SunExpress, a joint venture of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, has expanded its collaboration with South African Airways (SAA) through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at doubling capacity for the upcoming winter season in 2024/2025.
The agreement supplements their existing six-month damp lease initiated in October, involving two Boeing 737-800s and encompassing maintenance and cockpit crew provisions. SunExpress CEO Max Kownatzki and SAA CEO Prof. John Lamola formalised the MoU at a joint press event in Johannesburg on December 14.
The partnership not only intends to double the number of leased aircraft for the next winter season but also explores longer-term reciprocal capacity support. Additionally, they’re discussing potential collaborations in maintenance, training, and commercial support.
Max Kownatzki expressed SunExpress’ commitment to strengthening the partnership, highlighting plans to significantly expand their fleet by 2033, with a vision of reaching 150 aircraft. He emphasised the partnership’s role in optimising fleet utilisation and mitigating seasonal impacts.
Prof. John Lamola welcomed the continued collaboration, acknowledging SunExpress as a reliable partner. The increased aircraft capacity aims to meet rising customer demand during peak seasons and assist in navigating the global aircraft availability challenges.
As part of the current agreement, SunExpress now operates 12 domestic flights daily from Johannesburg to Cape Town and Durban. Commencing December 13, they’ve added two daily connections from OR Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg) to Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), enhancing travel options for holidaymakers and facilitating flexible travel plans during the upcoming holiday season.
