Comair (South Africa)
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| Founded | 1943 (as Commercial Air Services) | |||
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| Hubs | OR Tambo International Airport Lanseria International Airport |
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| Focus cities | Cape Town International Airport King Shaka International Airport |
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| Frequent-flyer program | Executive Club | |||
| Airport lounge | Terraces Lounge | |||
| Alliance | Oneworld (Affiliate member) | |||
| Fleet size | 14 + 4 Order | |||
| Destinations | 10 | |||
| Parent company | British Airways International Airlines Group |
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| Headquarters | Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa | |||
| Website | www.comair.co.za | |||
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.[1] Its headquarters are near OR Tambo in the Bonaero Park area of Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.[2]
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[edit] 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.[3] Scheduled services between Rand Airport, Johannesburg and Durban began on 1 July 1948, using a Cessna Model 195.[4]
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).[1]
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.[5]
[edit] Destinations
[edit]
Comair/British Airways has codeshare agreement with the following airlines.
[edit] Future Growth Strategy
Comair are looking into the opening other regional hubs in Southern Africa.[6]
[edit] Fleet
The Comair fleet includes the following aircraft in BA livery (as of 05 November 2011):[7]
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers[8] | Notes | ||
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| C | Y | Total | ||||
| ATR 42-500 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 48 | ZS-XCC Leased from Solenta Aviation |
| ATR 72-212 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 66 | 66 | ZS-XCB Leased from Solenta Aviation |
| 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[9] |
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| Total | 14 | 4 | ||||
[edit] Comair's Partnership with Solenta Aviation
On 3 March 2011 Comair announced that they are to lease a 66 seater ATR 72-212 from Solenta Aviation. The aircraft has since been received and put in service with the registration ZS-XCB.[10] It will be used to operate new the route which will be launched on 3 May 2011. The new route is:[11]
Lanseria International Airport to Maputo - Will operate 10 x Weekly. The launch of the route 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.
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.
[edit] 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 in 1995. At one point Comair's fleet consisted of 12 Boeing 737-200.[12]
[edit] Incidents and accidents
- On 12 October 1982, Douglas C-47A ZS-EJK was written off when it crashed into a mountain near Graskop,[13] 36 nautical miles (67 km) from Hoedspruit when attempting to divert to that airport whilst flying under IMC rules. All 30 people on board survived.[14]
- On 1 March 1988, Comair Flight 206, an Embraer 110 Bandeirante, crashed in Johannesburg, killing all 17 occupants.[15][16]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International: p. 67. 2007-04-03.
- ^ "Contact Us." Comair. Retrieved on 30 September 2009. "Comair Limited Physical address: Cnr Atlas Road and Marignane Drive Bonaero Park 1619 South Africa"
- ^ Van Dyke, Capt Donald L (2008). Fortune Favours the Bold: An African Aviation Odyssey. Xlibris. pp. 52, 70. ISBN 9781436393140.
- ^ Van Dyke, Capt Donald L (2008). Fortune Favours the Bold: An African Aviation Odyssey. Xlibris. pp. 102. ISBN 9781436393140.
- ^ "business news Comair to stay with British Airways". business.iafrica.com. http://business.iafrica.com/news/530340.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-16.
- ^ http://www.comair.co.za/html/articleView.asp?ArticleID=145 Comair Explores Regional Expansion
- ^ http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php Comair fleet
- ^ http://avcom.co.za/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=56880 Comair Aircraft configurations
- ^ http://www.routesonline.com/news/36/the-hub/110927/comair-to-go-long-haul-to-london/ Comair Lease 767
- ^ Airliners.net - Photo of ATR72 in BA livery, reg. ZS-XCB
- ^ http://www.comair.co.za/html/articleView.asp?ArticleID=145 Comair lease ATR72 from Solenta Aviation
- ^ Comair Bid Farewell to their 737-200 Fleet
- ^ "C/N 19484". The Dakota Association of South Africa. http://www.dc-3.co.za/dc-3-individual-aircraft-history/cn-19484.html. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
- ^ "ZS-EJK Accident report". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19821012-0. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
- ^ "Accident Synopsis » 03011988," Airdisaster.com
- ^ Comair Flight 206 accident
[edit] Further reading
- Van Dyke, Capt Donald L. 'Fortune Favours the Bold: An African Aviation Odyssey. Philadelphia: Xlibris, 2008. ISBN 978-1-4363-9314-0.
[edit] External links
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