South African Express

{{Short description|Defunct regional airline of South Africa (1994–2020)}}

{{Infobox airline

| airline = South African Express

| logo = SA Express logo.svg

| logo_size = 200px

| fleet_size = 24

| destinations = 9

| IATA = XZ

| ICAO = EXY

| callsign = EXPRESSWAYS

| parent = Government of South Africa

| founded = {{start date|1994|04|24|df=yes}}

| ceased = {{end date|2020|04|28|df=yes}}

| headquarters = O.R. Tambo International Airport
Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa

| key_people = {{bulleted list|

| Siza Mzimela (acting CEO){{cite web|url=https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/companies/transport-and-tourism/2017-04-18-sudden-departure-of-south-african-express-inati-ntshanga-adds-to-uncertainty/|title=Sudden departure of South African Express' Inati Ntshanga adds to uncertainty|website=Business Day|location=South Africa}}

| Mpho Selepe (CFO)}}

| hubs = O. R. Tambo International Airport

| secondary_hubs =

| focus_cities =

| frequent_flyer = Voyager

| lounge =

| alliance = {{nowrap|Star Alliance {{small|(affiliate; 2006–2020)}}}}

| website = {{URL|www.flyexpress.aero}}

|image=|aoc=|num_employees=800}}

South African Express Airways SOC Ltd, known as South African Express or simply SA Express, was a state-owned airline based in South Africa that started operations on 24 April 1994, but had to cease operations on 28 April 2020. Although the airline was operationally independent of South African Airways, its flights were incorporated within the strategic alliance with South African Airways. The airline had its head office at Airways Park, Jones Road, next to O.R. Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng."[http://www.flyexpress.aero/legal.html Legal] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202132325/http://www.flyexpress.aero/legal.html |date=2 February 2011 }}." SA Express. Retrieved on 6 February 2011. "Street Address: 4th Floor Offices, West Wing, Pier Development, Johannesburg International Airport"

History

File:De Havilland Canada DHC-8-311 Dash 8, SA Express AN0062697.jpg in old colors]]

On 24 May 2018 the South African Civil Aviation Authority grounded the airline due to "serious safety risks". They reported it could be months before the airline was operational again.{{Cite news|url=https://www.fin24.com/Companies/Industrial/could-be-months-before-sa-express-is-off-the-ground-again-says-aviation-body-20180525|title=Could be months before SA Express is off the ground again, says aviation body|work=Fin24|access-date=2018-05-29}}{{cite web|url=https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/companies-and-deals/sacaa-suspends-flights-of-sa-express-over-safety/|title=SACAA suspends SA Express flights over safety concerns|date=24 May 2018|website=Moneyweb}} Flights resumed on 23 August, following the issuance of airworthiness certificates for a portion of the airline's fleet.{{cite web | url=http://atwonline.com/airlines/south-african-regional-sa-express-cleared-restart-flights | title=South African regional SA Express cleared to restart flights | publisher=Air Transport World | date=20 August 2018 | access-date=12 September 2018}}

On 13 February 2020, South African Express entered the Business Rescue process, a local form of bankruptcy protection.{{cite web | url=https://www.flightglobal.com/strategy/sa-express-confirms-business-rescue-restructuring-move/136740.article | title=SA Express confirms Business Rescue restructuring move | author=Graham Dunn |publisher=FlightGlobal.com | date=13 February 2020 | access-date=17 February 2020}} On 18 March 2020, the airline suspended all operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 28 April 2020, the business rescue practitioners submitted an application to the Pretoria High Court for the liquidation of the airline.{{cite web|last=|date=28 April 2020|title=Court bid to liquidate SA Express|url=https://www.enca.com/news/sa-express-also-facing-liquidation|access-date=28 April 2020|website=eNCA}} The court approved a provisional liquidation,{{cite web|last=Meyer|first=Dan|date=28 April 2020|title=Nearly 700 jobs to be lost as SA Express undergoes provisional liquidation|url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/sa-express-liquidation-business-rescue-johannesburg-2020/|access-date=1 May 2020|website=The South African}} with stakeholders being given until 9 June 2020 to voice objections before a final dissolution of the company.{{cite web|last=Mahlaka|first=Ray|date=3 May 2020|title=Unpaid SA Express workers told to fend for themselves as airline nears liquidation|url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-05-03-unpaid-sa-express-workers-told-to-fend-for-themselves-as-airline-nears-liquidation/|access-date=5 May 2020|website=Daily Maverick}}

