South African will use third-party A330 to expand long-haul flights

With a limited fleet of widebodies, South African Airways (SAA) will resort to leasing an Airbus A330-300 from Hi Fly to resume and expand international operations starting this month. The wet lease agreement, which includes aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance, provides for the use of the A330 on routes between Johannesburg and destinations such as São Paulo, Lagos, Accra, and Abidjan until February 2026.

Hi Fly, specialized in ACMI contracts, will be responsible for providing the A330-300 to SAA during the stipulated period. Flights to Lagos, Accra, São Paulo and Abidjan are also planned, serving different periods between September 2025 and February 2026.

The Portuguese company has two A330-300 in its fleet, each with a different seating configuration. The jet 9H-HFA has 249 seats, with 46 in business class and 203 in economy. The Airbus with registration 9H-HFI has a higher density of seats, with 36 in business class and 277 in economy.

The A330 is already part of SAA’s own fleet, which currently includes only two of these aircraft along with two A340s, all of which are aged. The temporary reinforcement was a solution to compensate for the reduced fleet following the company’s restructuring process.

South African Airways faces challenges in resuming its international network since it was close to bankruptcy. The limitation of aircraft has hindered expansion and the return to traditional markets, such as Brazil.

The use of the A330 from Hi Fly allows the company to maintain intercontinental flights during the high season, despite operational restrictions.

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