South African airliner to continue flights to West Africa

The South African Airways (SAA)’s decision to continue operating in West Africa, which has been hit by an Ebola outbreak since March, is consistent with the position adopted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali has said.According to Tlali on Thursday, an emergency committee of WHO on the Ebola outbreak that met in Geneva last week concluded that there “should be no general ban on international travel or trade” to that region.

“Having noted the announcement by WHO, SAA has stepped up measures aimed at protecting its passengers, crew and ground staff,” Tlali said.

“There is no travel ban to any of these destinations as a result of the outbreak of the virus in that region. The airline remains committed to ensuring the enforcement of international health protocols associated with air transport,” Tlali said.

SAA flies to five destinations in West Africa – Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Accra (Ghana), Cotonou (Benin), Dakar (Senegal) and Lagos (Nigeria).