US consultancy is new adviser

SAA APPOINTED US aviation consultancy Seabury Group to advise on how to increase revenue and compile a long-term business plan for the unprofitable stateowned carrier. Seabury started work on Monday and will report to acting chief executive Musa Zwane, SAA spokesman Tlali Tlali said yesterday. The New Yorkbased consultancy’s recommendations will be presented to the board for consideration and for management’s implementation once approved, he said. SAA awarded the contract to Seabury after the government hired Boston-based Bain & Company to advise on strategy and corporate structure of the country’s three loss-making state-run airlines: SAA, SA Express and Mango Airlines. That contract was awarded in October for a three-month period, a spokesman for the Treasury said last year. Both SAA and SA Express are surviving on state debt guarantees. The cabinet approved a new board on August 31 to overhaul management of SAA, which hasn’t made an annual profit since 2011. SAA said it had presented a corporate plan to the government that indicated a return to profit in 2021.