South African Airways (SA, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a 36-month operating lease of four A320-200/A320-200Ns, marking a significant expansion of its fleet to pave the way for the relaunch of its first intercontinental route and increased seat capacity for its regional and domestic destinations.
The airline plans to lease six aircraft to be delivered before the end of 2023, including one wide-body and five narrow-bodies.
"Currently, a Request for Proposals (RFP) is out for four A320 narrow-body aircraft. The other two - an A330 and A320 have already been secured from the lessor community on the same terms as the ones issued in the RFP,” interim Chief Executive Officer John Lamola said in a statement issued late on May 5. "The four aircraft that we are ordering will all be deployed by September 2023."
According to the RFP document, SAA is also looking to replace five A320-200s and one A330 whose operating leases expire starting February 2025 and 2026. "SAA will also consider proposals that include the replacement of these aircraft with A320 CEO or NEO aircraft (not older than 2013) as a package deal, in addition to the four aircraft acquisitions," the RFP reads.
The first additional A320-200 will be delivered in June 2023, two more in July, and the last in August. Proposals that provide for leases on a so-called "power-by-the-hour" costing basis for a term of 12 to 36 months are preferred, but a monthly fixed lease rate would be considered. The aircraft must be configured with 138 seats: 34 in business class and 114 in economy class.
"This is a significant boost for the domestic and regional markets and underscores our commitment to expanding our route network and increasing our frequency in the African market. It will also ensure that the equilibrium between the supply of seats and the flow of traffic will benefit our passengers,” Lamola added.
The relaunch of the first longhaul route will be announced within weeks, the airline said.
