Fin24 reports that South African Airways (SAA) acting CEO Zukisa Ramasia said on Sunday evening that the national carrier would never jeopardise the safety of its passengers or staff, after striking unions claimed that flying with the airline would be a safety risk.  

The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the South African Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) urged South Africans on Sunday afternoon not to fly with SAA, following the national carrier’s announcement that international flights would be reinstated.  At the briefing Ramasia said an SAA flight from OR Tambo International Airport to São Paulo, Brazil, was en route and that security would be available to ensure safe operations for passengers and working staff.  Ramasia urged the unions to retract the statements about safety at SAA's operations being compromised.  She reminded reporters that pilots were on duty and called for an end to intimidation of working staff.  Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola claimed on Sunday afternoon that learners in the technical support environment were being used to give SAA capacity to operate flights while the strike continued.  Numsa chair at SAA Technical, Areheng Ndlovu, said aircraft must not be allowed to fly an aircraft without the sign-off of a technician like himself.

• Read the original of the above report by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24
• Read too, SAA flight en route to Brazil, as SAA vows safe operations, at Fin24

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