Editing South African Airways (section)

===Rebranding: 1997–2005===
[[File:South African Airways B747-300 (ZS-SAJ) at Perth Airport (2).jpg|thumb|[[Boeing 747-300]] ''Ndizani'' at [[Perth Airport]] (2003)]]
In 1997, SAA replaced the [[Springbok Antelope|Springbok]] emblem and the old [[national colours]] of orange, white and blue with a new livery based upon the new national flag, with a sun motif. The airline's name on its aircraft retained the [[Afrikaans]] name ''Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens''. As a symbol of the new rainbow nation following the release of [[Nelson Mandela]], one of SAA's 747-300s, named ''Ndizani'' (registration ZS-SAJ), was painted in bright colours.<ref>{{cite web |title=Photo Search Results |url=http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=ZS-SAJ&distinct_entry=true |access-date=24 April 2015 |archive-date=4 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904102020/http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=ZS-SAJ&distinct_entry=true |url-status=live }}</ref> This special-liveried 747-300 transported South African athletes to the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] in [[Atlanta]].<ref>{{cite web |last=David Parker Brown |date=10 June 2010 |title=Guest Blog: First-hand perspective on airlines in South Africa |url=http://www.airlinereporter.com/?s=Kulula |access-date=24 December 2010 |publisher=Airlinereporter.com |archive-date=13 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613155521/http://www.airlinereporter.com/?s=Kulula |url-status=live }}</ref> The airline started online ticket sales and formed an alliance with [[SA Airlink]] and [[SA Express]].

In 1998, services to [[Copenhagen Airport]] were stopped. A new airline president and CEO, Coleman Andrews, was appointed. The arrival of the American saw a comprehensive and controversial overhaul of the airline, changing the management of SAA. Mr Andrews was hired by Transnet, the state-owned [[parent company]], to remedy the problem of dwindling passengers, which Transnet's market research had revealed was caused by "failure to fly on time, unfriendly and minimally-trained staff, poor food and SAA fares being 12–25% above its competitors".<ref>{{cite web |last=Chalmers |first=Robyn |date=31 May 2001 |title=South Africa: The Amazing Coleman Andrews Story |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200105310198.html |access-date=24 December 2010 |publisher=AllAfrica.com |archive-date=18 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018070349/http://allafrica.com/stories/200105310198.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He was credited with rescuing [[World Airways]] from the brink of bankruptcy earlier in the decade.<ref name="SAA_PTY_LTD">{{cite web |title=SAA (Pty) Ltd. |url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/SAA-Pty-Ltd-Company-History.html |access-date=7 January 2011 |publisher=FundingUniverse.com |archive-date=15 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110215045325/http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/SAA-Pty-Ltd-Company-History.html |url-status=live }}</ref> During his first 18 months as CEO, South African Airways' market value increased fivefold.<ref>{{cite web |title=Coleman Andrews |url=http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=32900405&privcapId=32280519&previousCapId=135144&previousTitle=RHODIA%20SA |access-date=1 January 2011 |publisher=Bloomberg}}{{dead link|date=April 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

In June 1999, Transnet entered into a sale agreement with Swissair in which Transnet sold 20% of its shareholding in SAA to Swissair for R1.4 billion and also included an option to sell and transfer a further 10% to Swissair, thereby increasing its stake to 30%.<ref>[http://www.dpe.gov.za/newsroom/Pages/SAA-Reacquisition-of-20-Shares-Held-by-Swissair.aspx SAA Reacquisition of 20% Shares Held by Swissair] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032202/http://www.dpe.gov.za/newsroom/Pages/SAA-Reacquisition-of-20-Shares-Held-by-Swissair.aspx |date=1 December 2017 }}, [[Department of Public Enterprises]], [[Government of South Africa]], 21 November 2001</ref> In 2002, the South African government repurchased the shares.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1820503.stm Swissair sells back South African stake] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015135125/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1820503.stm |date=15 October 2013 }}, [[BBC News Online|BBC News]], 14 February 2002</ref>

Swissair's costly purchases of SAA's and many other large international airlines' shares led directly to its own shocking bankruptcy filing, on 1 April 2002.

