Flying solo: SAA will have to stand on its own after Treasury ushers in a new era
Weaning SAA off the fiscus for its survival is part of the Treasury’s new approach to cutting bailouts and government guarantees to unproductive and lossmaking state-owned enterprises. The financial costs of keeping SAA airborne have been enormous: between 2008 and 2020, cash bailouts to the airline amounted to R21.5-billion. When SAA’s business rescue cost of R16.4-billion is included, the taxpayer-funded support to the airline grows to R38.4-billion.