South African Airways (SAA) said on Thursday that it would try to operate a new provisional timetable, after its board of directors adopted a resolution to place the company into a business rescue process at the earliest opportunity.

SAA said in a statement that the business rescue process sought to minimise the destruction of value across its subsidiaries and provide the best prospects for "selected activities within the group to continue operating successfully".

It added that services operated by its subsidiary Mango Airlines would continue as usual, despite the business rescue process.