In 2000, SAA ordered 21 [[737-800|Boeing 737-800s]], reportedly worth US$680&nbsp;million.<ref name=2002_Order/> Five [[CFM International CFM56|CFM 56-7B27]]-powered examples were requested outright from [[Boeing]], the rest from other parties.<ref>{{cite web |title=737 Model Summary |url=http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/displaystandardreport.cfm?cboCurrentModel=737&optReportType=AllModels&cboAllModel=737&ViewReportF=View+Report |access-date=27 December 2010 |publisher=Boeing |archive-date=21 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121013435/http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/displaystandardreport.cfm?cboCurrentModel=737&optReportType=AllModels&cboAllModel=737&ViewReportF=View+Report |url-status=dead }}</ref> The 737s were to be deployed on short-haul routes, replacing Airbus A300s and A320s.<ref name="Boeing_737_order">{{Cite press release |title=South African Airways Chooses Boeing 737s For Fleet Renewal |date=1 March 2000 |publisher=Boeing |location=Seattle |url=http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2000/news_release_000301a.html |access-date=27 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114113413/http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2000/news_release_000301a.html |archive-date=14 January 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The 737 order was followed by an Airbus order in 2002. Under CEO Andre Viljoen, South African Airways requested [[Airbus]] to overhaul its fleet at a cost of US$3.5&nbsp;billion in March 2002, taking advantage of a slump in the order books of both Boeing and Airbus.<ref name="2002_Order">{{Cite news |date=7 March 2002 |title=South Africa to buy Airbuses |publisher=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2002/BUSINESS/03/07/airbus/ |access-date=24 December 2010 |archive-date=13 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113191627/http://edition.cnn.com/2002/BUSINESS/03/07/airbus/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[airline industry]] was still staggering after the [[September 11 attacks]] in the US, which led to new aircraft orders either being deferred, or cancelled altogether. SAA was in a buyers' market and the demise of [[Swissair]], which had A340-600s about to be delivered, effected Airbus clinching the SAA deal. This was part of a bigger order that covered 11 A319s, 15 A320s, nine A340-600s and six A340-300s.<ref name=2002_Order/> Three of the [[Airbus A340|A340-600]] aircraft came from [[International Lease Finance Corporation]] (ILFC). The new [[Airbus A319]]s replaced the aging [[737-200|Boeing 737-200]] fleet, but the [[Boeing 737 Next Generation|Boeing 737-800s]] continued in service because SAA cancelled its A320 order before any aircraft were delivered.<ref name=2002_Order/>

Later that year, South African Airways made a successful bid for a 49% stake in [[Air Tanzania]]. The move highlighted SAA's wish to gain a foothold in eastern Africa. The bid was worth $20&nbsp;million, and was SAA's first acquisition of a foreign airline.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 October 2002 |title=Air Tanzania attracts $20m bid |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2306247.stm |access-date=27 December 2010 |archive-date=17 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917102854/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2306247.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Mande |first=Mike |date=9 December 2002 |title=Tanzania: Air Tanzania Finally Sold to SAA for $20m |publisher=AllAfrica.com |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200212100507.html |access-date=27 December 2010 |archive-date=18 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018070358/http://allafrica.com/stories/200212100507.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The merger failed in 2006, when new SAA management felt that the arrangement was fruitless.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 February 2006 |title=SAA to get out of Air Tanzania 'blunder' |publisher=Business Report |url=http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3117138 |access-date=14 March 2007 |archive-date=1 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081001220823/http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3117138 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:SAA BusinessClass.jpg|thumb|"New" Business Class seat on display in 2006]]

On 1 February 2000, South African Airways and [[Delta Air Lines]] started to codeshare on SAA-operated nonstop Boeing 747-400 flights from Atlanta to Johannesburg,<ref>{{cite web|date=1999-11-28|title=Yahoo - Delta Air Lines, South African Airways to Codeshare On Flights from Atlanta, New York to Johannesburg|url=https://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/990930/ga_delta_s_2.html|access-date=2021-08-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991128122124/https://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/990930/ga_delta_s_2.html|archive-date=28 November 1999}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=January 10, 2000|title=Deal with Delta Air Lines Gets the Go-Ahead|work=Business Day|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SQomAQAAMAAJ&q=deal+with+delta+air+lines+gets+the+go-ahead&pg=RA5-PA1|access-date=August 3, 2021}}</ref> with return flights operated via Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Florida due to range limitations caused by the 5,557-foot altitude at Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport.

In 2001, South African Airways won the ''Best Cargo Airline to Africa'' award from Air Cargo News – (even though South African is mainly a passenger airline) – and South African Airways signed a codesharing agreement with [[Nigeria Airways]] to provide service from the United States to [[Lagos]] using South African Airways 747s (this codeshare agreement is no longer in effect, and SAA's flights to/from the United States no longer stop in Nigeria). The airline earned a spot on the [[Zagat Survey]]'s top-ten international airlines list, opened a new website and named Andre Viljoen as chief executive officer (CEO).

In March 2004, South African Airways announced its application to join [[Star Alliance]]. The [[airline alliance]] accepted its application in June, with SAA joining as a full member in April 2006.

In July 2004, Andre Viljoen resigned as CEO of SAA. In August 2004, Khaya Ngqula was appointed as CEO of SAA. A new chairman, Professor [[Jakes Gerwel]], was appointed in the same month.

In 2005, SAA became the first non-Saudi airline to fly a direct [[Hadj]] service to [[Medina]] in Saudi Arabia.

In July 2005, SAA started a four times weekly [[Johannesburg]]-[[Accra]]-Washington, D.C. service with a Boeing 747-400. Service was increased to daily flights in July 2006, and the 747-400 was replaced by an Airbus A340-600. Because SAA could not obtain rights to fly passengers between [[Ghana]] and the US, [[Dakar]] replaced Accra as the intermediate stop. In 2010, SAA retired the last of its 747-400 fleet.

On 6 June 2006, the codeshare agreement between South African Airways and [[Delta Air Lines]] was terminated because of the airlines' memberships in rival alliances ([[Star Alliance]] and [[SkyTeam]] respectively).