South Africa Airways reduces Mumbai flights in fleet rejig exercise

Airline also exploring a wider tie up with Emirates or Etihad to operate an one stop service to Mumbai and Beijing via Gulf states

South African Airways is reducing frequency on Johannesburg-Mumbai route from a daily flight to six flights a week as the carrier works out a new routes and fleet strategy. The new schedule will come into effect from July 1.

The airline is also exploring a wider tie up with Emirates or Etihad to operate an one stop service to Mumbai and Beijing via Gulf states, according to Centre for Pacific Aviation.

South African Airway's India manager Sajid Khan said schedule has been revised and departure from Johannesburg on Tuesday has been withdrawn as it is lowest demand in week.

" We continue to maintain the capacity share on the route by deploying a bigger gauge aircraft (A340-300 with 253 seats instead of A330-200 with 222 seats).

This move is temporary and dictated by aircraft availability due to planned changes in the wide-body fleet. We fully intend to resume daily operations within the next financial year (FY15-16) by which time we expect to have made significant replacements to our wide-body fleet with more fuel efficient aircraft,'' he added.

Khan did not comment on proposed tie up with the Gulf carriers. "As a matter of company policy, we cannot comment on speculation,'' he said.

"Improving the viability of at least two Asian routes through stopovers in the Middle East is among several initiatives aimed at improving the profitability of SAA’s long-haul network. All three of SAA’s Asian routes and all 10 of its long-haul routes are currently unprofitable with Beijing seeing the largest losses per flight,'' according to a CAPA report.

The carrier competes with Gulf carriers which offer one stop flights to South Africa from multiple points in Asia and Europe and partnership could boost its passenger growth and profitability, the report said.