Comair (South Africa)
Encyclopedia
Comair is an airline
based in South Africa
. It operates scheduled services on domestic trunk routes as a British Airways
franchisee and an affiliate member of the Oneworld
airline alliance. Its main base is OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg
, with hubs at Cape Town International Airport
and King Shaka International Airport
, Durban
. Its headquarters are near OR Tambo in the Bonaero Park
area of Kempton Park
, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng
.
, Johannesburg and Durban began on 1 July 1948, using a Cessna
Model 195
.
The airline grew over the next decades, to the point where it was able to start service on major domestic routes in 1992, using Boeing 737-200 aircraft. In addition to domestic flights to destinations such as Cape Town
and Durban
, it also offered a few international flights in Southern Africa, e.g. to Gaborone
and Harare
.
A franchise agreement with British Airways was signed in 1996 and in early 2000 British Airways acquired a minority holding. It was listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in July 1998. The airline is owned by the management (25%), institutions and public (52%), International Airlines Group
/British Airways (18%) and employees (5%) and has 1,447 employees (at March 2007).
In 2001, kulula.com
was set up. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comair and was set up as a low-cost airline
.
On 6 September 2007, Comair extended its franchise agreement with British Airways for a further 11 years.
. They are also looking into the opening other regional hubs in Southern Africa.
from Solenta Aviation. The aircraft has since been received and put in service with the registration ZS-XCB. It will be used to operate two new routes which will be launched on 3 May 2011. The new routes are:
Lanseria International Airport to Gaborone
- Will operate a daily service and will increase to 10 x Weekly 2Q 2011
Lanseria International Airport to Maputo
- Will operate 8 x Weekly.
The launch of the routes was later delayed to September 2011.
In October 2011 a ATR42-500 (ZS-XCC) joined the ATR72 already operated by Solenta on behalf of Comair. Later that month flights to Gaborone were dropped after only 2 months of operation
From 01 December 2011 Solenta Aviation
will begin operating flights to George Airport
from Lanseria International Airport on behalf of Comair. Flight will operate under the BA brand daily on a Solenta Aviation ATR72. At the same time flights from Lanseria International Airport to Maputo
will increase from 8 to 10 x weekly and will operate with a improved schedule.
The flights will operate using the British Airways brand and the ATR will be in British Airways Livery. The new routes will be the first operated under the British Airways brand from Lanseria International Airport. Comair believe their new partnership with Solenta Aviation will continue to grow to include additional aircraft and more routes from both Lanseria and other potential hubs within southern Africa in the future.
The first 737-200 aircraft entered service for Comair back in 1995. At one point Comair's fleet consisted of 12 Boeing 737-200.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It operates scheduled services on domestic trunk routes as a British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
franchisee and an affiliate member of the Oneworld
Oneworld
Oneworld , branded as oneworld, is one of the world's three largest global airline alliances with its central management team, oneworld Management Company, based in New York City, New York, USA. Oneworld was founded in 1999 by American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific...
airline alliance. Its main base is OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, with hubs at Cape Town International Airport
Cape Town International Airport
Cape Town International Airport is the primary airport serving the city of Cape Town, and is the second busiest airport in South Africa and third busiest in Africa. Located approximately from the city centre, the airport was opened in 1954 to replace Cape Town's previous airport in the suburb of...
and King Shaka International Airport
King Shaka International Airport
King Shaka International Airport, also known as La Mercy Airport and abbreviated as KSIA, is the primary airport serving Durban, South Africa. Located at La Mercy, approximately north of the city centre of Durban, it opened its doors to passengers on May 1, 2010, just over a month before the...
, Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
. Its headquarters are near OR Tambo in the Bonaero Park
Bonaero Park
Bonaero Park is a southern suburb of Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, in Gauteng province, South Africa. It lies next to OR Tambo International Airport, the busiest in Africa...
area of Kempton Park
Kempton Park, Gauteng
Kempton Park is a city on the East Rand in the Gauteng province, South Africa. Formerly an independent municipality in the Transvaal, Kempton Park no longer has its own municipal government, and has been part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since 2000...
, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
.
