By Niel Swart

South African Airways (SAA) has put some of its aircraft up for sale to accommodate the new Airbus A350-900s the airline recently added to its fleet.
Please see our previous article on the A350 here: http://www.aviationcentral.co.za/saa-a350/

A350-900 (ZS-SDC) Landing at Cape Town International for the first time on 22 December 2019

In a tender on the airline’s website, SAA said it was selling nine wide-body aircraft – – five Airbus A340-300s and four Airbus A340-600s – – and 15 spare engines and four Auxiliary Power Units, a device used to provide energy.

“After we received the four new Airbus A350-900, it has become necessary for us to sell our older models to accommodate the new models with superior features such as the quieter cabin, relaxing in-flight environment and more extra-legroom seats in economy class and lie-flat beds in business Class,” said Zuks Ramasia, SAA’s Acting CEO.

“The decision to sell the aircraft has nothing to do with the business rescue process. For some time we had planned to replace our four-engine aircraft with the two engine ones,” said Ramasia.

“When we received five A330-300s in late 2017- early 2018 we had already planned to retire five A340s at that time, but due to the operational fleet undergoing maintenance, the retirement of the aircraft was postponed. Now is the time to sell the aircraft,” she said.

Ramasia said with the new A350s which will start operating on its international route network next week, replacing the A340s has become possible, hence the national carrier advertised the sale of the nine aircraft on 10 January. The closing date for the tender is 30 January at 11.00am SA time.

The aircraft on sale used to operate on regional and international routes, which will now be flown by the A330s and A350-900s.

The aircraft that is up for sale are:

A340-600 (ZS-SNF) landing at OR Tambo International on 13 January 2018

Registration: ZS-SNC
Serial number: 426
Type: 340-642
First flight date: 30/01/2003
Test registration: F-WWCH
Plane age: 17 years
Seat configuration: J/C=42 Y/C=275 Total=317
Engines: 4 x RR Trent 556-61

Registration: ZS-SND
Serial number: 531
Type: 340-642
First flight date: 13/10/2003
Test registration: F-WWCX
Plane age: 16.3 years
Seat configuration: J/C=42 Y/C=275 Total=317
Engines: 4 x RR Trent 556-61

Registration: ZS-SNF
Serial number: 547
Type: 340-642
First flight date: 03/12/2003
Test registration: F-WWCI
Plane age: 16.1 years
Seat configuration: J/C=42 Y/C=275 Total=317
Engines: 4 x RR Trent 556-61

Registration: ZS-SNG
Serial number: 557
Type: 340-642
First flight date: 16/12/2003
Plane age: 16.1 years
Seat configuration: J/C=42 Y/C=275 Total=317
Engines: 4 x RR Trent 556-61

A340-300 (ZS-SXD) landing at OR Tambo International on 15 October 2017

Registration: ZS-SXD
Serial number: 643
Type: 340-313E
First flight date: 25/11/2004
Test registration: F-WWJZ
Plane age: 15.1 years
Seat configuration: J/C=38 Y/C=215 Total=253
Engines: 4 x CFMI CFM56-5C4/P

Registration: ZS-SXE
Serial number: 646
Type: 340-313E
First flight date: 08/12/2004
Test registration: F-WWJB
Plane age: 15.1 years
Seat configuration: J/C=38 Y/C=215 Total=253
Engines: 4 x CFMI CFM56-5C4/P

Registration: ZS-SXF
Serial number: 651
Type: 340-313E
First flight date: 09/02/2005
Test registration: F-WWJC
Plane age: 14.9 years
Seat configuration: J/C=38 Y/C=215 Total=253
Engines: 4 x CFMI CFM56-5C4/P

Registration: ZS-SXG
Serial number: 378
Type: 340-313X
First flight date: 15/12/2000
Test registration: F-WWJI
Plane age: 19.1 years
Seat configuration: J/C=36 Y/C=215 Total=251
Engines: 4 x CFMI CFM56-5C4

Registration: ZS-SXH
Serial number: 197
Type: 340-313X
First flight date: 22/10/1997
Test registration: F-WWJL
Engines: 4 x CFMI CFM56-5C4

Spare engines and APU’s:

3x CFM56-5C4/P
12x Trent 556
4x GTCP331-350