The chief executive of South African Airways (SAA), Professor John Lamola, has resigned from the state‑owned carrier effective 30 April 2026, marking the end of a four‑year tenure that saw the airline emerge from business rescue and restore its operational footprint in a fiercely competitive global market. According to an announcement from the South African Government, the minister of transport, Barbara Creecy, acting in her capacity as shareholder representative, accepted the resignation alongside the SAA board following a formal board meeting.
Lamola, who took the helm as interim chief in May 2022 before being appointed permanently in February 2025, guided the airline through the final stages of its business‑rescue process and the lingering disruption of the Covid‑19 pandemic. Creecy noted that under Lamola’s stewardship, SAA implemented a disciplined rebuilding strategy, restoring operations and re‑establishing its position after the collapse of the controversial Takatso Consortium deal in March 2024, which had valued the airline at R1 billion. As reported by Aviation Week Network, SAA expanded its fleet from five to nineteen aircraft during his tenure and grew its route network from six to seventeen destinations, including the reintroduction of key international routes such as São Paulo, Brazil, and Perth, Australia, alongside a strengthened domestic footprint. The airline also posted a net profit of R252 million in the 2022/23 financial year, its first since 2012, with revenue rising to R5.7 billion from R2 billion the prior year.
The SAA board stated that Lamola had played a pivotal role in rebuilding the airline and positioning it for sustained success, leaving a lasting positive legacy after leading through a complex and demanding period. An Oxford Economics Africa study commissioned by SAA found that the airline contributed R9.1 billion in gross value added to South Africa’s GDP in 2023/24, with a forecast of R32.6 billion by 2029/30, alongside projected job growth from 25,200 to 86,700 positions over the same period. The airline had previously set a target to grow its fleet to 50 aircraft by 2028 and was planning long‑haul expansions to Mumbai, Guangzhou and New York.
Matshela Seshibe, the chief executive of SAA’s wholly owned catering subsidiary Air Chefs, has been appointed acting group chief executive. The group confirmed that the recruitment process for a permanent chief executive would commence shortly, with Lamola’s departure effective from the end of April.