Comair, which operates low-cost airline kulula.com as well as British Airways domestically, announced on Wednesday that it will be back in the skies again as from 1 September this year.
The airline, which is still in business rescue, temporarily suspended services on 5 July in response to the implementation of an adjusted level 4 lockdown, the prohibition of all non-essential travel in and out of Gauteng and low demand for air travel.
It is now preparing its aircraft, flight and cabin crews and airport personnel to ensure a seamless restart of services, it announced.
During the suspension, its revenue management team has been working on some new, flexible fare options to better meet customers' differing requirements. Called Travel Your Way, the three-bundled affordable kulula.com fare offerings allow customers to pay only for what they need.
According to Comair marketing executive Brian Kitchin, temporarily suspending flights was the right decision while Covid-19 cases peaked and the vaccination programme gained momentum.
"It wasn't an easy call to make because of the impact on our customers and employees, but we've used the time well, innovating a new fare offering preparing for the restart and looking to reopen more routes such as Mauritius.
British Airways (operated by Comair) will relaunch its Johannesburg-Mauritius route operating two flights a week from 30 November. It plans to add a third flight in future.
Also on Wednesday, national flag carrier SAA announced that it plans to take to the skies again from 23 September this year. Tickets will go on sale on 26 August 2021. Voyager bookings and Travel Credit Voucher redemption will be available from 6 September 2021.
