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South African Airways (SAA) today celebrates ten years of service to Washington D.C. Dulles International Airport.

SAA introduced a new service between Johannesburg, South Africa and Washington D.C. on 2 July 2005, with four flights per week and rapidly grew to offering a daily service on the route. In 2006, SAA introduced a service to Dakar, Senegal, continuing onward to Johannesburg, providing daily flights from the U.S. to Dakar and a convenient gateway to West Africa.  SAA is also the only Skytrax 4-Star rated airline flying between the U.S. and Africa, providing award-winning, world-class service.

To celebrate this milestone anniversary, SAA is offering a 10% discount* (restrictions apply) on all fares on its flights from Washington D.C. – Dulles to Johannesburg, Accra, Dakar, Cape Town and Durban. This special fare will be valid for ticketing between 1 – 5 July, and available on www.flysaa.com or by calling SAA’s North America Reservation Center, at 1-(800) 722-9675.

Over the past 10 years, SAA carried nearly 1.5 million passengers between Washington, D.C. and Africa, and has recently announced expansion of its West Africa network. On 3 August, SAA will launch a new nonstop service between Washington, D.C.-Dulles International Airport and Accra’s Kotoka International Airport, operating four days per week.

“Our Washington route is one of the reasons why SAA is the predominant airline from the U.S. to Africa today,” said Nico Bezuidenhout, SAA Acting CEO.

“Passengers travelling between Dulles International Airport and Africa deserve award-winning service and convenient schedules, and we are proud to have been serving them for ten years. We look forward to welcoming more and more customers on board and offering them our unique blend of African hospitality.”

Dulles International Airport also serves as a major gateway and connecting point in the U.S. for SAA passengers, with code share service offered to over 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada through its Star Alliance partner, United Airlines.

“For ten years, the partnership between Washington Dulles International Airport and SAA has provided world-class travel opportunities and experiences between South Africa and the Washington, D.C., region,” said Mark Treadaway, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Vice President for Air Service Planning and Development.

“Now, with the upcoming addition of nonstop service between Dulles International and Accra, Ghana, one of this region’s most important African travel destinations will further strengthen the ties between the United States and Africa for decades to come.”

SAA’s gateway at Washington, D.C.-Dulles International Airport has helped to foster new business, trade and tourism development between the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and Africa. Direct connectivity between both regions has been essential for existing investment and will continue being pivotal for future economic growth. Over the last decade, the route has been popular with business and leisure travellers alike, creating a convenient way for more people to discover Africa as a land of opportunities and scenic wonders.

For reservations and information, customers should visit www.flysaa.com or contact South African Airways’ North America Reservations Center at 1-(800) 722-9675, or their professional travel consultant.

Issued by SAA