Comair (South Africa)

Last updated

Comair
Comair Limited Logo.svg
IATA ICAO Callsign
MNCAWCOMAIR
Founded1943 (1943)
(as Commercial Air Services)
Ceased operations9 June 2022 (2022-06-09) [1]
Hubs
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer program Executive Club/Avios
Alliance Oneworld (affiliate; 1999–2022)
Subsidiaries kulula.com
Parent company British Airways
Headquarters Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa
Key people
  • Glenn Orsmond (CEO)
  • Kirsten King (CFO)
Revenue Decrease2.svg ZAR 5.45 billion (2020)
Profit Decrease2.svg ZAR −2.09 billion (2020)
Website www.comair.co.za

Comair Limited was [1] an airline based in South Africa that operated scheduled services on domestic routes as a British Airways franchisee (and an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance). It also operated as a low-cost carrier under its own kulula.com brand. Its main base was OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, while focus cities were Cape Town, flying from Cape Town International Airport and Durban, King Shaka International Airport. Its headquarters were near OR Tambo in the Bonaero Park area of Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. [2]

Contents

History

Comair Douglas DC-3 in 1973 Comair Douglas DC-3 1973 Bor.jpg
Comair Douglas DC-3 in 1973

The idea for the airline came out of discussion of two second world war pilots based in Egypt, J.M.S. Martin and A.L. Zoubert, they gained another partner Leon Zimmerman and Commercial Air Services was formed in 1943 on their return to South Africa. [3] The company began charter operations on 15 June 1946 using Fairchild F-24 Argus and Douglas DC-3 aircraft. [4] Scheduled services between Rand Airport, Johannesburg and Durban began on 1 July 1948, using a Cessna 195. [5]

In 1978, Donald (Dave) Novick negotiated a management buyout of Comair's aviation assets. [6] A lengthy legal battle ensued between Novick and the Pickard Group. On 5 June 1978, Justice George Colman rendered a 291-page document in favour of Novick. In doing so, Colman established 12 precedents in South African corporate law; the litigation is now considered to be a landmark case.[ citation needed ]

When Novick joined Comair in 1961, the company had some 50 employees and operated two Douglas DC-3 aircraft. Under his direction, the company expanded its fleet into jet aircraft after the de-regulation of South African airline routes in 1991.

Novick pioneered a strong relationship with British Airways plc and a partnership through a franchise arrangement. British Airways later took a shareholding in Comair.[ citation needed ].

In 2001 kulula.com was established, by co-founders Gidon Novick and Erik Venter, as the first low-cost airline in South Africa. The airline maintained its lead in this segment of the market, serving leisure business customers. As part of a R 3.5-billion [7] investment in fleet upgrade, Comair ordered eight Boeing 737-800s to update its fleet in 2013. [8]

In March 2014, Comair announced a R 9-billion order for eight Boeing 737 MAX. The aircraft were due to be delivered from 2019 to 2022. [9]

The government of the British Overseas Territories Saint Helena and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) announced in March 2015 that it had reached agreement with Comair for the provision of weekly air services from Johannesburg, to commence in 2016, when the Atlantic island's airport was due to open for revenue service. [10] Comair withdrew from the agreement before the introduction of scheduled flights, due to severe wind shear on the initial test flights. A scheduled service provided by Airlink started in 2017. [11]

In August 2016, Imperial Air Cargo, a cargo airline in which Comair owned a 30 percent stake, started operations.

The company entered into voluntary business rescue proceedings on 5 May 2020, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic [12] Operations were suspended on 31 May 2022. [13] On 9 June 2022 the business rescue practitioners announced that there was no reasonable prospect of rescue and that the company be placed into liquidation. [1]

Corporate affairs

Ownership and structure

Comair Limited was a public company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE: COM), [14] but after going into business rescue on 5 May 2020, the company was delisted from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on 7 April 2021; this gave it access to ZAR100 million rand (USD6.8 million) under the COVID-19 Loan Guarantee Scheme put in place between the South African Reserve Bank and large commercial banks. [15]

The group had a number of subsidiary activities, including Comair Catering Proprietary Limited, trading under the Food Directions brand, that provided on-board catering and retail services to the group’s flights, and health and other food products to South African retailers, [14] and also had a 56% shareholding in The Highly Nutritious Food Company Proprietary Limited, trading as Eatrite, that distributes its products to retailers in South Africa. [14]

The published key trends for the Comair group (which includes activities under the British Airways and kulula.com brands) are shown below, as at years ending 30 June.

