Airline Route Maps: A look at South African Airways in 2011

South African Airways is connecting all the six continent's with flights to Australia, South America, North America, Europe South Asia and East Asia but its African network is not as developed as its other fierce competitors, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines. South African Airways has indicated that it plans to focus on developing its African network together with Eastern and Western networks.

Of course this route map does not include three times weekly flights to Beijing which will be launched in January 2012 following the delay in securing slots at the Beijing's Capital International Airport. South African Airways will be flying to Beijing for the first time in its 77 year history. Beijing, together with many African countries, were of course hostile to SAA during its apartheid years. The launch of South Africa's flights to Beijing will also be very historic in the sense that it allows South Africa to connect Chinese Passengers to Brazil via Johannesburg thus connecting three important BRICS nations, the others being India and Russia.

Historic Flight: For the first time in its 77 year history, South African Airways will be flying to Beijing

In 2011, South African Airways launched flights to three new destinations: Kigali, Bujumbura, Cotonou(an extension of SAA’s existing Libreville (Gabon) service).