SAA Pilots - What's the status?

[neoprema]

With SAA launching a lot of new routes for December, they're coming back on my radar for our business travel. Especially to maintain Star Alliance statuses.

So, does anyone know if SAA is actually hiring qualified pilots or still stuck on that comment they made of "Race/BEE quotas first - qualifications later"... Because then i'll have an issue lol.

However I used to fly them primarily and my staff too, so keen to return to that (although KQ and ET are on our books now too).

 

[RonSwanson]

Lekker Transformation and AA.

 

[RedViking]

Glad to hear there are people who still support them. Criminals need to eat as well.

 

[neoprema]

Glad to hear there are people who still support them. Criminals need to eat as well.

If they can fly me to a destination safely for R2500 less than the current monopoly Airlink has on that route.. then yes What Airlink is charging for some African country routes lately is robbery in itself.

 

[RedViking]

If they can fly me to a destination safely for R2500 less than the current monopoly Airlink has on that route.. then yes What Airlink is charging for some African country routes lately is robbery in itself.

True. Good if criminals operate at a cheaper costs. Makes easier to support. Specially if the company do not use their own funds or is profitable.

 

[SeRpEnT]

With SAA launching a lot of new routes for December, they're coming back on my radar for our business travel. Especially to maintain Star Alliance statuses.

So, does anyone know if SAA is actually hiring qualified pilots or still stuck on that comment they made of "Race/BEE quotas first - qualifications later"... Because then i'll have an issue lol.

However I used to fly them primarily and my staff too, so keen to return to that (although KQ and ET are on our books now too).

These two ladies might fly you to your next destination:

Two black female pilots make history at SAA | The Citizen

It took 88 years for the South African Airways to have two black female pilots to operate a flight.

www.citizen.co.za

Unsure how I feel about flying with them right now, lol. Maybe in a few year's time after they have some serious experience and flying hours. But for now, who knows how fast-tracked they might have been for SAA to stick to their ideologies...

 

[neoprema]

These two ladies might fly you to your next destination:

Two black female pilots make history at SAA | The Citizen

It took 88 years for the South African Airways to have two black female pilots to operate a flight.

www.citizen.co.za

Unsure how I feel about flying with them right now, lol. Maybe in a few year's time after they have some serious experience and flying hours. But for now, who know how fast-tracked they might have been for SAA to stick to their ideologies...

Well i just heard the international body concerned with routes have awarded some their previous route-rights they gave up without the need to re-apply for them. So they'll be back to Blantyre, Lilongwe, Windhoek, Vic Falls etc in December.

So they'll be competing well, because take Blantyre - its currently only offered by Malawian Airlines/ET and is full permanently. I don't know why Airlink didn't try that route it was super-busy even with SAA and others on it...

But yes, I am also unsure about their pilots at this stage. I asked an ex SAA Pilot I followed on IG - very experienced guy, certified for A340s, 330s, 320s and others and he said he hasn't been asked to come back (he's now working for an international airline). So yeah not sure who they're hiring at this stage..

 

[neoprema]

These two ladies might fly you to your next destination:

Two black female pilots make history at SAA | The Citizen

It took 88 years for the South African Airways to have two black female pilots to operate a flight.

www.citizen.co.za

Unsure how I feel about flying with them right now, lol. Maybe in a few year's time after they have some serious experience and flying hours. But for now, who know how fast-tracked they might have been for SAA to stick to their ideologies...

Also on this, I have nothing against black female pilots - i've flown on many flights with female pilots or where the captain was a female. My concern is, are they there because they ARE THE BEST, or because they've been forced in to meet a mandate... because doing that in accounts at the local admin company is one thing, doing it with people's lives onboard a Jet aircraft is entirely another...

 

[bwana]

Here today, gone tomorrow - with your money. Fly-by-night

 

[The_MAC]

Here today, gone tomorrow - with your money. Fly-by-night

This

With an incredibly complicated, inefficient and unlikely refund process when things go pear-shaped again..

 

[grok]

Also on this, I have nothing against black female pilots - i've flown on many flights with female pilots or where the captain was a female. My concern is, are they there because they ARE THE BEST, or because they've been forced in to meet a mandate... because doing that in accounts at the local admin company is one thing, doing it with people's lives onboard a Jet aircraft is entirely another...

Nah bru you're being flown by Quo(an)tas..

 

[GrootVoet]

I'm more worried about SAAT, how good are the planes looked after?

We all know if you low on cash maintenance is the last thing on the budget list.

 

[neoprema]

Newsflash - not everyone at SAA are the best.
Everyone can't all be the best.
What is their track record? How many hours have they flown? Have they been accident free? Then what's the issue?

I don't mean the best in the world. I mean, out of a pool of X who qualify - its not hard to find out who are the best. But do they do that, or do they rather say we're choosing on quota. (edit: in some cases quota and the best are the same persons but often not, so which way do they swing..)

i've had some great female pilots fly. One flight she took off and landed so well it was like she was treating that aircraft like her baby, cuddling it softly as the wheels touched the ground without so much of a bump...

 

[SafariTin]

If they can fly me to a destination safely for R2500 less than the current monopoly Airlink has on that route.. then yes What Airlink is charging for some African country routes lately is robbery in itself.

Which route?