The idea was floated by Kenya president Uhuru Kenyatta during his new year address.
He was reported as saying Kenya Airways “will join hands with partners in South Africa to establish a pan-African airline, with unmatched continental reach and global coverage.”
Both airlines are loss-making, with SAA having undergone a huge restructuring last year.
South Africa’s News24 quoted an SAA spokesperson who said the two brands would “operate independently”.
"The plan is to leverage each other’s networks for the benefit of customers - extensive codeshare for example - and leverage operational efficiencies between the two,” the spokesperson said.
