South African Airways (SAA) said on Tuesday that it had signed a partnership deal with Emirates airline on more business cooperation.

South African Airways (SAA) said in Johannesburg that the partnership would see the two firms expand an existing codeshare agreement.

A codeshare agreement, also known as codeshare, is a business arrangement, common in the aviation industry.

It is an arrangement in which two or more airlines publish and market a flight under their own airline designator and flight number, as part of their published timetable or schedule.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has been at pains to stabilise struggling state-run firms like SAA, which has not generated a profit since 2011. (Reuters/NAN)