SAA latest: Passengers warned not to fly with “unsafe” airline

Unions have warned passengers against flying with South African Airways (SAA), after large numbers of staff went on strike this week. Numsa have been leading the calls for salary increases, but the group have met an impasse with the airline who won’t meet their demands for an 8% raise.

The South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa @Numsa_Media have vowed to resist retrenchments at South African Airways until issues of state capture at the airline are resolved. #SAAStrike #sabcnews

— SAfm news (@SAfmnews) November 17, 2019

SAA safety warning issues by unions

The subsequent industrial action has thrown SAA into chaos. A plethora of flights have been cancelled, with only a few international journeys remaining unaffected. However, Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola isn’t happy that the airline is continuing to operate, and believes that customers are “putting their lives at risk” by stepping on-board their flights:

The major concern revolves around the lack of technical staff available to SAA. It’s been stated that the temporary technicians filling in for the striking professionals are ‘inexperienced’, sugguesting that the maintenance work on the airline’s fleet leaves passengers vulnerable to technical issues. Hlubi-Majola said:

“We are warning all passengers not to fly SAA because your safety is not guaranteed. Our members who are safety officers and technicians are on strike. We are warning the public that if they fly SAA during this strike they are putting their lives at risk.”

“The temporary technicians with no work experience are being used to work on aircraft without having the relevant experience in maintenance and repair. We ask the Civil Aviation Authority how they can allow such a situation to exist by deliberately placing the lives of the public at risk”.

Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola

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SAA have also taken the liberty of telling passengers not to show up to the airport unless they’ve received a confirmed booking for their flight. All customers are asked to check their flight details before setting off. This statement was issued shortly after the firm said they would be working with Mango Airlines to introduce extra capacity to their flights, in order to alleviate the current travel nightmare:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Only arrive at airports if in possession of a rebooked itinerary. pic.twitter.com/ypKa0OSL1V

— SAA – South Africa (@flysaa) November 17, 2019