SAA cancels flights to Argentina, says route not profitable

South African Airlines would stop its flights to Beunos Aires, Argentina, because the route was not profitable, according to a report on Wednesday.

SAA spokesman Tlali Tlali said to Business Day that the airline intended to stop its flights to Buenos Aires in the new year as part of its strategy to restore the airline's profitability.

"Decisions of this nature are dependent on the concurrence of the shareholder."

Initially, both Buenos Aires and Beijing were identified as routes that would be cancelled, but shareholders opted to retain the Beijing route.

According to the report, Argentina's ambassador to South Africa Carlos Sersale di Cerisano alleged that the move appeared to be a "political decision".

Tlali said: "We will provide a comprehensive account as to why we pull out of certain routes once our consultations have been finalised."