Court orders SAA to cough up R1,16bn

SAA was ordered to
pay Comair R554m
plus interest at 15,5%
for engaging in anticompetitive
behaviour
through the incentives
it offered travel agents
between 1999 and
2005. The total amount
the national carrier is
expected to pay adds
up to approximately
R1,16bn.
The South Gauteng High
Court passed the order
on February 15 after a
long and complex case.
Erik Venter, ceo of
Comair, said: “We
pursued this case
because a dominant
carrier had abused its
position in the market
to the detriment of
its competitors, their
shareholders and
employees and the flying
public.”
“It is important to
note that this is one
of the legacy matters
implemented by the then
management team. All
those managers left
the company a while
back and new business
management processes
were since introduced to
ensure compliance with
all relevant prescripts,”
says SAA spokesperson,
Tlali Tlali. He says SAA’s
counsel will study the
judgment and advise SAA
on how to proceed.