NEW YORK, NY and JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU), a New York based low cost carrier, and South African Airways (SAA), have launched a bilateral codeshare.

JetBlue will assign the IATA's "B6" code on SAA-operated flights between the U.S. and Johannesburg, South Africa and on connecting flights to destinations beyond Johannesburg including Cape Town, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Customers purchasing a codeshare itinerary will have a single ticket combining SAA- and JetBlue-operated flights, tickets are on sale through travel agencies and the GDS for immediate travel; in 2014, tickets are expected to be available for online sale.

SAA flies daily between both New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Washington's Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport

Robin Hayes, JetBlue's chief commercial officer, said: "We're so pleased to be expanding our successful partnership with South African Airways.

"For more than three years, our customers have enjoyed SAA's great service and convenient flights to Johannesburg and beyond. We look forward to continuing to deepen our relationship with SAA and introduce more of our customers to SAA's exciting destinations."

Marc Cavaliere, SAA's executive vice president- North America, added: "We're very proud to be one of JetBlue's first bi-lateral codeshare partners. Our successful partnership over the past three years has made it clear that a bilateral agreement would be the next natural step, particularly between two airlines that offer such extensive service in their respective markets.

"We have been introducing customers throughout Africa to JetBlue's outstanding service, and we now look forward to welcoming JetBlue's customers on board and offering them our award-winning service and exceptional destination and vacation options."

At JFK Airport, JetBlue operates from Terminal 5, while SAA operates from the adjacent Terminal 4, at Washington Dulles, both JetBlue and SAA are co-located in Concourse B.