In November 2020, the moveable assets of the company such as the eight Bombardiers, spare parts and furniture were to be sold via an online auction managed by GoIndustry DoveBid Africa.{{Cite news|date=25 October 2020|title=Wing your way to the SA Express sale|work=Sunday Times (South Africa)}}{{rp|20}} The non-moveable assets such as the routes, landing rights and existing licences would be sold to FlySax, a consortium consisting of a key investor and ex-SA Express staff.

Corporate affairs

=Ownership=

The holding company is Flymodernark(Proprietary) Limited,

=Business trends=

South African Express is loss-making, and its accounts have been qualified by the auditors since 2012/13; the 2016/17 accounts remain unaudited (as at July 2019) and have been subject to parliamentary questions. Figures that had been made available were disputed, and the previously published accounts were withdrawn in November 2011 after accounting errors that dated back several years were discovered. Some fuller reports have been published since then, although figures are frequently restated in the following year's Report. Available figures (for years ending 31 March) are:

class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin: auto; text-align:center;"

style="text-align:center;"

!style="background: #082567;" |

!style="background: #082567;" | 2009

!style="background: #082567;" | 2010

!style="background: #082567;" | 2011

!style="background: #082567;" | 2012

!style="background: #082567;" | 2013

!style="background: #082567;" | 2014

!style="background: #082567;" | 2015

!style="background: #082567;" | 2016

!style="background: #082567;" | 2017

align=left|Turnover (Rm)

| 1,857

| n/a

| 1,640

| 2,022

| 2,296

| 2,562

| 2,594

| 2,391

! 2,310

align=left|Net profit/loss after tax (Rm)

| *

| {{color|red|−186.9}}

| {{color|red|−365.9}}

| 0.7

| {{color|red|−10.0}}

| {{color|red|−169.4}}

| 16.9

! {{color|red|−234.0}}

align=left|Number of employees (at year end)

| 839

| n/a

| 1,026

| 1,090

| 1,136

| 1,188

| 1,127

| 1,036

align=left|Number of passengers (m)

| 1.5

| 1.4

| 1.6

| 1.5

| 1.4

| 1.3

align=left|Passenger load factor (%)

| 67

| 64

| 61

| 65

| 62

| 64

align=left|Number of aircraft (at year end)

| n/a

| 24

| 22

align=left|Notes/sources

|{{cite web |url=http://www.flyexpress.aero/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/sax-annual-report-2008-2009.pdf |title=SA Express 2008–09 Annual Report |publisher=SA Express |access-date=12 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527135618/http://www.flyexpress.aero/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/sax-annual-report-2008-2009.pdf |archive-date=27 May 2013 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.flyexpress.aero/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/south-african-express-financial-results-2008-2009.pdf |title=SA Express 2008–09 Financial Performance |publisher=SA Express |access-date=12 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527142619/http://www.flyexpress.aero/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/south-african-express-financial-results-2008-2009.pdf |archive-date=27 May 2013 |url-status=dead }}

|{{cite web |url=http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/transport/2013/04/30/sa-express-troubles-come-to-light |title=SA Express troubles come to light |work=Business Day|location=South Africa |access-date=12 May 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://www.flyexpress.aero/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/SA-Express-Annual-Report-2012.pdf |title=SA Express Annual Report 2012 |publisher=SA Express |access-date=4 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402131135/http://www.flyexpress.aero/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/SA-Express-Annual-Report-2012.pdf |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}

