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| Founded | 1943 (as Commercial Air Services) | |||
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| Hubs | OR Tambo International Airport | |||
| 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 | 15 + 4 Order | |||
| Destinations | 14 | |||
| 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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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]
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 Airport. They are also looking into the opening other regional hubs in Southern Africa.[9]
The Comair fleet includes the following aircraft in BA livery (as of 05 November 2011):[10]
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers[11] | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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[12] |
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| Total | 14 | 4 | ||||
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.[13] It will be used to operate two new routes which will be launched on 3 May 2011. The new routes are:[14]
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.[15]
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.
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.[16]
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