South African Airways Cargo welcomes the arrival of its new B737 400

Johannesburg, 06 June 2013. South African Airways Cargo (SAA Cargo) has taken delivery of its B737 400 freighter aircraft. This follows months of planning to ensure that SAA Cargo’s freighter fleet is upgraded with bigger and fuel efficient aircraft for its domestic and regional markets.

A further aircraft, the Boeing 737 -300 will replace the current B737-200 and is expected to be delivered in July. SAA Cargo will have a fleet comprised of three (3) B737 300Fs and one (1) B737 400F.

Tleli Makhetha, SAA Cargo’s General Manager indicated that these freighters will be replacing the aging fleet and that they will bring additional stability to SAA Cargo’s schedule. “This can only mean good news for our customers as the bigger aircraft will provide them with extra capacity on key routes,” he said. The B737- 400 freighter can take between 20 -22 tons on 10 pallet positions.

An elated Makhetha added: “We are proud to show our commitment to growing the business in Africa.” New Africa routes will be introduced with this delivery. The aircraft schedule will support the Regional Africa flights including domestic the night time Johannesburg to Cape Town route.

SAA Cargo has over the years strengthened its presence in Africa in response to the growing demand for air freight services. “We are excited about the business opportunities and will continue to ensure that we provide our customers with reliable connectivity to all key markets in the region,” said Makhetha.