South African Airways (SAA) is offering customers alternative travel arrangements to Malawi following the closure of the main runway at the Chileka International Airport in Blantyre, Malawi.
Earlier this month, Malawian airport authorities notified SAA that the main runway in Blantyre will be closed from 24 April to 23 July 2019 for maintenance and rehabilitation.
The airline’s three weekly services between Johannesburg and Blantyre will be interrupted because the aircraft size, which SAA operates to Blantyre, does not fit in the required categories/classes of the secondary runway, which will remain operational.
Travel via Lilongwe
For the duration of the runway rehabilitation project, SAA will facilitate travel via Lilongwe for onward connection to Blantyre. This is intended to avoid any service disruptions and is part of contingency plans to re-accommodate customers via Lilongwe.
SAA customers will travel between Johannesburg and Lilongwe on SAA operated aircraft and further to/from Blantyre with Ethiopian Airlines.
“We apologise to our valued customers for any inconvenience caused by these operational changes. We will continue to look for ways to minimise the impact of operational changes to offer more travel convenience for customers,” says Tlali Tlali, SAA Spokesperson.
SAA customers travelling to or from Lilongwe on SAA operated aircraft can enjoy business class, subject to availability, as SAA will be operating the A320/A319 on this route, which offers business and economy products.
Re- accommodation
Un-ticketed passengers:
All passengers that have not been ticketed will be rebooked onto the next available flight.
Ticketed Individual passengers and groups
Rebooking Conditions Applicable:
- SAA will rebook affected passengers between Johannesburg and Lilongwe;
- SAA has made re-accommodation of reservations onto the closest available flight between Johannesburg and Lilongwe in the same booking class.
- The booking owner can book ET between LLW and BLZ in the lowest available booking class
- Change fees will be waivered
- Tickets must be re-issued on/before 07 May 2019. The booking owner may re-issue the ticket.
- Tickets to be endorsed “INVOL Re-RRT due BLZ RUNWAY Closure/Date”.
- A full refund of the unused portion/ticket will only be considered once the aforementioned options have been considered.
