From the Top
Letter from the CEO – Siza Mzimela
Welcome Bombardier Q400, welcome

The delivery of two Bombardier Q400 74 aircraft in April, a welcome addition to our fleet, will coincide with SAX’s 12th anniversary. Not only is this a significant moment in our development, but we will surely go down in aviation history books as the first airline in Africa to operate this unique turbo prop.

We evaluated several turboprop and jet aircraft and selected the Bombardier Q400 because it is the most economical and comfortable turboprop aircraft in the world, making it the ideal aircraft for our local and regional routes.

The perception most people have of a turboprop is of a slow moving aircraft with whirling propellers, crammed and noisy passenger cabins that jiggle and shake. But if a turboprop could somehow be made to overcome the noise and vibration problem, and made to be as fast as a jet, the perceptions could easily be changed. This is exactly what Bombardier has done with the Q400. After all, Q stands for “quiet”.

The Q400 comes equipped with a noise vibration and suppression (NVS) system, a Bombardier Aerospace exclusive. The NVS delivers the quietest and most vibration-free passenger cabin of any propeller- driven aircraft.

The average cabin noise is equivalent to a Boeing 747- 400 upper deck, and quieter than an Airbus A318/319. The Q400 structure uses the same technology as that used in Boeings and Airbuses.

The Q400’s product features are exciting. The aircraft can climb to 25,000 feet within two minutes of a regional jet. Climb performance is an important feature of any aircraft as it enables the aircraft to spend longer in the cruise, traveling faster and burning less fuel. At cruise altitude, the Q400’s engine and propeller system drives the aircraft at 360 knots or 667km/h, thus delivering route trip times approaching those of a jet.

Unlike many other small turboprops, the bright modern interior of the Q400 boasts seats that are wide, comfortable and orthopaedically designed, with a competitive seat pitch for generous legroom. There is also ample storage above in the overhead bins as well as under-seat.

Almost five years after entering revenue service, the Q400 fleet has proven that on short and medium-haul airline routes, the airplane’s operating economics are unmatched by any other aircraft.

The firm order book for the Q400 airliner now stands at 165 aircraft. As of January this year, 106 Q400 aircraft are in service with 13 operators, in North America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region.

Most recently Qantas Airlines of Australia announced that they would buy seven Q400s and take options on an additional ten. South African Express Airways is the first in Africa to acquire the Q400.

Enough about the product features. What will the aircraft do for us? The two Q400s will allow us to enrich our intra-Africa networks and increase our frequencies for the convenience of our customers.

The addition of the Q400 aircraft to our existing Bombardier fleet supports our vision to be the most successful regional partner airline. It also forms part of our long-term fleet renewal programme.

The aircraft will be used in domestic and regional routes where demand is better met by an aircraft bigger than our current fleet.

Because many of our customers often make last-minute travel decisions, we have abolished our online advance purchase restrictions to give them even more flexibility. Indeed, we make planning a quick visit to any of our destinations much easier as well as more affordable.

The acquisition of the Q400s and the elimination of all online advance purchase restrictions on our fares will improve our efficiencies and enhance our product offering in pursuit of our commitment to offer the best service to our customers.

As much as we are proud to be the launch customer for this aircraft in Africa, we are also confident that our customers will enjoy the innovative features that make travel on the Q400 the ultimate flying experience. Indeed, the aircraft was designed specifically for regional travel, high-frequency routes.

The Q400 was carefully designed with the passenger in mind at each stage of development to create the most comfortable, luxurious and safe airplane for short and regional distance and frequent flights.

We are glad to be Africa’s showcase for the Bombardier Q400. The added benefit of jet-like cruise speeds and excellent reliability makes it an unbeatable choice.
See you aboard our Q400.
Siza Mzimela