Editing South African Airways (section)

===The Jet Age: 1953–1973===
The jet age arrived in South Africa on 3 May 1952 when a [[BOAC]] [[de Havilland Comet]] arrived in Palmietfontein after a 24-hour journey from England with five refuelling stops en route. SAA chartered two Comets from the British airline on 4 October 1953, when Comet G-ANAV left London for Johannesburg.<ref name=SAAMS/> On the same day, ''Tourist Class'' was introduced on the 58-seat Lockheed Constellation used on the Springbok Service. The two chartered aircraft sported both BOAC and SAA titles and logos, but were operated by SAA crews.

In 1956 Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens introduced the [[Douglas DC-7]]B, capable of long-[[Range (aircraft)|range]] operations and then probably the fastest [[piston-engine]] airliner in the world. SAA exploited the aircraft's performance by introducing it between Johannesburg and London with only one fuelling stop at [[Khartoum]].<ref name=SAAMS/> This was known as the ''East Coast express'', taking 21 hours to complete,<ref name=SAAMS/> versus BOAC's inaugural Comet flight between the two cities of 24 hours. This later became the ''West Coast express'' when the [[wikt:technical stop|technical stop]] at Khartoum was transferred to [[Kano (city)|Kano]], Nigeria, resulting in a shortened flying of 18 hours.<ref>In January 1958 the weekly DC-7B took 20 hr 10 min Heathrow to Johannesburg including the one-hour Kano stop.</ref> The fortnightly [[Wallaby Route]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=South African Airways: Wings of the Rainbow Nation |url=https://www.key.aero/article/south-african-airways-wings-rainbow-nation |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=www.key.aero |date=23 January 2020 |language=en |archive-date=28 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428045033/https://www.key.aero/article/south-african-airways-wings-rainbow-nation |url-status=live }}</ref> routed [[Johannesburg]]–Mauritius–[[Cocos Islands]]–[[Perth]], Australia, started in November 1957.<ref name=SAAMS/>

After a host of accidents involving SAA's and other airlines' Comets, the airline ordered three [[Boeing 707|Boeing 707-320]] ''Intercontinentals'' on 21 February 1958, with the first delivered on 1 July 1960.<ref>{{cite web |title=707 Model Summary |url=http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/displaystandardreport.cfm?cboCurrentModel=707&optReportType=AllModels&cboAllModel=707&ViewReportF=View+Report |access-date=10 December 2010 |publisher=Boeing Commercial Airplanes |archive-date=4 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904102020/http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/displaystandardreport.cfm?cboCurrentModel=707&optReportType=AllModels&cboAllModel=707&ViewReportF=View+Report |url-status=dead }}</ref> Three months after arrival, on 1 October 1960, the Boeing 707 was deployed on the airline's flagship ''Springbok Service'', trimming the flying time to London to 13 hours.<ref name=SAAMS/> Other changes brought about by the 707 were a livery change, to an orange tail with blue and white markings,<ref name=SAAMS/> as well as improved comfort, range and speed. A 707 replaced the DC-7B on the Wallaby Route in 1967; Cocos Islands was dropped, while [[Sydney Airport|Sydney]] became the terminus. Flights to New York, via [[Rio de Janeiro]], started on 23 February 1969 using a 707.<ref name=SAAMS/> The first 707 of SAA landed in Europe in October 1961 with a nine-hour flight to [[Athens]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2017}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.flightlineweekly.com/post/south-african-airways-history-of-the-flying-springbok | title=South African Airways – History of the Flying Springbok | date=24 November 2020 }}</ref>

The jets arrived during a period when most African countries, except SA's neighbours, denied South African airlines the use of their [[airspace]], necessitating long detours.<ref>{{cite journal|first=G. H.|last=Pirie|title=Aviation, Apartheid and Sanctions: Air Transport to and from South Africa,1945—1989|journal=GeoJournal|volume=22|year=1990|issue=3|pages=231–40|doi=10.1007/BF00192821|bibcode=1990GeoJo..22..231P |s2cid=154691990}}</ref> In 1967 the Skymasters, Constellations and DC-7Bs were being retired, replaced by the [[Boeing 727]] [[trijet]] the following year to complement the Boeing 707. The choice of 727 was based on the geography of the destinations to which it would fly; for example [[OR Tambo International Airport|Johannesburg]] is {{Convert|1694|m|ft}} [[hot and high|high and hot]], where the 727's wings and other technical capabilities enable it to operate out of such airports.

{{Rail freight
|title='''Revenue passenger-kilometers, scheduled flights only (millions)'''
|float=left
|1950|197
|1955|331
|1960|489
|1965|1,144
|1969|2,168
|1971|3,070
|1975|5,942
|1980|8,843
|1985|8,683
|2000|19,321
|source=ICAO Digest of Statistics for 1950–55, IATA World Air Transport Statistics 1960–2000
}}

On 13 March 1968, SAA ordered five [[Boeing 747|Boeing 747-200Bs]].<ref name="747_O_D_Summ">{{cite web |title=747 Model Summary |url=http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/displaystandardreport.cfm?cboCurrentModel=747&optReportType=AllModels&cboAllModel=747&ViewReportF=View+Report |access-date=22 December 2010 |publisher=Boeing |archive-date=3 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903212126/http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/displaystandardreport.cfm?cboCurrentModel=747&optReportType=AllModels&cboAllModel=747&ViewReportF=View+Report |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first, ''Lebombo'' (registered as [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=ZS-SAN&distinct_entry=true ZS-SAN]), was delivered on 22 October 1971 after a 3-stop flight from [[Seattle]].<ref name=747_O_D_Summ/><ref>{{cite web |title="Lebombo" Boeing 747-244B ZS-SAN: c/n 20239 |url=http://www.saamuseum.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43&Itemid=71 |access-date=22 December 2010 |publisher=South African Airways Museum – saamuseum.co.za |archive-date=22 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822184437/http://www.saamuseum.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43&Itemid=71 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was placed into service in December and proved very popular. SAA eventually operated 23 brand-new "Jumbo Jets", including the −200M (first delivered in 1980), −300 (1983), −400, and the long-range [[Boeing 747SP]], first delivered on 18–19 March 1976, with a nonstop delivery flight of ZS-SPA from Everett, Washington, USA to Cape Town.<ref name=747_O_D_Summ/> The 747SP, especially, was acquired to overcome the refusal of many countries to allow SAA to use their airspace by exploiting its long-range capabilities, as well as to serve lower-density routes which were unsuited to the 747-200.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=BELSON |first=JOHN |date=21 August 1976 |title=Boeing s Special Performer |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1976/1976%20-%201575.html |magazine=Flight International |access-date=31 December 2010 |archive-date=3 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103120852/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1976/1976%20-%201575.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Six were delivered starting 19 March 1976.<ref name=747_O_D_Summ/> As above, to demonstrate the 747SP's performance, the first one was delivered from Seattle to Cape Town non-stop, an airliner distance record that stood until 1989.<ref name=SAAMS/> The first 747SP arrived in South Africa on 19 March 1976.<ref name=747_O_D_Summ/> As the 747 entered service, its smaller siblings, the 707s, were converted to combi (passenger/cargo) configurations and high-density seating.<ref name=SAAMS/> All of SAA's [[Vickers Viscount]]s were sold by March 1972 after being replaced by [[Boeing 737]]s.<ref name=SAAMS/>