SOUTH African Airways (SAA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ghanaian carrier, African World Airlines (AWA), to increase its connectivity within the West African sub-region.

The airline made the announcement in a statement issued by its media consultant, Mr Mohammed Abdullahi, on Tuesday in Lagos.

The statement said the MoU was signed by the Chief Executive Officers of SAA and AWA, Mr Vuyani Jarana and Mr John Quan, respectively, in Accra, Ghana.

According to the statement, the MoU allows the two airlines to enhance their relationship through synergies that include code sharing, franchising and any other related projects.

Speaking at the ceremony, Quan said as part of AWA’s turnaround strategy, the airline was constantly looking at ways of improving its customers’ travel experiences.

He said: “This agreement gives our customers seamless connections from Johannesburg into more destinations in Ghana and other West African destinations.

“The agreement augments SAA’s popular and successful Ghana operations and offers customers a host of additional travel options in Ghana as well as further afield in the African West Coast region.

“As the leading carrier on the continent, our aim is to improve air travel connections on the continent through partnerships and this agreement with AWA goes a long way towards improving intra-African travel.”

According to him, the agreement with South African Airways will help consolidate Africa World Airlines’ position as one of the leading airlines in West Africa.

He said AWA was excited by the potential that this African partnership could deliver, and are confident that it would be a win-win relationship for both sides.

Also, Jarana said SAA and AWA formed a relationship in 2015, which resulted in the commencement of the Accra to Washington Dulles flights.

“SAA operates daily flights between Johannesburg and Accra, with four of the flights continuing onwards to Washington; and the other three flights continue onwards to Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire.

“SAA’s relationship with AWA has since grown from the original commercial co-operation into the new interline commercial agreement.

“It became possible when SAA finalised technology integration with AWA in November.

“The interline agreement allows the acceptance of each other’s customers and access to each other’s network.

“SAA customers will fly from Accra on SAA operated flights and then connect to further destinations on flights operated by AWA,’’ he said.

Jarana added that over the coming months the interline agreement would evolve into a code share agreement.

He said SAA customers would then travel on one ticket from Johannesburg to Accra or from Washington to Accra, and onwards to a number of destinations.

“SAA customers will also be able to connect from Accra to Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria, Freetown in Sierra Leone, and Monrovia in Liberia.

“In turn, customers of Africa World Airlines travelling from Ghana, Lagos, Abuja, Freetown, and Monrovia, are able to travel on one ticket from any AWA point of origin.

They can also connect onto SAA international flights to either Washington D.C. or Johannesburg, or further on the SAA network. (NAN)

– Feb. 26, 2019 @ 14:15 GMT |