A statement from the SAA Manager of External Communications, Group Corporate Affairs, Sarah Uys in Johannesburg said: “We intend to operate a 24-hour schedule to accommodate the various match times and people wanting to move around these. This year`s football event (World Cup) will rely considerably on air transport, and SAA, as the national carrier, has a leading role to play in this. Hence, we want to ensure that we handle added capacity.”

According to Uys, the 24-hour schedule SAA intend to operate is necessary because some matches will end as late as 23.30 pm local time. She added: “We have thus far adapted our normal flight schedule to add extra flights to all destinations in our current domestic network. Our schedule over the 2010 football period will very much remain a work in progress, and we will adapt it as demand dictates in the lead up to the kick off on June 11.”

The SAA Executive said her company has already opened all its seats for bookings for the World Cup period, and so far, the demand has been very good, adding that the 24-hour-seven-days-a-week operations which SAA intend to carry out with its internal flights will fit in with the airways` current operations of serving a host of destinations round the clock.

“It will be a big challenge to operate our domestic fleet in this manner, and we are confident that we will be able to pull it off”.

Determined to stand up to the challenges ahead of them, SAA has adopted some strategies. These include; partnering with Match - the official provider of tickets, accommodation, and logistics for the 2010 World Cup. They are looking forward to employing some staff on short term basis in a bid to avoid overworking its staff during the 24/7 internal flight operation period.

SAA will lease a fleet of aircraft from various airlines operating on the African continent, as well as international carriers. But SAA authorities highlight that priority will be given to the leasing of planes from airways in Africa, apparently in line with the South African spirit to make the World Cup an African affair.

“The airlines, from which the aircraft will be leased, will provide the cockpit and cabin crew to operate them, in their uniform. Leases will be short-term, and the aircraft will be returned after the World Cup,” Uys stated.

Meanwhile, Cameroon Country Manager of SAA, Litombo Litumbe, told journalists in Douala that the booking of seats on SAA, destined for South Africa, for the MTN-sponsored FIFA World Cup is very encouraging.