Revealed: SA flights, air travel could return in June under new proposals

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) say they have a blueprint in place to get South Africans travelling by plane once more – and the first domestic flights during lockdown could take place in less than two weeks’ time, subject to the government’s approval of their proposals.

When could South Africans book a flight again? June return plotted for airlines

The ambitious guidelines from the regulatory organisation target a return date of 1 June. This is when Level 3 of lockdown is expected to be implemented across most of the country. It’s the earliest point at which airlines could feasibly get their fleets back in the air, according to government guidelines.

Nompumelelo Mpofu is the CEO of ACSA. She’s revealed how the industry could take its first steps back into business at the start of next month. The plans, which include priority routes and ‘flight windows’, look like this:

• Mpofu wants a return to limited domestic air travel in Level 3 on June 1. Strict social distancing measures would apply.
• A limited number of flights would be allowed per day, with each requiring special authorisation to fly.
• ACSA wants to prioritise air travel on the ‘Golden Triangle’ between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
• It’s argued that interprovincial road transport must be allowed, to feed traffic to the three main airports.
• Mpofu has suggested that three windows for travel time – 6:00 to 9:00, 15:00 to 18:00, and eventually 6:00 to 18:00 when demand rises – should be implemented at Level 3. Night flights would remain prohibited, though.

There are snags, though…

Obviously, these optimistic suggestions represent a ‘best case scenario’ for Level 3 of lockdown. Despite wanting to unlock the travel potential between Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, there are no guarantees that these cities will all make it through to the next phase of lockdown. The Mother City, in particular, is a likely candidate to remain in Level 4, and all air travel is banned at this stage.

ACSA’s demand to allow interprovincial travel also proves troublesome. The government’s information portal outlaws movement from one province to another until Level 2 is implemented. Furthermore, this won’t be a case of ‘returning to normal’. Our major airlines would operate with severely reduced timetables and they aren’t likely to reach a comfortable level of operation for months, perhaps even years ahead.

Will South Africans fly again next month?

This road to recovery has already hit a few speed bumps, but as the group CFO Sophamandla Mthethwa explains, take-off needs to come sooner rather than later…

“We are faced with a very serious financial challenge. We are in a completely different place from where we were in the beginning of 2020. We have taken measures to manage the financial situation by reducing costs.”

“We have been cutting our Capex and preserving cash flow, however, despite that, some level of support from the shareholder in the form of guarantees will be most welcome.”

Acsa CFO, Siphamandla Mthethwa