Erik Venter, ce of Comair, has refuted allegations from the travelling public that Comair took FlySafair to court because it fears competition. (See TNW October 16)
“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 told eTNW.
Erik explains 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 says.
The indictment of FlySafair and the consequent inconvenience to travellers can’t be blamed on Comair, Erik says. “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.”
Do you think that Comair has harmed its image by blocking Fly Safair? Let us know by voting in the poll on the eTNW and let us know by posting your comments on Disqus.
