Flitestar
Encyclopedia
Company history
Flitestar was the first South African airline to directly challenge the monopoly of South African AirwaysSouth African Airways
South African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International...
(SAA). It was a subsidiary of Trek Airways
Trek Airways
Trek Airways was an airline based in South Africa that operated from August 1953 until April 1994.-Company history:Founded in 1953, Trek Airways was the only South African airline apart from SAA to fly international services. At the beginning, flights were operated from Europe to South Africa with...
; the actual name of the airline was Trek Airways Flitestar, but it operated under the brand name Flitestar. The airline began operations on 16 October 1991 using four new leased Airbus A320-211
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft.
Flitestar concentrated on serving the business market without neglecting other passengers, which gained it up to 25% of the domestic market with load factors of 63% or more. SAA offered stiff competition, and by December 1993 Flitestar reduced services.
On 11 April 1994 Flitestar and Trek Airways ceased operations and both airlines were liquidated.