History
The airline was founded by World War II South African Air Force (SAAF) colleagues AC Joubert, JMS Martin, L Zimmerman and JDW Human and incorporated on 17 December 1943 as Commercial Air Services. The company began charter operations on 15 June 1946 using Fairchild F-24/UC-61K Argus Mk III aircraft. Scheduled services between Rand AirportRand Airport
Rand Airport is an airport in Germiston, South Africa. It was constructed in the 1920s as the main airport for Johannesburg, but the city outgrew it and replaced the airport firstly with Palmietfontein Airport in the late 1940s, then with the larger Jan Smuts International Airport in the...
, Johannesburg and Durban began on 1 July 1948, using a Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
Model 195
Cessna 195
The Cessna 190 and 195 Businessliner are a family of light single radial engine powered, conventional landing gear equipped, general aviation aircraft which were manufactured by Cessna between 1947 and 1954....
.
The airline grew over the next decades, to the point where it was able to start service on major domestic routes in 1992, using Boeing 737-200 aircraft. In addition to domestic flights to destinations such as Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, it also offered a few international flights in Southern Africa, e.g. to Gaborone
Gaborone
' is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 191,776 based on a 2006 survey, about 10% of the total population of Botswana....
and Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
.
A franchise agreement with British Airways was signed in 1996 and in early 2000 British Airways acquired a minority holding. It was listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in July 1998. The airline is owned by the management (25%), institutions and public (52%), International Airlines Group
International Airlines Group
International Airlines Group is a multinational airline holding company headquartered in London, United Kingdom and with its registered office in Madrid, Spain...
/British Airways (18%) and employees (5%) and has 1,447 employees (at March 2007).
In 2001, kulula.com
Kulula.com
kulula.com, also known as Kulula Air , is a South African low-fare airline, operating on major domestic routes out of OR Tambo International Airport, outside of Johannesburg. There are also a limited number of international flights to Namibia, Mauritius, Zambia and Zimbabwe...
was set up. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comair and was set up as a low-cost airline
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
.
On 6 September 2007, Comair extended its franchise agreement with British Airways for a further 11 years.
Destinations
- MauritiusMauritiusMauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
- Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International AirportSir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International AirportSir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport , known as SSR Airport or previously as Plaisance Airport, is an international airport serving the island country of Mauritius. The airport is located at Plaine Magnien, near Plaisance and southeast of Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius...
- Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport
- MozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
- MaputoMaputoMaputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
- Maputo International AirportMaputo International AirportMaputo International Airport , also known as Lourenço Marques Airport, is an airport located northwest of the center of Maputo, the largest city and capital of Mozambique. It is the largest airport in Mozambique, and hub for LAM Mozambique Airlines and Kaya Airlines...
- Maputo
- NamibiaNamibiaNamibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
- WindhoekWindhoekWindhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
- Hosea Kutako International AirportWindhoek Hosea Kutako International AirportAlthough Hosea Kutako International Airport is the main international airport of Namibia, yet there are no direct flights from/to this airport to/from countries other than its neighbouring countries , Zimbabwe, Ghana & Germany. Therefore most of the passengers flying into / out of Namibia must have...
- Windhoek
- South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
- Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
- Cape Town International AirportCape Town International AirportCape Town International Airport is the primary airport serving the city of Cape Town, and is the second busiest airport in South Africa and third busiest in Africa. Located approximately from the city centre, the airport was opened in 1954 to replace Cape Town's previous airport in the suburb of...
Focus city - DurbanDurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
- King Shaka International AirportKing Shaka International AirportKing Shaka International Airport, also known as La Mercy Airport and abbreviated as KSIA, is the primary airport serving Durban, South Africa. Located at La Mercy, approximately north of the city centre of Durban, it opened its doors to passengers on May 1, 2010, just over a month before the...
Focus city - GeorgeGeorge-People:*See George *See George *See Saint George -Places:Australia*Lake George, New South WalesCanada*George's Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador*George Street, St. John's, Newfoundland and LabradorSouth Africa...
