12 March 2020 - SAA adheres to World Health Organisation and IATA protocols on covid-19 coronavirusExpanded Content

JOHANNESBURG, 12 March 2020 � South African Airways (SAA) assures customers that its operational health and safety procedures adhere to the World Health Organisation�s protocols to protect its customers and crew from contracting the COVID-19 (coronavirus) while flying with SAA.
SAA follows procedures, advice and guidelines from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organisation, International Air Transport Association (IATA), Civil Aviation Authorities as well as the airports and customs authorities� directives to ensure the safety of its customers.

�The safety, health and wellbeing of our customers and crew is a number one priority. To ensure their wellbeing, we adhere to the following procedures:

� To clean the aircraft, SAA uses the disinfectants, which have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are effective against the COVID-19 (coronavirus).

� The cleaning protocols our teams use to clean our aircraft have been intensified and focus among other things, on high frequent touch points such as handles, seatbelt buckles, tray tables and armrests.

� Hard surfaces such as lavatories, galley units and window shades are also thoroughly cleaned with multi-purpose cleaners.

� The Airbus fleet is equipped with state-of-the-art, High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters that sift out and remove dust, bacteria, allergens and other unhygienic particles.

� SAA crew have been trained to handle situations involving communicable diseases or any other medical emergencies on board and they work closely with ground and inflight expert medical assistance.

� All our aircraft are loaded with bio-hazardous spill kits in case of a contamination event (or to handle a contamination event) and cleaning materials.

�We assess all our passengers and advise that if they are feeling ill, they need to follow recommendations offered by medical professionals,� SAA said in a statement.

SAA said that although it is following customs limits and guidelines, passengers are welcome to travel with antibacterial wipes and hand sanitisers.

SAA crew use officially approved and industry recognised disinfectants on all flights. Cabin crew (Flight attendants) use gloves sanctioned by the food industry. The airline uses sanitation procedures for all domestic, regional and international flights. Should a passenger show any respiratory symptoms on board, i.e. coughing, sneezing, our crew will provide a surgical mask to the passenger to prevent transmission of micro-organisms.

Should health authorities inform the airline that a person who travelled with SAA exhibited coronavirus symptoms, the aircraft will be taken out of service and put through a decontamination process.

While SAA takes all the necessary steps to ensure that their customers enjoy a healthy flying experience, the airline advises customers to also take precautions to stay healthy while flying.

The Global recommended Precautionary tips include:

� Wash hands with soap often;
� Use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser after touching any surface;
� Avoid touching eyes, face and nose;
� Avoid contact with coughing passengers by whatever means possible and
� Stay home if sick.

We thank customers for the support by continuing to place their trust in South African Airways with their travel plans.

For further information, please contact:
SAA Spokesperson
Mr Tlali Tlali .

JOHANNESBURG. 18 March 2020. South African Airways (SAA) has scaled down capacity in response to the low demand for air travel. The effects of the outbreak of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) have led to travel disruptions and restrictions across the world, leading to the grounding of aircraft, releasing employees, and cancelling flights for many airlines. SAA is not immune to these realities.

In the light of the substantial fall in demand for air travel, SAA has reviewed its flight schedule and has decided to operate flights only under circumstances where its load factors and other business considerations weigh in favour of scheduling flights. However, certain flights that have been negatively impacted more than others, are consequently cancelled.

�Notwithstanding the decline in demand, SAA continues to aggressively review its schedule to match capacity with demand to the extent possible. Where feasible, we will consider options that include cancelling and merging flights,� said SAA Chief Commercial Officer, Philip Saunders.
For the period 17 until 31 March 2020, SAA has cancelled a total of 162 flights. Of these, 38 are international and 124 are regional (destinations on the African continent) flights.

For specific details or information on cancelled flights, click here.

At the same time, the airline is continuing to provide a service on the domestic, regional and international networks for those passengers whose travel is essential and cannot be avoided. For the time being, the airline will continue to operate to and from destinations unaffected by travel restrictions aimed at combatting the spread of the Coronavirus.
�Our priority is to assist those travellers wishing to repatriate to their home countries to do so as quickly and efficiently as possible. Naturally, this includes South African citizens abroad wishing to return home,� Saunders explained.
Subject to the conditions set out in the travel ban announced by government in South Africa, SAA will also facilitate the transfer of qualifying passengers to or from the destinations it flies to, which have been classified as high-risk areas.
Appreciating the impact of travel restrictions emanating from the outbreak of the Coronavirus, SAA has demonstrated its commitment towards looking after its customers by providing flexible rebooking options.
�We have updated our Customer Reservation Policy to help our passengers defer their travel plans where possible. To this end, we have offered our customers one free ticket change, in acknowledgement of travel restrictions that are not of our customers� own making,� Saunders elaborated.
The Updated Reservation Policy now extends to the entire SAA route network.
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• South Africa:

The South African Government has imposed a travel ban on foreign nationals from high-risk countries such as Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, and China as from March 18, 2020. Visas issued to visitors from those countries have been cancelled effective March 15 and previously granted visas are hereby revoked. The move will likely affect South African Airways (SA, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) and its flights to London Heathrow, Frankfurt Int'l, Munich, Washington Dulles, and New York JFK. In addition, South African citizens have been advised to refrain from all forms of travel to or through the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and other identified high-risk countries such as China, Iran, and South Korea. This is effective immediately.

South African Express (XZ, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) has suspended all flights as of 0000L, March 18, until further notice. Although the COVID-19 crisis did the play a role in its accelerated demise, the bankrupt state-owned carrier has also been unable to access capital needed to relaunch its business following years of protracted losses. Last week, SA Express's business rescue practitioners Phahlani Mkhombo and Daniel Terblanche lambasted the South African Department of Public Enterprises for interfering and undermining their efforts to restructure the state-owned airline. In court documents seen by the Daily Maverick newspaper, the BRPs said they had only been met by "open hostility and aggression" in their dealings with the government. They claimed that the DPE had engaged with creditor Ziegler SA to �persuade them to withdraw the business rescue application�, or remove the two BRPs from restructuring the airline. With no source of revenue, heavy debts, and recapitalisation in sight, SA Express faces the prospect of liquidation.