South African Airways announced that its existing code share agreement with stable mate low cost airline Mango, has been extended to also include further coastal cities in South Africa, as well as Bloemfontein.
South African Airways already has a code share agreement in place with Mango for operating flights between Cape Town and Durban, as well as on the route between Lanseria Airport and Cape Town.
The existing code share is now be extended to include the routes between Johannesburg to Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and George. Other routes to be included are those between Cape Town and Bloemfontein and Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Mango will continue to be the operating carrier with South African Airways placing its code “SA” on the above flights as the marketing carrier. South African Airways customers will therefore travel on a ticket starting with “SA” and then the flight number, while Mango customers will travel on a ticket starting with the “JE” code.
“The new agreement represents an expansion of an existing, successful code share partnership, in place since 2010 between Cape Town and Durban as well as from Lanseria to Cape Town. It is in line with strategic imperatives as indicated in Gaining Altitude, SAA’s Long-Term Turnaround Strategy, whereby focus is placed on intra group operational efficiency and commercial impetus,” says Kendy Phohleli, SAA General Manager Commercial (Acting). “Mango’s exceptional on-time performance record, its quality on-board product and growing domestic network provides a natural value-fit to SAA and its passengers.”
Mango Chief Executive Officer Nico Bezuidenhout welcomes the agreement. “The success of existing code-share activities between the carriers bodes well for further intra-group network growth; by adding greater network choice through collaboration, not only will SAA passengers benefit, but commercially it represents a giant leap forward for both brands.”