The new route is a further step as the airline implements its Africa strategy in support of South Africa's business, tourism, and development imperatives. The strategy is designed to ensure ongoing expansion of SAA's continental network in the service of travellers to, from, and in Africa.
Cotonou is the fifth new African destination SAA has introduced since October last year. The airline now operates to 24 African cities from Johannesburg. Among the most recent routes added are Ndola on the Zambian copper belt, the Rwandan and Burundian capitals Kigali and Bujumbura and the oil hub of Pointe Noire in the Republic of Congo.
"This new route to Cotonou forms part of SAA's Africa growth strategy and demonstrates our commitment to being the premier airline linking Africa to the world and the world to Africa. We are increasingly providing business and leisure travellers with a very convenient and relevant array of destinations. Through our Johannesburg hub, SAA offers the most convenient connections between Africa and South America, the Far East and Asia Pacific," says Theunis Potgieter, SAA's general manager commercial.
SAA will initially serve the Johannesburg - Cotonou route twice weekly with one of its very modern and comfortable Airbus A319 aircraft. The flights will operate from Johannesburg to Pointe Noire and onwards to Cotonou, returning from Cotonou via Pointe Noire.
Cotonou is the economic capital of Benin and the seat of many government departments and embassies. It is the country's largest city.
