South African considers Heathrow slots sale

LONDON - South African Airways might tap Heathrow slots as a source for cash in its turn-around efforts. According to a media report, the airline considers selling a prime slot pair it currently uses for an overnight service to Johannesburg. South African has neither confirmed nor denied the rumors.

SAA mulls a day-time only operation to Heathrow. The airline might sell one of its two slot pairs at London Heathrow airport to bolster its financials, "Business Day" reports.

South African currently operates its daily 234/235 service on the slot. The inbound flight arrives at 06:25 am, the outbound service departs London at 06:25 pm to South Africa. While overnight flights are an attractive travel option to passengers on the route, SAA might switch to a day-time operation with a more efficient turn-around time.

Heathrow slots easily fetch big money: Etihad Airways paid 70 million dollars to Jet Airways in exchange for three LHR slot pairs in 2013. Three years later Oman Air took a prime Heathrow slot pair from Air France-KLM that carried a record price tag of 75 million dollars.