Johannesburg (Thursday, 29 June 2023) – South African Airways (SAA) is thrilled to announce the
airlines first intercontinental route to Sao Paulo, Brazil, since the airline returned to the skies in
September 2021.
Bookings open for sale today, 29th June 2023, with launch flights out of Cape Town on Tuesday,
31st October and from Johannesburg on Monday, 6th November 2023.
SAA will fly to Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo four times a week, twice out of Cape
Town (Tuesdays and Saturdays) and twice out of Johannesburg (Mondays and Thursdays).
During the Northern winter season (October to December), SA 0226 will depart Cape Town at
12h55 and arrive in Sao Paulo at 16h35. The return flight out of Soa Paulo SA 0227, will depart at
18h05 and arrive in Cape Town at 06h40.
From Johannesburg, SA 0222 will depart at 11h20 and arrive in Sao Paulo at 16h15 and the return
flight SA 0223 will depart Soa Paulo at 17h45 arriving in Johannesburg at 07h45.
SAA’s Chief Commercial Officer, Mr Tebogo Tsimane, said “We have created an effective schedule
which is ideal for both business and leisure travellers and our schedule is fantastic for connecting
traffic.” Our Voyager members can also earn miles at an accelerated rate when flying on an SAA
operated flight, 1 SAA Voyager mile for every R1.60 spend and the accumulation of miles, counts
towards Elite status, Tsimane added.
São Paulo – Brazil’s most populous city – is also the country’s financial center and one of the
biggest financial hubs in the world. It is an ideal destination for business or leisure, offering a vast
selection of first-rated museums, cultural centers, theatres, and cinemas. It also boasts world-class
nightclubs, bars, and restaurants. The various transport networks, including taxis, buses, subways,
and railway lines are well served in both countries.
Interim CEO, Professor John Lamola, says, “We are overjoyed to announce São Paulo as our first
international destination since the airline successfully emerged from an intensive Business Rescue
process and Covid-19 lockdown. It also marks our return of our long-haul service out of Cape
Town.” The Teams at SAA are working hard behind the scenes to gear our operations for this much
anticipated route launch to South America,” said Lamola.
“Our decision to begin the relaunch of our long-haul service with São Paulo was taken based on a
rigorous analysis of the viability of the route. Sustainability has been at the heart of SAA’s
approach since our restart.”
As the national flag carrier, SAA prides itself on bringing South African hospitality to international
routes, and travelers to and from São Paulo route can expect to experience our award-winning
customer service,” added Lamola.
SAA has appointed Air Promotion Group (APG) in Brazil as its General Sales Agent (GSA).
