(1)(a) Five (5) A330-300s.
(1)(b)These aircraft are deployed on Johannesburg-Accra/Washington, Johannesburg-Sao Paulo, Johannesburg-Dakar/Washington, and Johannesburg-Lagos routes.
(2) These aircraft replaced the two(2) A340-600s (to be returned to the lessors at the end of the lease contract in January/February 2018 and five(5) A340-300s aircraft that are more than 15 years old. SAA had heavy maintenance checks due on the existing fleet so the available flying time on the A340-300s, because of the introduction of the A330-300s, has enabled SAA to comply with the maintenance schedule as well as to adhere to the published operating schedule.
(3) Yes. The A330-300 can operate direct/non-stop flights between South Africa and Europe, South America and the African Countries. These aircraft are not an ultra-long range and can therefore not be able to fly directly to North America. North American routes are ultra-long, with more than 12 hours of non-stop flying. These routes are serviced via Accra and/or Dakar.
(4) No additional flight and/or cabin crew were employed to service the A330-300s nor was extra training required to manage the fleet change. These types have the same crew ratings as the existing fleet.
(5) SAA is not leasing any aircraft that is not fully utilised. All aircraft in the SAA fleet are fully utilised in accordance with the schedule.