SAA Adds Abidjan and Brazzaville to Africa Network
From 17 August 2012, SAA will introduce twice-weekly services to Abidjan in the Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire). These flights will be added as an extension to our Accra (Ghana) flights on Tuesdays and Fridays. In addition, SAA also secured traffic rights between Accra and Abidjan which enables us to serve customers flying between these two cities in either direction.
Abidjan is the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. It is also the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris and Kinshasa.
Considered a cultural hub of Francophone West Africa, Abidjan is characterised by a high level of industrialisation and urbanisation. This picturesque city stands in Ébrié Lagoon, where several converging peninsulas and islands are connected by bridges.
The city grew after the construction of a new wharf in 1931 and its designation as the capital of the then French colony in 1933. The completion of the Vridi Canal in 1951 enabled it to become an important sea port. In 1983, Yamoussoukro was designated as the nation’s capital, but most government offices and foreign embassies are still in Abidjan.
Brazzaville
Furthermore, as from 13 September 2012, SAA will introduce a twice-weekly service to Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo. This route will be served using an Airbus A319-200 aircraft and is scheduled to fit optimally with the arrival and departure of our international flights at OR Tambo International Airport thereby offering our passengers convenient connections through Johannesburg.
Brazzaville is the capital, and largest city, of the Republic of the Congo and is located on the Congo River. As of the 2001 census, it has a population of 1, 018, 541 in the city proper, and about 1, 5-million in total when including the suburbs located in the Pool Region.
The populous city of Kinshasa (more than 10-million inhabitants in 2009) and capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; lies just across the Congo River from Brazzaville. Together with Kinshasa, the combined metropolitan area of Kinshasa-Brazzaville has nearly 12-million inhabitants.
Over a third of the population of the Republic of Congo lives in the capital, and it is home to 40% of non-agricultural employment. Brazza, as the capital city is affectionately called by residents and visitors alike, is the financial and administrative capital of the Republic of Congo.
Adding these routes to our African route network further demonstrates our commitment to growth on the continent. Our aim remains to continue exploring possibilities for our customers who travel between countries on the continent for business and tourism.
Abidjan will be our sixth additional destination on the continent and Brazzaville the seventh that we have introduced since October last year. Cotonou in Benin and Pointe Noire (Congo) were other recent additions in Africa.
