On 1 February 1934, the Union of South Africa acquired all assets and liabilities of a private airline, Union Airways, and absorbed it into a new national airline - South African Airways.

The airline started with two Gypsy Moths, a Puss Moth, three Junkers F13's and a Junkers W34; with chartered and scheduled flights between Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. The inaugural flight of the three Junkers, to Durban in late 1934, caused a near riot. Crowds gasped in amazement at what was then considered the enormous size of the aircraft, and passengers couldn't alight for the jostling throng pressed up close to inspect these "giants". This sensation was the forerunner of a whole series of "firsts" for South African Airways:

• New routes into Africa were pioneered, as far afield as Kenya.
• The first international service (to Bournemouth) started in 1945.
• In October 1960, South African Airways began flying Boeing 707's to the UK and Europe.
• The first non-stop flight to Europe followed in 1962.
• A new route was pioneered to Europe along the west coast of Africa in August 1963.
• In 1973, the airline initiated another direct link between South Africa and the Far East; this weekly flight to Hong Kong was followed by a flight to Taiwan in 1980.
• By the end of 1989 South African Airways had conveyed over 5 million passengers for the first time in one year.

South African Airways became a division of Transnet on 1 April 1990, and began the process of forming the airline into a fully market-related commercial enterprise.

The Gulf War of 1991 had a devastating effect on world airlines, but it opened new opportunities for South African Airways. Services were resumed to Nairobi and Kenya, marking a re-entry into the African tourism market. And a year later, air agreements were secured with Zaire, Madagascar, Reunion and Seychelles.

1991 also saw the start of another series of firsts for the airline, once relations between South Africa and the rest of the world normalised again:

• Three weekly flights to New York were re-introduced on 3 November.
• The first South African Airways Airbus arrived in Johannesburg on 9 November, after completing the first flight over Angola since 1975.
• In January 1992, flights to Perth and Sydney were resumed. Weekly flights to Luanda began and the number of other African destinations increased.
• On 1 June, a joint agreement between South African Airways and Air Afrique introduced twice weekly flights between South Africa and West and Central Africa.
• Services to Bangkok and Singapore commenced 1 June, followed by the first scheduled flight to Munich on 13 August.
• A direct flight between Cape Town and Miami started on 12 December 1992.
• Larnaca, Cyprus was included on the Tel Aviv route from 2 February 1993, and Hamburg was introduced on 30 June.
• During 1994, Sao Paulo was added, and Dusseldorf replaced Hamburg as the third destination within Germany.
• In the same year, additional services to Victoria Falls and Miami, as well as a direct flight from Cape Town to Hong Kong came into operation.
• On 1 July 1995, Alliance was launched to service direct flights between Dar es Salaam, Entebbe and London. South African Airways holds a 40% share in Alliance.
• At the end of 1995, Buenos Aires was also added to the network.

South African Airways aims to remain the leading carrier to, from and within Africa by consistently reaching for new heights of distinction. Its status as a world class airline will surely continue to accrue respect, internationally. And pride, locally.

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