South African Airways
IATA: SA ICAO: SAA Callsign: SPRINGBOK Country: South Africa Utilization: 78% Active Modernity: Grade B (45.8% Next-Gen)
South African Airways Key Facts
- As of 2026-09-17, 59 South African Airways airframes were observed flying in the previous 30 days.
- 0 airframes were unobserved for 7 to 29 days, and 0 airframes are classified as stored or unobserved for 30 or more days.
- The observed average fleet age for South African Airways is 11.2 years.
Active Airframes 59 Observed in last 30 days (78% utilization)
Fleet Financing Structure 47.5% Owned · 52.5% Leased 28 owned · 31 leased tails
Modernity & Carbon Rating Grade B (-12% Fuel) 45.8% Next-Gen (neo/MAX/A350/787)
Fleet Ownership & Lessor Financing Exposure
Analysis of institutional aircraft operating lessors financing South African Airways's fleet portfolio.
Balance Sheet vs Leased Fleet Split
Financing Lessors with Portfolio Exposure
Fleet Age Distribution
Distribution of observed airframes by age bracket as of 2026-09-17.
| Age Bracket | Airframe Count |
|---|---|
| 0-4 yrs | 7 |
| 5-9 yrs | 16 |
| 10-14 yrs | 0 |
| 15-19 yrs | 0 |
| 20+ yrs | 0 |
Observed Fleet Locations
Global distribution of last-observed airport locations for South African Airways aircraft.
Observed Airframes
| Registration / Tail | Aircraft Type | Mode S Hex | Lessor / Owner | Status | Last Observed Airport | Estimated Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZS-SDC | Airbus A350-900 | 00afe9 | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 6.4 years |
| ZS-SDD | Airbus A350-900 | 00afea | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 6.8 years |
| ZS-SXA | Airbus A340-300 | 00b1ef | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 5.6 years |
| ZS-SXB | Airbus A340-300 | 00b1f0 | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 6.0 years |
| ZS-SXC | Airbus A340-300 | 00b1f1 | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 6.4 years |
| ZS-SXD | Airbus A340-300 | 00b1f2 | South African Airways | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 6.8 years |
| ZS-SXE | Airbus A340-300 | 00b1f3 | South African Airways | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 7.2 years |
| ZS-SXF | Airbus A340-300 | 00b1f4 | South African Airways | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 7.6 years |
| ZS-SXG | Airbus A340-300 | 00b1f5 | South African Airways | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 4.0 years |
| ZS-SXH | Airbus A340-300 | 00b1f6 | South African Airways | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 4.4 years |
| ZS-SNA | Airbus A340-600 | 00b0eb | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 5.6 years |
| ZS-SNB | Airbus A340-600 | 00b0ec | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 6.0 years |
| ZS-SNC | Airbus A340-600 | 00b0ed | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 6.4 years |
| ZS-SND | Airbus A340-600 | 00b0ee | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 6.8 years |
| ZS-SNE | Airbus A340-600 | 00b0ef | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 7.2 years |
| ZS-SNF | Airbus A340-600 | 00b0f0 | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 7.6 years |
| ZS-SNG | Airbus A340-600 | 00b0f1 | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 4.0 years |
| ZS-SNH | Airbus A340-600 | 00b0f2 | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 4.4 years |
| ZS-SNI | Airbus A340-600 | 00b0f3 | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 4.8 years |
| ZS-SID | Boeing 737-200 | 00b06c | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 4.8 years |
| ZS-SIF | Boeing 737-200 | 00b06e | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 5.6 years |
| ZS-SBA | Boeing 737-300 | 00afb3 | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 4.8 years |
| ZS-SBB | Boeing 737-300 | 00afb4 | ORIX Aviation | ACTIVE | Unassigned | 5.2 years |
Weekly Active vs Stored Airframes
| Week | Active | Idle | Stored |
|---|---|---|---|
| W34 | 55 | 2 | 2 |
| W35 | 57 | 1 | 1 |
| W36 | 58 | 1 | 0 |
| W37 | 59 | 0 | 0 |
Inferred Route Network
Observed airport pair connections during the 8-week rolling observation window.
Historical Incidents
No major fatal incidents recorded in the safety directory for South African Airways.
Latest News Mentions
No recent news headlines tagged for this airline.
See Also
Related carriers based in South Africa: