatedly deferred owing to SAA's ongoing financial woes.

► UNITED KINGDOM: SAA to introduce the A340-600 on Heathrow flights from August.

South African Airways (SA), from 01AUG13, is to increase capacity on it's Johannesburg – London Heathrow route, with 1 of its 2 daily flights scheduled to be operated by Airbus A340-600 aircraft on a daily basis.

► SOUTH AFRICA: SAA Cargo leasing a B737-400F from Solinair.

SAA Cargo, the freight division of South African Airways (SA), has wet-leased a B737-400F, (MCN 1715 | S5-ABV), from Slovenia's Solinair (SOP). Regional competitor, Kenya Airways Cargo (KQ), recently upped its game through the addition of its first B737-300F, (MSN 29088 | 5Y-KQC).

► UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Etihad, SAA sign codeshare deal.

Etihad Airways (EY) and South African Airways (SA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) allowing the two airlines to introduce a comprehensive range of codeshare and interline air services. Initially Etihad Airways will place its ‘EY’ code on flights from Johannesburg to 10 South African Airways destinations across South Africa and the African continent as well as South America. In return South African Airways will place its ‘SA’ code on 12 of Etihad Airways’ global routes flying from the UAE national carrier’s Abu Dhabi home-base.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: SAA to source $160million from local banks as means of shoring up capital for the interim.

Having recently postponed its planned USD160million (ZAR1.5 billion) bond sale originally slated for March, South African Airways (SA) has decided to borrow the ZAR1.5billion from two local banks, claimed to be Rand Merchant Bank and Investec as a means of keeping operations going while cabinet considers the carrier's strategic turnaround plan #9.

► SEYCHELLES: South African Airways, Air Seychelles sign codeshare deal.

Air Seychelles (HM), the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, today announced that it has entered into a codeshare agreement with South African Airways (SAA), the national airline of the Republic of South Africa. The first phase of the agreement will see South African Airways place its “SA” code on Air Seychelles’ non-stop flights between Johannesburg and Seychelles. South African Airways will also place its code on flights between the two largest islands of Seychelles, Mahé and Praslin, subject to approvals.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: SAA delays début bond issuance; warns it will play hardball with Airbus and Boeing in future fleet renewal talks.

South African Airways (SA) is to delay its début USD160million (ZAR1.5 billion) bond sale, originally slated for March, until its chief financier and backer, the South African government, approves the airline’s recently submitted turnaround plan. The turnaround plan will also play a pivotal part in deciding the airline's long term fleet acquisition plans; a bone of serious contention in the recent past.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Gigaba confirms Monwabisi Kalawe as new SAA boss.

Ending weeks of media speculation, South African Airways (SA) has confirmed Monwabisi Kalawe as the new CEO of the airline, replacing interim CEO and Mango boss, Nico Bezuidenhout.

► INDIA: South African Airways, Jet Airways sign codeshare deal.

After suspending its South African operations in June 2012, India's Jet Airways (9W) is to return to the South African market, albeit under a codeshare agreement with South African Airways (SAA), the national carrier of South Africa and the only airline with non-stop flights between Mumbai and Johannesburg. The code share opens for Sale effective April 16th 2013, for travel effective April 18th 2013.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: SAA officially hands over Turnaround Plan #9 to Government for approval.

South African Airways (SA) has submitted its Long-term Turnaround Strategy, its 9th in 13 years, to the Public Enterprises Minister, Malusi Gigaba. The handover was made yesterday to the Minister by Ms. Dudu Myeni, the acting Chairperson of the SAA Board of Directors on behalf of the airline and comes as one of the preset conditions the airline had to ascent to when it received its USD600million bail out from Pretoria.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: SAA selects Rockwell Collins avionics suite for use in Airbus A320/A319 fleet.

South African Airways (SA) has selected  Rockwell Collins' communications, surveillance and navigation avionics for use on 20 new Airbus A320 aircraft. The selection includes Rockwell Collins' MultiScan Threat Detection System, GLU-925 Multi-Mode Receiver (MMR), and Iridium SATCOM system. Deliveries are scheduled to begin later this year. The airline also plans to retrofit MultiScan on its current fleet of 11 A319 aircraft.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Murky business meetings and an unapproved USD1billion Airbus fleet renewal deal at centre of SAA's boardroom woes claims report.

Murky private business meetings and a USD1.08billion (ZAR10billion) fleet procurement tender awarded to Airbus Industrie SAS are at the heart of South African Airways (SA)'s boardroom troubles claims an article by the amaBhungane investigative column of The Mail & Guardian newspaper.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: SAA considers legal action against kulula over the latter's new branding.

As previously speculated by The African Aviation Tribune, South African Airways (SA) is likely to instigate legal proceedings against Comair Ltd.'s LCC kulula (MN) over the latter's controversial new branding which mocks the South African national carrier.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Bezuidenhout tipped to become new SAA boss.

Sections of the South African travel media have speculated that incumbent South African Airways (SA) CEO Nico Bezuidenhout, who is also the CEO of SAA's LCC wing, Mango, is likely to be confirmed as the carrier's de facto boss.