Erik Venter, CE of Comair, has refuted allegations from the travelling public that Comair took FlySafair to court because it fears competition.
“We are quite happy to see competition if it is in compliance with South Africa’s Air Services Licensing Act, such as that proposed by Skywise,” he said.
Venter explained the aviation industry is governed by bilateral state policy and legislation, and airlines have to be able to rely on the consistent application thereof when making long-term investments in their fleets. “In the absence of certainty regarding the consistent application of legislation, no private airline would be prepared to take the risk of investing in new and more efficient aircraft for the local market,” he said.
The indictment of FlySafair and the consequent inconvenience to travellers can’t be blamed on Comair, Venter said. “It is unfortunate, but those who bought Flysafair tickets should consider that Flysafair knew that its license was in dispute, and despite this it decided to sell tickets to the public.”
Comair has announced details of the re-accommodation of passengers with FlySafair tickets on BA and kulula.com flights. Click here for more information.
