CAIRO: Egyptian, Ethiopian and South African airline companies are currently looking into starting a new carrier for Africa, SAA chief executive Siza Mimela said on Wednesday. It comes as Middle Eastern and African airlines continue to see a rise in customers demanding more schedules and destinations. South Africa's Sake24 reported that the state-owned South African Airways is planning to announce the new airline, in partnership with Egypt Air and Ethiopian Airlines, “within months.” The Johannesburg news agency reported that the airline would operate in central and west Africa. SAA, Egypt Air and Ethiopian Airlines will all own minority stakes in the new venture and provide technical and managerial services, the news agency reported. Central African countries in which the new airline is likely to operate include Gabon, Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, São Tomé & Principe and the Central African Republic, Sake24 said. “We are excited about the new possibilities of extending flights to regions of Africa where there is only limited service at the moment,” an Egypt Air official told Bikya Masr, although he did not confirm that the new airline would happen, or when. BM
