South Africa Airways, SAA, has announced the commencement of direct flight from Abuja to Johannesburg, South Africa as part of measures to boost bilateral relationship between the two countries.

The flight which will commence  on 26 January, 2016 will be on simultaneous to and fro operation and would be on three times weekly for a start.

South Africa High Commissioner to Nigeria Ambassador Lulu Louis Mnguni said the launch of the flight will among others engender the tourism relationship between Nigeria and his country and that more Nigerians are expected to visit South Africa and vice versa.

He said: “This is a day we are happy to witness and to deepen Africa Agenda. We can have another Krouga Park in Bauchi State through tourism exchange. This will also assist the youths of the two countries to collaborate with each other and generate more employment opportunities that can also be used to stem the insurgency in the South East.”

Regional General Manager-Africa and Middle East Aaron Munetsi and the Country Manager-Nigeria Thobi Duma, said it has always been the dream of SAA to ensure the air travel in the continent hence it sustain efforts since it began operation in Nigeria in 1998 in Lagos as the then Federal Capital of the country.

Munetsi said a Boeing A330-200 would be used for the inaugural flight on 26 January, 2016 and that the three times weekly flight would be sooner extended to be a daily flight.

He also said that the South Africa government is not in any way subsidizing any of the operational cost of the airline apart from the developmental national mandate which was given to facilitate governmental relationship with countries SAA is operating in.