South Africa's Comair reveals its business rescue plan

Air Botswana keen to join SAA-KQ pan-African alliance

South Africa's Comair halts dismissals

Comair (South Africa) (MN, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) has withdrawn employee dismissal notices but will seek other ways of cost savings, according to a statement by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) which has welcomed the airline’s move.

Comair – which remains in voluntary business rescue and operates the British Airways franchise and its own low-cost Kulula Air brand – had issued a Section 189 notice to NUMSA on March 1, 2022. Under South Africa’s Labour Relations Act, Section 189 permits employers to dismiss employees on operational grounds.

A Comair spokesperson confirmed to ch-aviation the company had advised the trade union and South Africa's labour dispute resolution Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) that the Section 189 notice and proceedings would be withdrawn after the CCMA commissioner had advised all parties that he did not believe the process was the most appropriate for the changes sought.

"Unfortunately, the harsh realities of the industry have not changed and the company will still need to achieve the necessary staff and...

Editorial Comment: Added Comair comment. - 05.05.2022 - 07:30 UTC

South Africa's Comair outlines int'l growth plans

SACAA lifts suspension of Lufthansa Technik subsidiary

Lufthansa Technik Maintenance International (LTMI) has resumed line maintenance services for Comair (South Africa) (MN, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) after the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) lifted the suspension of its air maintenance organisation (AMO) license.

The Lufthansa Technik subsidiary said in a statement: "Lufthansa Technik Maintenance International (LTMI) has been informed by SACAA on Sunday, that the submitted final resolution proposals for the two outstanding findings were accepted and that LTMI’s suspension of privileges was lifted.

"In subsequent discussions with Comair, which operates both British Airways (operated by Comair) and Kulula Air (MN, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) in Southern Africa, it was agreed that the suspended LTMI services would resume during the course of yesterday evening. This has been done and LTMI is again providing Comair with line maintenance services."

Comair Chief Executive Officer Glenn Orsmond confirmed LTMI's statement, as did SACAA spokeswoman Phindiwe Gwebu.

Procedural issues saw the indefinite suspension of LTMI's AMO on March 24 after the regulator had imposed a similar five-day suspension of Comair's Air...