AT A time when SAA has
pulled its loss-making
China route and Air China
has delayed direct flights
to Johannesburg, Comair is
exploring “possibilities” with
China’s HNA Group.
The group, which includes
flagship carrier, Hainan
Airlines, recently acquired a
6,2% shareholding in Comair
from the Thelo Consortium,
Comair’s only BEE partner, for
R160m.
Erik Venter, ceo Comair, told
TNW: “Comair is honoured to
have HNA International, which
owns China’s fourth-largest
carrier, Hainan Airlines, as one
of its investors and we look
forward to exploring whether
there is any potential work we
can do with our new Chinese
shareholder.”
At this stage, however, Erik
says HNA’s investment has no
impact on Comair’s operations
and no codeshare agreements
have been put in place.
Although Comair is a well
run and profitable airline, it is
unlikely that HNA invested in it
purely for financial return. The
two carriers could have great
potential to provide additional
feed traffic beyond SA, says
Linden Birns, md of Plane
Talking. “Comair’s kulula.com
operation now serves Nairobi.
It is probably not coincidental
that last October Hainan
requested approval to open
nine new long-haul routes,
including Nairobi, which would
be its first African gateway.”
HNA was rumoured to be in
talks about a stake in SAA,
which SAA denied. HNA has
already invested in two other
African carriers, Africa World
Airlines in Ghana and Astral
Aviation in Kenya.