|{{cite web |url=http://www.flyexpress.aero/annual-reports/sa-express-annual-report-2013-2/ |title=SA Express Annual Report 2013 |publisher=SA Express |access-date=4 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319011548/http://www.flyexpress.aero/annual-reports/sa-express-annual-report-2013-2/ |archive-date=19 March 2015 |url-status=dead }}

|{{cite web |url=http://www.flyexpress.aero/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SAX%20Annual%20Report%202015.pdf |title=SA Express Annual Report 2015 |publisher=SA Express |access-date=26 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202032616/http://www.flyexpress.aero/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SAX%20Annual%20Report%202015.pdf |archive-date=2 February 2017 |url-status=dead }}

|{{cite web|url=http://www.flyexpress.aero/sites/default/files/SA%20Express%20Annual%20Report%20Final%202017_0.pdf|title=SA Express Annual Report 2016 |publisher=SA Express |access-date=10 July 2019 }}

| Unaudited
{{cite web|url=https://www.fin24.com/Companies/Industrial/sa-express-on-the-verge-of-collapse-parliament-committee-20180516|title=SA Express faces bleak situation - parliamentary committee |publisher=Fin24 |access-date=10 July 2019 }}{{cite web|url=https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/24905/|title=SA Express irregular, fruitless & wasteful expenditure: hearing with Minister & Deputy Minister |publisher=Parliamentary Monitoring Group|access-date=10 July 2019 }}

Notes: Profitability figures for 2008/09 are not shown above(*), as they are believed to have been restated since the publication of the Annual Report. Revised figures for 2010/11 are from press reports in April 2013; the financial statements for 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 were audited, but received a qualified audit opinion.

Destinations

South African Express served the following destinations (as of January 2020):{{cite web|url=http://www.flyexpress.aero/route-network|title=Route Network|website=Fly SA Express}}{{cite web |last1=Destinations and fleet |title=SA Express |url=https://www.domesticflights-southafrica.co.za/sa-express/ |website=Domestic Flights South Africa |access-date=15 June 2019}} All flights had been suspended by 18 April 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/travel/sa-express-flights-cancelled-how-to-get-refund-2020/|title = SA Express suspends operations amid COVID-19 outbreak|date = 18 March 2020}}

;{{flag|Botswana}}

Gaborone – Sir Seretse Khama International Airport

;{{flag|Democratic Republic of the Congo}}

Lubumbashi – Lubumbashi International Airport

;{{flag|Namibia}}

Walvis Bay – Walvis Bay International Airport

;{{flag|South Africa}}

Bloemfontein – Bram Fischer International Airport
Cape Town – Cape Town International Airport
Durban – King Shaka International Airport
Hoedspruit – Eastgate Airport
Johannesburg – O.R. Tambo International Airport Hub
Kimberley – Kimberley Airport
Port Elizabeth - Port Elizabeth International Airport

Fleet

File:South African Express RJ CL600-2B19 CRJ-200ER ZS-NME (18960034793).jpg]]

File:Bombardier_Dash_8_Q-402_'ZS-NMO'_South_African_Express_(16084553926).jpg]]

=Current fleet=

The South African Express fleet consisted of the following aircraft {{as of| February 2020|lc=yes}}:{{cite web|url=http://www.flyexpress.aero/content/fleet|title=Fleet|date=11 February 2020|website=SA Express}}

class="wikitable"
Aircraft ! In Service ! Orders ! Passengers ! Notes
Bombardier CRJ200 \|align=center\|10 \|align=center\|— \|align=center\|50 \|
Bombardier CRJ700 \|align=center\|4 \|align=center\|— \|align=center\|70 \|
Bombardier Q400 \|align=center\|10 \|align=center\|— \|align=center\|74 \|
Total !24 !0 ! !

class="wikitable"

Aircraft

! In Service

! Orders

! Passengers

! Notes

Bombardier CRJ200

|align=center|10

|align=center|—

|align=center|50

Bombardier CRJ700

|align=center|4