- George AirportGeorge AirportGeorge Airport is an airport located in George, South Africa. It was formerly known as P.W. Botha Airport, named after the state president who lived in this part of the country.In 2004, the airport served 199,000 passengers, up from 154,000 in 2003.... - JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
- Lanseria AirportLanseria AirportLanseria International Airport is a privately owned international airport that is situated north of Randburg and Sandton to the north west of Johannesburg, South Africa. The airport can handle aircraft up to the Boeing 757-300 and Airbus A319.-History:...
- OR Tambo International Airport Hub
- Lanseria Airport
- NelspruitNelspruitNelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar...
- Kruger Mpumalanga International AirportKruger Mpumalanga International AirportKruger Mpumalanga International Airport located north east of Nelspruit. It serves travelers to Kruger National Park and there are also scheduled passenger flights to Johannesburg and, less frequently, to other South African cities.... - Port Elizabeth - Port Elizabeth AirportPort Elizabeth AirportPort Elizabeth Airport , formerly H. F. Verwoerd Airport, is an airport situated in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The airport is owned and operated by the Airports Company South Africa which also operates nine other airports around South Africa....
- Cape Town
- TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
- Dar es SalaamDar es SalaamDar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
- Julius Nyerere International AirportJulius Nyerere International AirportJulius Nyerere International Airport -History:The German colonial Government built the first airport in Tanganyika at Kurasini in Temeke District in 1918. It was called Mkeja Airport....
(Temporarily Suspended from 02 August 2011)
- Dar es Salaam
- ZambiaZambiaZambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
- LivingstoneLivingstone, ZambiaLivingstone or Maramba is a historic colonial city and present capital of the Southern Province of Zambia, a tourism centre for the Victoria Falls lying north of the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe on the other side of the Falls...
- Livingstone AirportLivingstone AirportHarry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport is an international airport in Livingstone, Zambia . Formerly Livingstone Airport, this airport is now called Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport. Harry Mwanga Nkumbula was the leader of the Africa National Congress in Zambia, one of the parties...
- Livingstone
- ZimbabweZimbabweZimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
- HarareHarareHarare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
- Harare International AirportHarare International AirportHarare International Airport is an airport in Harare, Zimbabwe. The airport is operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe and is the hub of Air Zimbabwe. The airport's runway, at , is one of the longest in Africa. It compares with OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South... - Victoria FallsVictoria Falls, ZimbabweVictoria Falls is a town in the province of Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe. It lies on the southern bank of the Zambezi River at the western end of the Victoria Falls themselves...
- Victoria Falls AirportVictoria Falls AirportVictoria Falls Airport serves the tourism industry of Victoria Falls and is located 18 km south of the town of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe . The existing runway is capable of handling aircraft up to B737 or A319 or equivalent, however, plans are underway to construct a new 4000m runway that will...
- Harare
Future Growth Strategy
The new services to Gaborone and Maputo mark the first phase of Comair's planned expansion into further destinations in Africa. For some time now Comair have been exploring the possibility of setting up a regional hub at Lanseria AirportLanseria Airport
Lanseria International Airport is a privately owned international airport that is situated north of Randburg and Sandton to the north west of Johannesburg, South Africa. The airport can handle aircraft up to the Boeing 757-300 and Airbus A319.-History:...
. They are also looking into the opening other regional hubs in Southern Africa.
Fleet
The Comair fleet includes the following aircraft in BA livery (as of 05 November 2011):| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||
| ATR 42-500 ATR 42 -Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 48 | ZS-XCC Leased from Solenta Aviation Solenta Aviation Solenta Aviation is an airline based in Johannesburg, South Africa, with its maintenance base at Lanseria International Airport. The company was founded in 2002 and operates cargo flights on regional routes throughout the Sub-Saharan Africa on behalf of DHL Aviation, as well as passenger charter... |
| ATR 72-212 ATR 72 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology... |
1 | 3 | 0 | 66 | 66 | ZS-XCB Leased from Solenta Aviation Solenta Aviation Solenta Aviation is an airline based in Johannesburg, South Africa, with its maintenance base at Lanseria International Airport. The company was founded in 2002 and operates cargo flights on regional routes throughout the Sub-Saharan Africa on behalf of DHL Aviation, as well as passenger charter... |
| Boeing 737-300 | 8 | 0 | 17 | 100 | 117 | |
| Boeing 737-400 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 126 | 144 | |
| Boeing 767-200ER | 0 | 1 | TBA | ZS-SOF Leased from Aeronexus Will operate London/Durban |
||
| Total | 14 | 4 | ||||
Comair's Partnership with Solenta Aviation
On 3 March 2011 Comair announced that they are to lease a 66 seater ATR 72-212ATR 72
The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology...
