SunExpress, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, in partnership with South African Airways (SAA), has announced a significant expansion of their collaboration, promising to increase flight options for travelers in the winter season of 2024/2025. This development marks a new chapter in global aviation, emphasizing the growing synergies between major airlines to enhance passenger experiences and operational efficiency.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU), an addition to the existing six-month damp lease agreement initiated in October, was signed by SunExpress CEO Max Kownatzki and SAA CEO Prof. John Lamola in Johannesburg, South Africa, on December 14. The MoU signifies a commitment to double the capacity for the upcoming winter season, a strategic move that reflects the evolving dynamics of the airline industry and the increasing demand for travel options.
Under the current agreement, SunExpress has provided two Boeing 737-800s, including maintenance and cockpit crew, to support SAA’s operations. The expansion of this partnership through the new MoU entails increasing the number of damp lease aircrafts and exploring avenues for a multi-year reciprocal capacity support. This includes further collaboration in areas such as maintenance, training, and commercial support, demonstrating a robust and forward-thinking approach to airline partnership.
Max Kownatzki highlighted the significance of this deepened partnership: “The memorandum of understanding clearly underlines our commitment to further deepen our successful partnership with SAA. We are proud of the trust that SAA is placing in us with the renewed intention to collaborate. We strive to build on this to develop a strong, long-term partnership and leverage more opportunities together in the future.” He also emphasized SunExpress’s ambitious plan to double its fleet, reaching a 150-aircraft fleet by 2033, underlining the partnership’s role in efficiently utilizing the fleet and mitigating seasonal impacts.
On the other side, Prof. John Lamola, CEO of SAA, expressed his satisfaction with the partnership’s progress, emphasizing SunExpress’s reliability and the mutual benefits of the expanded cooperation. He noted, “SunExpress has proven to be an extremely reliable partner for us in the first few months. We are therefore delighted that this valuable partnership will not only be continued but the scope of the partnership expanded to include additional aircraft for our 2024 holiday peak season.” The additional aircraft will support SAA’s operations to meet the growing customer demand during peak seasons and manage the global aircraft availability crisis.
This partnership is not just about increasing flight numbers. It also entails the introduction of new routes, further enhancing the connectivity within the African continent and beyond. As part of the current damp lease agreement, SunExpress aircraft have been operating 12 domestic flights a day to Cape Town and Durban from Johannesburg. The expansion includes two daily connections from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), launched on December 13. This new route offers travelers more opportunities to explore the diverse landscapes and cultures of South Africa and reinforces the commitment of both airlines to enhancing their service offerings.
The collaboration between SunExpress and South African Airways is a testament to the evolving landscape of global aviation, where partnerships and strategic alliances are becoming increasingly important. It reflects a broader trend in the industry towards cooperation and shared resources, aiming to provide passengers with more options, better services, and an overall enhanced travel experience.
As the aviation industry continues to recover and adapt in the post-pandemic world, such partnerships are likely to play a crucial role in shaping the future of air travel. By increasing flight options and exploring new avenues of cooperation, SunExpress and South African Airways are setting a precedent for how airlines can work together to meet the challenges of the modern travel environment and anticipate the needs of passengers in an ever-changing world.
