90 Years Old! South African Airways in milestone celebration

South African Airways’ rich history of iconic aircraft, some preserved at the SAA Museum including the Boeing 747-200, the Lockheed Constellation, the Douglas DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster, and the Airbus A350, is chronicled in this piece by Simple Flying to celebrate the airline’s 90th anniversary.

South Africa’s national carrier is one of the oldest airlines in the world. Commencing services on February 1, 1934, South African Airways turned 90 years old last week. While the last few years have been very turbulent for the airline, it has a rich history that has served many generations.

Over the last nine decades, the airline has operated some of the world’s most iconic aircraft, flying on the most popular international routes. As the airline celebrates 90 years, let us explore some of the aircraft it has operated and where they are now.

South African Airways Museum

Situated at Rand Airport (QRA), about 15 mi (24 km) from Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) is the South African Airways Museum Society. It is home to several ex-SAA aircraft, airline artefacts, memorabilia, and other planes that helped shape the history of South African aviation.

The SAA Museum Society was founded in 1986 by individuals within the airline and other interested parties to preserve SAA’s history and showcase the development of the country’s aviation sector over the decades. The aircraft on static display are available for public viewing and are used for educational purposes and small functions like conferences, board meetings, and weddings.

South African Airways’ Boeing 747s

The airline’s history began 90 years ago when the South African government took over Union Airways and renamed it South African Airways. It honoured its predecessor’s order for three Junkers JU52 aircraft, delivered in October 1934 and entered service ten days later. While the airline operated several other revolutionary aircraft, one of the most notable to join its fleet was the Boeing 747.

Boeing 747-200

On November 6, 1971, SAA took delivery of its first jumbo jet – a Boeing 747-200, registration ZS-SAN. It is nicknamed “Lebombo,” a derivative of the Zulu word “Ubombo,” meaning big nose. It is one of the two 747s on static display at the museum. It rolled out of production in August 1971 and was delivered to SAA with a spare engine under the left wing. It served in the airline’s fleet for nearly 32 years, accumulating 107,689 flight hours across 20,304 cycles.

Although it welcomed six million passengers throughout its life, Lebombo is remembered for a special flight operated on June 24, 1995. On this day, it performed a flypast over Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg to open the Rugby World Cup final between South Africa’s Springboks and New Zealand’s All Blacks. One and a half hours later, South Africa won its first Rugby World Cup title. Interestingly, the 747 still has the words “Good Luck Bokke” inscribed under the wings and undercarriage.

Boeing 747SP (1 of 45 built)

The second jumbo on display at the museum is a Boeing 747SP, registration ZS-SPC. It was built in 1976 and delivered to SAA in June of that year. The 747SP, developed for longer range, was a game-changer for South African Airways. ZS-SPC was flown from Boeing’s Everett Factory in Seattle to Cape Town, South Africa, to demonstrate its long-range capabilities. The 8,870 NM (16,428 km) journey set a new world record for the longest unrefueled flight by a commercial aircraft.

These longer-range jumbos gradually replaced SAA’s 707s on certain routes and allowed the introduction of flights to Taiwan. Throughout its history, South African Airways has operated 33 747s, including the -200B, -400, SP, and Combi variants. The airline lost one of its jumbos in a fatal disaster on November 28, 1987.

The Lockheed aircraft fleet

Going further back in history, South African Airways also had Lockheed aircraft in its fleet. Preserved at the museum is the iconic Lockheed Constellation (“Connie”), as well as the Model 18 Lodestar. During World War II, SAA ordered Lodestar aircraft from the USA. Having been delivered during a time of conflict, only the survivors saw service with the national airline towards the end of the war and beyond. Only 19 survived and were released by the South African Air Force (SAAF).

In 1945, the carrier launched its first intercontinental service, known as the “Springbok Service,” between South Africa and the United Kingdom. The service took three days to complete, with a total flying time of about 34 hours. It flew on the Palmietfontein-Nairobi-Khartoum-Cairo-Castel Benito-Hurn Bournemouth route, with overnight stops in Nairobi and Cairo. In August 1950, SAA introduced four Lockheed Constellations on the Springbok service, reducing the London flying time to 28 hours.

The Lockheed L-1649 Starliner (ZS-DVJ) shown above was built in 1958 and first delivered to Lufthansa. It came to South Africa in 1964 and was operated by Trek Airways. It was leased by SAA in 1965. In 1966, it flew the first non-stop commercial Atlantic crossing by a South African operator, flying from Luanda to Rio de Janeiro. Later that year, it marked another milestone, making the first Far East landing by a South African carrier when it flew to Tokyo.

SAA’s Douglas aircraft

Douglas DC-3 Dakota

The Douglas Aircraft Company planes also significantly influenced SAA’s development. The DC-3 enjoyed an illustrious career with several South African operators. The South African Air Force was among the world’s largest DC-3 operators, with over 80 examples. The first aircraft was delivered in 1943. During WWII, the SAAF used them to ferry troops and supplies.

The DC-3 was among the first aircraft to enter service with major airlines worldwide after the war, including South African Airways. The iconic aircraft served in SAA’s fleet for nearly 25 years. The one preserved at the museum, registration ZS-BXF, and nickname “Klapperkop,” was painted to represent the DC-3s that began service with the national carrier in the 1940s. It is 81 years old.

C-54 Skymaster

In the mid-1940s, SAA grew significantly, adding more aircraft, passengers, cargo, and staff. It took on more Skymasters and returned the Avro York aircraft leased from BOAC. In 1948, SAA debuted in-flight entertainment on the Skymaster, but it was unsuccessful and shortly discontinued. The C-54 (ZS-PAJ) sitting at the museum was donated in January 2006. It is 79 years old.

Douglas DC-4 era

The SAA Museum Society is also home to two Douglas DC-4s. The first one, registration ZS-AUB, was built in May 1946 and delivered to South African Airways. Nicknamed “Outeniqua,” it has eight fuel tanks and was often used to ferry engines and engine change crews for SAA aircraft that had suffered engine problems, typically the DC-7Bs on the Australia service.

The second (ZS-BMH) was delivered to SAA in August 1947. It was the last DC-4 Skymaster of the Douglas factory production line. It served in SAA’s fleet for nearly two decades before being sold to the Air Force. In 1977, it was leased by Safair, which used it to transport mine workers from neighbouring states to South Africa.

Current fleet

The SAA Museum also houses other models operated by the airline over the years. This includes a Boeing 737-200, the forward fuselage part of a B707, de Havilland DH.104, and a Vickers VC.1 Viking. After entering its jet age, the airline also introduced some Boeing 727s for use on regional and domestic routes. SAA also has an Airbus A300 simulator on display, an aircraft it operated from 1976.

In December 2019, the airline operated its first Airbus A350 flight. Just two years after relaunching operations, SAA now has a fleet of nine aircraft. This comprises six Airbus A320s, two A330s, one A330. It also has two Boeing 737-800s wet-leased from SunExpress. It plans to operate at least 21 aircraft by February 2025 to be competitive.