SAS and South African Airways open new air link to Johannesburg

SAS AND SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS OPEN NEW AIR LINK TO JOHANNESBURG SAS and South African Airways (SAA) introduce code-shared air services between Scandinavia and South Africa on July 2, 1997. The two airlines have concluded a co-operative agreement, which initially calls for two code-shared flights a week between Copenhagen and Johannesburg/Cape Town, using Boeing 747 wide-bodied aircraft operated by SAA. The objective is to expand the new direct air service gradually to daily operations and include more destinations. The inaugural flights will leave Johannesburg at 8:05 p.m. local time on July 2, arriving Copenhagen 13 hours later at 9:05 a.m. the next day after a short intermediate stop in Frankfurt. The return flight will depart Copenhagen at 6:40 p.m. on July 3 and touch down in Johannesburg 7:25 a.m. the following day. The new service connecting Scandinavia with South Africa will carry the flight numbers of both SAS and SAA. Flights from Scandinavia to South Africa will be operated on Thursdays and Mondays, and on Wednesdays and Sundays from South Africa to Scandinavia. The Boeing 747s which will be used, seat approximately 300 passengers in a first, business and economy class configuration. SAS will perform passenger and aircraft handling in Copenhagen. Since 1985, when SAS had to discontinue its operations to South Africa, there has been no direct air link between Scandinavia and the southern part of the African continent. Today, Scandinavian businesses are very active in the region, which also holds a great potential for tourism. Both airlines are of the opinion that passengers will benefit from this co-operative agreement, which will ensure improved and convenient air services between Scandinavia and South Africa. Later on, the agreement will be expanded to offer connecting flights to Oslo and Stockholm. SAS CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS For further information: Mette Östergaard-Sörensen, Route Manager, tel. +46-8-797 2646 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/07/29/20030729BIT00060/wkr0001.DOC http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/07/29/20030729BIT00060/wkr0002.pdf