South African Airways has signed a codeshare agreement with Air China that will enable SAA to jointly market Air China’s newly-inaugurated non-stop service between Johannesburg and Beijing, as well as points beyond Beijing to Chengdu, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chongqing.
Air China will, in turn, market SAA’s services from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. The codeshare arrangement is already open for sale, for travel effective 29 October.
Subsequent to the successful launch of the partnership between Air China and SAA in March 2012 when SAA launched its services to Beijing, the parties have looked into expanding the partnership on Air China’s non-stop flights between Johannesburg and Beijing and onward destinations across China.
The deal signals a strategic move by Air China to inaugurate services to the African continent and for SAA to further increase its connectivity in its African footprint.