South African Airways' unit suspends services to parent over non-payment

South African Airways’ maintenance subsidiary has withdrawn services to its parent after the struggling airline failed to pay money owed to the unit, an SAA spokesman said Saturday. Administrators took control of SAA in December after almost a decade of financial losses, and have been trying to keep it afloat as the coronavirus pandemic compounds its problems. Spokesman Tlali Tlali said SAA Technical, a subsidiary of SAA that provides vital maintenance services including inspections required before a flight can take off, had informed the airline of its decision in a letter. “SAA Technical... as a company registered on its own is pursuing its commercial interests,” Tlali said, adding that meetings would take place over the weekend to try to resolve the issue. He added that while SAA was not operating commercial flights, it has been doing repatriation flights for South Africans stuck overseas due to the pandemic and some charter flights. Those services could be interrupted if SAA Technical does not restore its services.<br/>