from Solenta Aviation. The aircraft has since been received and put in service with the registration ZS-XCB. It will be used to operate two new routes which will be launched on 3 May 2011. The new routes are:
Lanseria International Airport to Gaborone
Gaborone
' is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 191,776 based on a 2006 survey, about 10% of the total population of Botswana....
- Will operate a daily service and will increase to 10 x Weekly 2Q 2011
Lanseria International Airport to Maputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
- Will operate 8 x Weekly.
The launch of the routes was later delayed to September 2011.
In October 2011 a ATR42-500 (ZS-XCC) joined the ATR72 already operated by Solenta on behalf of Comair. Later that month flights to Gaborone were dropped after only 2 months of operation
From 01 December 2011 Solenta Aviation
Solenta Aviation
Solenta Aviation is an airline based in Johannesburg, South Africa, with its maintenance base at Lanseria International Airport. The company was founded in 2002 and operates cargo flights on regional routes throughout the Sub-Saharan Africa on behalf of DHL Aviation, as well as passenger charter...
will begin operating flights to George Airport
George Airport
George Airport is an airport located in George, South Africa. It was formerly known as P.W. Botha Airport, named after the state president who lived in this part of the country.In 2004, the airport served 199,000 passengers, up from 154,000 in 2003....
from Lanseria International Airport on behalf of Comair. Flight will operate under the BA brand daily on a Solenta Aviation ATR72. At the same time flights from Lanseria International Airport to Maputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
will increase from 8 to 10 x weekly and will operate with a improved schedule.
The flights will operate using the British Airways brand and the ATR will be in British Airways Livery. The new routes will be the first operated under the British Airways brand from Lanseria International Airport. Comair believe their new partnership with Solenta Aviation will continue to grow to include additional aircraft and more routes from both Lanseria and other potential hubs within southern Africa in the future.
Boeing 737-200 Retirement
On 31 January 2011 Comair announced that they have bid farewell to the last of their Boeing 737-200 aircraft. The Boeing 737-200 aircraft operated their last flights for Comair in December 2010.The first 737-200 aircraft entered service for Comair back in 1995. At one point Comair's fleet consisted of 12 Boeing 737-200.
Incidents and accidents
- On 12 October 1982, Douglas C-47A ZS-EJK was written off when it crashed into a mountain near GraskopGraskopGraskop is a small town in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. It was set up in the 1880s as a gold mining camp but it now serves as a timber industry and milling centre. The name is Afrikaans for grassy peak. “God’s Window”, a breathtaking view from the escarpment of the Lowveld below, is located...
, 36 nautical miles (66.7 km) from HoedspruitAFB HoedspruitAir Force Base Hoedspruit is an airbase of the South African Air Force. It is located adjacent to the Kruger National Park. In the late 1990s an unused portion of the base was converted into a civilian airport known as Eastgate Airport...
when attempting to divert to that airport whilst flying under IMCInstrument meteorological conditionsInstrument meteorological conditions is an aviation flight category that describes weather conditions that require pilots to fly primarily by reference to instruments, and therefore under Instrument Flight Rules , rather than by outside visual references under Visual Flight Rules . Typically, this...
rules. All 30 people on board survived. - On 1 March 1988, Comair Flight 206, an Embraer 110 Bandeirante, crashed in Johannesburg, killing all 17 occupants.
Further reading
- Van Dyke, Capt Donald L. Fortune Favours the Bold: An African Aviation Odyssey. Philadelphia: XlibrisXlibrisXlibris is a Bloomington, Indiana-based self-publishing and on-demand printing services provider founded in 1997., The New York Times stated it to be the foremost on-demand publisher. The founder and chief executive is John Feldcamp.- Overview :...
, 2008. ISBN 978-1-4363-9314-0.