​Thabo Bodibe
South African Airways (SAA) has resumed its direct service between Johannesburg and Perth, Australia offering flights three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi together with MEC for Economic Development Tasneem Motara, SAA CEO Professor John Lamola and ACSA CEO Mpumi Mpofu attended the relaunch at O R Tambo International Airport on Sunday, 29 April 2024.  
Addressing the relaunch, Premier Lesufi said he was thrilled about ACSA's expansion of additional routes as there are 44 airlines flying in and out of O R Tambo International Airport creating air connectivity with the Southern hemisphere. 
Lesufi also highlighted the crucial role of cargo and tourism for Gauteng's economy, as well as the importance of building routes between South Africa and other BRICS countries.
"We must invest in tourism. We need our own Bali in Gauteng. We need new infrastructure and major tourist destinations in our province.
"Building on these sectors, our partnership within BRICS offers an immense opportunity to showcase our goods and enable our citizens to access new markets. It's about making meaningful connections that empower our communities and drive our economic engine forward," said Lesufi." 
An Australian passenger who introduced himself as Mr. Green, said he had originally travelled from Australia to Johannesburg via Singapore and was among the first to benefit from this direct flight. 
He expressed his excitement for the shortened travel time. He said previously getting to Perth involved a grueling 23-hour journey with lengthy stopovers. 
"Now, I can travel in just 9 hours," said Green.
This is the second significant route introduced by SAA in the last six months, after the airline launched a service to São Paulo, Brazil, in October last year.
O R Tambo International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the content. With the inception of nine new routes and reintroduced routes in the last 12 months such as Sao Paolo, Algiers, Lusaka, Abidjan, Beijing, Hong Kong and Frankfurt.
ACSA CEO Mpumi Mpofu congratulated SAA for the important strides that it was making in the country's aviation sector.  
She said the resumption of the route to Perth was key to fostering growth and enhancing connectivity, as well as fulfilling shared commitment to elevating South Africa's aviation sector on the global stage.