JOHANNESBURG – South African Airways (SAA) appointed its head of operations as acting chief executive on Friday and said it needs R4-billion from the government to survive the current financial year and allow it to renegotiate loan terms with banks.
Zukisa Ramasia becomes interim CEO after Vuyani Jarana unexpectedly resigned on Sunday, after less than two years in the job, saying his turnaround strategy for the loss-making airline was being undermined by a lack of state funding and too much bureaucracy.
SAA has not made a profit since 2011 and Jacana launched a five-year turnaround plan that includes slashing costs and cancelling unprofitable routes, requiring around R21.7-billion in cash injections from the government.
“We are currently operating at a loss and that is the background to the request we’ve made for R4-billion of support for the current financial year,” board member Martin Kingston told a news briefing.