As part of its restructuring process, the airline has significantly increased the utilisation of its existing fleet of aircraft by increasing capacity on a number of routes, particularly in Africa. This has required the increase of additional pilots and cabin crew.

In addition, the airline announced last week that it would launch a route to Buenos Aires, in Argentina, on 8 April 2009, initially flying there twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays, with a third frequency to be added in July on Fridays.

“We are entering the last phase of our restructuring plans which will be completed by March next year and we are now at the point where we can think about growth in order to position SAA for the future,” says SAA CEO Khaya Ngqula.

“We know that our pilots are amongst the best in the world, having received world class training and with extensive experience. Our cabin crew members consistently receive accolades from around the world as being friendly, helpful and highly competent. Indeed, in August our cabin crew was named best Cabin Crew in Africa in the latest World Airline Awards based on an independent survey of 15-million passengers from around the world,” he says.

SAA employs 775 pilots

Since January this year 128 cabin crew members have been brought on board, with an additional 54 being trained. The airline also employed 65 pilots from April to December this year with the intention of ensuring that it has sufficient crew to operate current aircraft and new routes planned such as the Buenos Aires route. SAA now employs a total of 775 pilots.

The focus is on utilising cabin crew who have experience in the airline and travel industry, individuals who take pride in personal grooming and who place customer service foremost. The selection process is thorough and involves a number of different levels, including medical and security checks.

“Excellent customer service is a critical element of our plans going forward, and our cabin crew plays a crucial role at the frontline of the business,” says Ngqula.

There has been excellent progress made on customer service under the restructuring programme. SAA’s latest customer service survey shows that the level of customer satisfaction with the airline’s service levels at airports has increased almost 10 percent over the past six months. There has been a significant increase in satisfaction levels with cabin crew in particular, and the airline is perceived as being safe and reliable in all markets – domestic, regional and international.

SAA has also embarked on a drive to ensure that customer comments about the service they receive on board are collected through a customer service survey, where customers can give their input to ensure the airline corrects any shortcomings.

The employment of additional pilots will also ensure that SAA has sufficient pilots to operate its fleet going forward, given the airline’s growth plans. “Flying for SAA is a career goal for many professional South African pilots. It is the ultimate,” says Captain Johnny Woods, SAA’s chief pilot.

The crew members have been met by SAA staff and a South African diplomat. The families of the crew members have been informed that they have been released.

SAA will now ensure that the crew members are transported from Mumbai back to South Africa as soon as possible, the statement read.

This follows an announcement earlier that SAA flight SA285, which departed Mumbai at approximately 1.30am Mumbai time this (Friday) morning, landed safely back at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 6.40am.

The flight landed with a total of 141 passengers — including five of the 12 SAA crew who were in Mumbai when the terrorist attacks started.

“The crew indicated that despite their ordeal they remain in good health and expressed their gratitude to Dlamini-Zuma for the support they have so far received from the diplomatic corps and consular officials in Mumbai,” Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said.

Meanwhile, SAA’s scheduled flight to Mumbai on Saturday will go ahead, but the airline was assessing the situation in Mumbai and at this stage. But at this stage, the scheduled flight will operate normally.

For passengers who were currently in Mumbai, and holding valid SAA tickets, the airline would continue to endorse all tickets for travel on other airlines until further notice, it said.

Armed militants seized the Oberoi Hotel this week in a surprise attack.