Comair entered into voluntary business rescue proceedings on 5 May 2020, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and no annual accounts for the fiscal year ending 30 June 2020 have therefore been published. The figures for 2020 shown below are from the Management Accounts set out in the Business Rescue Plan:

200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Turnover (R m)3,0493,0103,5884,1635,3875,9035,8915,9606,0646,5377,1265,448
Profit before tax (EBT) (R m)114124106113313743012954354711,103−2,091
Profit after tax (R m)219193297326897−1,647
Number of employees1,7821,9411,9531,8531,9122,0262,0882,1002,1212,2062,193
Number of passengers (m)5.25.15.45.55.86.0
Passenger load factor (%)767679
Number of aircraft (at year end)2325242427262525262625
Notes/sources [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [14] [12]

Headquarters

The Group’s headquarters were based at 1 Marignane Drive, Bonaero Park, Kempton Park. [14]

Destinations

British Airways franchisee

Logo used operated by Comair under the franchise agreement with British Airways BritishAirwaysComairLogo.jpg
Logo used operated by Comair under the franchise agreement with British Airways
Comair Boeing 737-400 in British Airways livery BA (Comair) B737-4S3 ZS-OAM (25673486214).jpg
Comair Boeing 737-400
in British Airways livery
Comair Boeing 737-800 in British Airways livery First Comair Boeing 737-800 flight to Saint Helena Airport (56).jpg
Comair Boeing 737-800
in British Airways livery

Comair offered flights to and from the following destinations, operating under the British Airways brand: [26]

Mauritius
Namibia
South Africa
Zambia
Zimbabwe

kulula.com

Comair offered flights to and from the following destinations, operating under the kulula.com brand: [26]

South Africa

Codeshares

Comair codeshared with the following airlines: [27]

Fleet

As of December 2021, Comair fleet included the following aircraft operated as British Airways franchise: [28]

Comair Fleet
AircraftTotalOrdersPassengers [29] Notes
CYTotal
Boeing 737-400 2—18126144
Boeing 737-800 10—24138162
Total12—

Incidents and accidents

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Staff Writer. "Comair goes under – with no prospect of rescue" . Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "Contact Us Archived 18 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine ." Comair. Retrieved 30 September 2009. "Comair Limited Physical address: Cnr Atlas Road and Marignane Drive Bonaero Park 1619 South Africa"
  3. ↑ Ken Fuller (June 2003). "Down Memory Lane - Rand Airport - The Early Years after World War Two". SAA Museum Society.
  4. ↑ "Commercial Air Services". Air History. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  5. ↑ Van Dyke, Capt Donald L (2008). Fortune Favours the Bold: An African Aviation Odyssey. Xlibris. p. 102. ISBN   978-1-4363-9314-0.
  6. ↑ Pretorius, J. T. (1999). Hahlo's South African Company Law Through the Cases: A Source Book : a Collection of Cases on Company Law, with Explanatory Notes and Comments. ISBN   9780702151422.
  7. ↑ "Comair – British Airways (operated by Comair) celebrates first of its new fleet". comair.co.za. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Comair orders 737-800". Archived from the original on 22 April 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  9. ↑ "Does Comair have eyes on Africa expansion?". News24. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  10. ↑ ""
  11. ↑ St Helena Government. Air Services to St Helena and Ascension Island.
  12. 1 2 "Comair Limited (In Business Rescue) Management Accounts" (PDF). 2 September 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  13. ↑ "Comair - Comair suspends flights pending receipt of funding". Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "Comair Limited Annual Report 2019" (PDF). 16 September 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  15. ↑ "South Africa's Comair seeks new financial support". 14 July 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  16. ↑ "Comair Limited Annual Report 2009" (PDF). 14 September 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  17. ↑ "Comair Limited Annual Report 2010" (PDF). 13 September 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  18. ↑ "Comair Limited Integrated Annual Report 2011" (PDF). 12 September 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  19. ↑ "Comair Limited Integrated Annual Report 2012" (PDF). 11 September 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  20. ↑ "Comair Limited Annual Report 2013" (PDF).
  21. ↑ "Comair Limited Annual Report 2014" (PDF).
  22. ↑ "Comair Limited Annual Report 2015" (PDF).
  23. ↑ "Comair Limited Annual Report 2016" (PDF). 13 September 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  24. ↑ "Comair Limited Annual Report 2017" (PDF). 11 September 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  25. ↑ "Comair Limited Annual Report 2018" (PDF). 17 September 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  26. 1 2 "Route Network". Comair. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  27. ↑ "Profile on Comair (South Africa)". CAPA. Centre for Aviation. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  28. ↑ "Login required".
  29. ↑ http://avcom.co.za/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=56880 Comair Aircraft configurations
  30. ↑ "C/N 19484". The Dakota Association of South Africa. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  31. ↑ "ZS-EJK Accident report". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  32. ↑ "Accident Synopsis » 03011988 [usurped] ," Airdisaster.com
  33. 1 2 Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante ZS-LGP Germiston, c. 13 km SW of Johannesburg International Airport (JNB'". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 31 August 2017.

Further reading

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