South Africa’s Kulula resumes Lanseria ops in early 2Q21

South African low-cost airline Kulula Air (MN, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) restarts its operations at Johannesburg’s Lanseria airport from April 1, 2021, servicing its Durban King Shaka and Cape Town routes. Similar to the re-introduction of its other routes, Kulula will return with a limited schedule, adding additional frequencies over the next couple of months, the airline said in a statement. “We are upbeat and extremely excited about the reopening of our services back at Lanseria, as part of our ramp-up strategy. With the reintroduction of flights between Lanseria, Durban, and Cape Town and with faster check-in processes, as well as a shorter walk from the car park to the terminal, it’s an obvious choice for visitors that frequently fly into Gauteng,” commented Desmond O’Connor, Executive Head of Revenue Management. Kulula is operated by Comair (South Africa) (MN, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) which is ramping up operations of its low-cost brand, as well as its British Airways (BA, London Heathrow) franchise, after restarting operations in December. Comair entered voluntary business rescue on May 5, 2020, as South Africa’s COVID-19 lockdown eroded its revenue base, leaving it unable to pay its overheads. It had been trying to implement a turnaround plan after reporting a half-year loss of ZAR564 million (USD33.5 million) in December 2019. A consortium of investors comprising former board members and ex-managers of the 75-year-old airline have mounted a ZAR1.9 billion (USD88.8 million) rescue of the airline. It is anticipated the business rescue process will be concluded by March 31, 2021. Meanwhile, British Airways operated by Comair resumes daily regional flights between Johannesburg and Harare Int’l, Zimbabwe, on March 28, 2021. “We anticipate that the reopening of this route and others in future will be well-received by corporate and leisure travellers. We will soon reintroduce holiday packages through our tour operating divisions, which will mutually improve regional tourism between the SADC countries,” O’Connor said.