Licensing sought for South Africa-UK route

The joint CEO of Comair, Erik Venter, made a statement yesterday announcing that his company had applied for a licence to operate flights between South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Comair is responsible for two airlines: kulula.com, a budget flight operator and the British Airways franchise in South Africa.

Permission is being sought from the International Air Services Licensing Council. If granted, the company says it plans to start flights between the two countries within one year.

Exact details of the flights have not been released by Comair, but many experts in the industry predict the company will use its license to begin direct flights from London Gatwick Airport to Johannesburg.

Nationwide Airlines, based in South Africa, already operates along this route, leading many to believe that the license could result in a drop in prices for flights with both companies.

Meanwhile, South African Airways, the national carrier, plans to alter their flights between Heathrow and Johannesburg slightly. The airline was travelling the route with Boeing 747-400 aircrafts. Last week the airline announced they would be using more fuel efficient planes on the route in the future, bringing in A340-300 models for the flights.

Comair has not stated which brand and model of aircrafts it will use if its licensing bid is successful. However Venter did say that the company was "investigating various options to acquire wide-body aircraft that would be required to operate the long-haul route".

Venter concluded: "Comair will continue to pursue growth opportunities in the domestic, regional and international travel markets, while simultaneously looking for brand extension opportunities for the kulula.com brand."


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Jennifer Jones Editorial


13/09/2007


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