South African Airways is the national flag carrier

Flag carrier

A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...

 and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park

Kempton Park, Gauteng

Kempton Park is a city on the East Rand in the Gauteng province, South Africa. Formerly an independent municipality in the Transvaal, Kempton Park no longer has its own municipal government, and has been part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since 2000...

, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng

Gauteng

Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...

. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide

South African Airways destinations

This is a list of South African Airways destinations. It does not include destinations served by South African Express.-Central Africa:*Angola**Luanda – Quatro de Fevereiro Airport*Cameroon**Douala – Douala International Airport...

 from its hub

Airline hub

An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...

 at OR Tambo International Airport, using a fleet of 59 aircraft. The airline is headed by CEO Siza Mzimela and CFO Kaushik Patel.

South African Airways was founded in 1934 after the acquisition of Union Airways

Union Airways

Union Airways of South Africa was the first South African commercial airline. It operated as an independent company for five years, from 1929 to 1934, before being taken over by the government as South African Airways.-History:...

 by the South African government

Government of South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a constitutional democracy with a three-tier system of government and an independent judiciary, operating in a nearly unique system that combines aspects of parliamentary and presidential systems. Legislative authority is held by the Parliament of South Africa...

.