Africa airline suspensions, country closures 23-29MAR

South African gov't fires official who criticised SAA deal

The South African government has axed controversial Public Enterprises Director-General Kgathatso Tlhakudi, who accused Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan of acting irregularly in the rescue and sale of South African Airways (SA, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) and undervaluing its assets.

His dismissal follows an inquiry into his conduct by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola (and mandated by President Cyril Ramaphosa), which found that Tlhakudi had breached his employment contract. It also came after the South African Constitutional Court refused an appeal by Thlakudi against a decision that upheld his suspension as lawful. Consequently, Thlakudi was handed a dismissal letter on June 2, according to a statement by the Department of Justice and Correctional Services.

Thlakudi was suspended in June 2022 after a whistleblower laid a complaint against him with the Public Service Commission for alleged unethical behaviour over a recruitment process in his department. However, the director-general claimed it was a plot to oust him because he disagreed with Gordhan's plan to sell 51% of SAA to the Takatso Consortium for ZAR1 rand (USD0.05) in...

Global/Syranix challenge sidelining in SAA deal

The minority shareholder in the Takatso Consortium is to challenge its recommended sidelining in the sale of South African Airways (SA, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) before South Africa's Competition Tribunal.

"Our main challenge will be that we have not, as reported, agreed to sell our shares," confirmed Gidon Novick, who represents Takasto minority shareholders Global Aviation Operations and management consultancy Syranix, which also own the Lift Airlines (LIFT) brand that competes with SAA domestically.

The Competition Commission, which advises on antitrust matters, sees a conflict of interest between Global/Syranix's ownership of LIFT and its planned co-ownership of SAA. It has made the minority shareholders' divestment from Takatso a condition for approving the semi-privatisation deal that would see Takatso take a 51% share, with the government retaining 49%. Takatso's majority shareholder is Harith General Partners, an asset management firm that owns Lanseria airport near Johannesburg. Novick says Global/Syranix have also reached out to Harith to find a solution.

The Competition Commission has alleged that all parties to the transaction have agreed that Global/Syranix...

SAA returns to growth, moots Brazil for longhaul return

Lufthansa to add four ex-LATAM A350-900s

Lufthansa Group has signed an agreement to acquire four incremental A350-900s from Deucalion Aviation, continuing its strategy of opportunistic A350 fleet growth.

The four aircraft will deliver later this year. But while the carrier did not provide any more information regarding the identity of the aircraft, the ch-aviation fleets ownership module shows the Dutch lessor owns only four A350-900s. The ex-LATAM Airlines Brasil aircraft are of 2016 (three units) and 2019 (one) vintage, and have been parked at Victorville since 2020-2021. LATAM Airlines Group retired its entire A350 fleet during Chapter 11 restructuring in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier reports suggested that Lufthansa Group was also targeting two more second-hand A350-900s, formerly operated by South African Airways (SA, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) and owned by Park Aerospace Holdings.

The German holding currently operates twenty-one A350-900s, including four ex-Philippine Airlines (PR, Manila Ninoy Aquino International) units added in the first half of 2022. It has a firm order for a further...