Summary
- Saudia has resumed scheduled flights between Jeddah and Johannesburg, enhancing air connectivity between Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
- The inaugural flight was celebrated with a ceremony in Jeddah, and passengers on the flight received commemorative gifts.
- Johannesburg Airport has seen the return of several international airlines in recent months, and with an expected increase in passenger traffic throughout the holidays, the Airports Company of South Africa is enforcing hand baggage regulations to make sure efficient handling and safety.
South Africa has welcomed one other direct reference to the Middle East as Saudia resumed scheduled flights between Jeddah and Johannesburg after a three-year hiatus. The Saudi national carrier has relaunched this service in collaboration with the Kingdom’s Air Connectivity Program (ACP) to support tourism growth by connecting Saudi Arabia to recent destinations.
Saudia returns to South Africa
The re-inaugural flight between the 2 countries was operated on Friday, December 1, 2023. Flight SV449 departed Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) at 01:30 local time and arrived at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) at 07:30. Upon touching down in South Africa, Saudia’s Boeing 787 was greeted by a water cannon salute.
Photo: Airports Company of South Africa
The return flight SV448 took off from JNB at 09:51 local time, landing back at JED at 17:13. The service will probably be operated 4 times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, featuring 274 economy and 24 business class seats. The schedule is as follows:
Route |
Flight |
Days |
ETD |
ETA |
---|---|---|---|---|
JED-JNB |
SV447 |
Mon & Sat |
13:45 (13:50 on Sat) |
20:05 |
SV449 |
Wed & Fri |
01:15 |
07:30 |
|
JNB-JED |
SV446 |
Mon & Sat |
21:40 |
05:35 +1 |
SV448 |
Wed & Fri |
08:50 |
16:45 |
Enhancing connectivity with South Africa
Saudia last served Johannesburg recurrently at the top of March 2020 – a number of months into the COVID-19 pandemic. The resumption of the route marks a big milestone for Saudi officials, who aim to boost air connectivity between the Kingdom and major cities worldwide.
The inauguration was celebrated during a ceremony on the AlFursan International Lounge on the Jeddah Airport. The event was attended by various officials, including the Consul General of South Africa, Moegammad Gabriels, AVP of International Regions Sales at Saudia Musaed Almusaed, and other representatives from the ACP and airport government authorities. Moreover, passengers onboard the inaugural flight received commemorative gifts to mark the occasion.
Photo: jremes84 | Shutterstock
Speaking concerning the airline connection between Saudi Arabia and South Africa, ACP CEO Ali Rajab said,
“The Johannesburg-Jeddah route with Saudia represents a big step forward in our efforts to boost air connectivity between South Africa and the Kingdom. ACP is committed to forging recent partnerships and expanding air networks with South Africa’s growing market, ensuring seamless travel experiences for passengers.”
“This achievement was made possible through the support and guidance of His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, the Minister of Tourism for Saudi Arabia and Chairman of ACP’s Overseeing Committee. We look ahead to collaborating with our ecosystem partners to unlock recent avenues for growth and secure Saudi Arabia’s future as a world leader in tourism and aviation.”
Established in 2021, Saudi Arabia’s Air Connectivity Program goals to spice up tourism within the country by enhancing air connectivity and developing existing and prospective air routes. The national carrier flies to over 72 international destinations, and by relaunching Johannesburg, it now serves 16 destinations in Africa.
Saudi Arabia Pumps One other $100M Into Aviation As It Targets 250 Destinations By 2030
The Kingdom has high hopes for its tourism industry within the years to return.
Holiday travels through South Africa
While passenger traffic in Southern has seen slower post-pandemic recovery in comparison with the continent’s other regions, Johannesburg Airport has welcomed back several international airlines previously few months. It has also re-established multiple connections on routes last served in 2020. Cathay Pacific resumed Hong Kong-Johannesburg flights in August, while LATAM resumed service from Sao Paulo in September.
With an expected increase in passenger traffic throughout the festive holidays, the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) is reinforcing hand baggage regulations in any respect its airports, including Johannesburg (JNB), Cape Town (CPT), Durban (DUR), and Bloemfontein (BFN). The regulations aim to administer the carrying of hand luggage on flights, with a system in place that may discover passengers with non-compliant items before reaching the safety checkpoints.
Photo: Tatenda Karuwa | Easy Flying
ACSA’s hand luggage rules allow one bag and a slimline laptop bag or handbag for economy passengers and two bags and a slimline laptop bag for premium class passengers. Each bag have to be throughout the dimensions of twenty-two in (56cm) x 14 in (36cm) x 9 in (23cm) and must not weigh over 15.4 lb (7kg). The regulations apply to all domestic, regional, and international flights. The corporate has reinforced these measures to make sure the efficient handling of passengers and luggage throughout the busy travel period, in addition to the security at South African airports.
What are your thoughts on Saudia returning to Johannesburg after three years? Will you be traveling to South Africa throughout the holidays? Please tell us within the comments!