South African Airways' Airbus A320. Photo credit: Jan Seba

South African Airways (SAA) has assured customers that its operations to Blantyre in Malawi, remain affected by maintenance and upgrade work at the Chileka International Airport in Blantyre.

According to the Malawian airport authorities, the main runway in Blantyre will remain closed for an extended period until 31 October 2019 for maintenance and rehabilitation.

SAA has therefore made alternative travel arrangements to ensure continued operations to and from Blantyre and to mitigate further impact of the runway closure on its customers and passengers.

In the interim, customers will travel between Johannesburg and Lilongwe on SAA aircraft and further travel between Lilongwe and Blantyre on Ethiopian Airlines from 31 August 2019 to 31 October 2019.

South African Airways operates daily flights between Johannesburg and Lilongwe using a mix of Airbus A320 and A319 aircraft offering both business and economy class products.