The strike by SAA pilots resulted in some domestic, regional, and international flights being delayed or canceled on Thursday, 5 December 2024. There is no indication that the strike, linked to a deadlock in pay negotiations, will come to an end any time soon.

Travel agencies are urging passengers who have booked domestic and international flights with South African Airways (SAA) to make alternative arrangements in the wake of an indefinite strike by the state-owned airline's pilots.

At least two travel agencies including Flight Centre and Corporate Traveller have issued travel advisories, informing passengers to change their flights as SAA pilots confirmed their strike action, starting Thursday, 5 December 2024. Meanwhile, SAA has remained quiet, barring a media statement on Tuesday, 3 December, saying that it was committed to resolving a dispute with its pilots, related to their pay demands.

The deadlock in pay negotiations resulted in some SAA flights being delayed or cancelled on Thursday -- mainly the airline's international routes, including Perth (Australia), Sao Paulo (Brazil), and Mauritius. SAA's flights to the rest of Africa were also cancelled including Harare (Zimbabwe), Lusaka (Zambia), Lubumbashi (DRC), Windhoek (Namibia), and Accra (Ghana). For the international and regional routes, SAA couldn't find partner airlines that it could transfer passengers to.

According to Corporate Traveller, SAA's domestic routes have also been affected by the strike. The routes include Johannesburg to/from Cape Town and Johannesburg...