The court-challenged SA Express Airways’ new route between OR Tambo International Airport and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, had a shaky take off because of delays, permit issues and a hastily-organised press conference.
While the privately-owned SA Airlink is still fuming over the International Air Services Council’s decision last month to grant the SA Express additional routes into Africa, SA Express forged ahead on Monday to unveil its new routes to Zimbabwe.
The airline also acquired other routes, such as from Joburg to Botswana and Angola, while domestically it was granted the Mthatha-Cape Town, Mthatha-East London and East London-Cape Town trips.
Airlink, however, has approached the court to challenge these routes, claiming that they would be at the taxpayers’ expense.
What was promised to be a groundbreaking launch for the 25-year-old regional and domestic passenger carrier, the Joburg to Bulawayo route failed to impress to the 40-odd passengers, including invited journalists and SA Express employees, who had to wait more than an hour for the CRJ 200 aircraft to arrive at OR Tambo Airport for the 75-minute journey to the JM Nkomo Airport.
More time was wasted at the airport due to protocol issues with the Zimbabwean authorities, which seemed to have been resolved by the time the plane flew out of the airport at 2.45pm.
On arrival in Bulawayo at 4pm, SA Express guests were told they could not proceed to the venue (outside the airport) where the launch ceremony was planned. After a few minutes of deliberation, confusion and pointless walking around the airport, company chief financial officer Andre Odendaal held an impromptu press conference in the airport’s corridor.
So hasty was the conference that it lasted barely five minutes and ended before Odendaal’s colleagues from the marketing department could pull up the banners they had flown with from South Africa.
The conference ended as other senior staff members were pacing about trying to sort out permit issues with the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe. After spending about an hour in Bulawayo, the team had to fly back to Joburg.
“Yesterday’s inaugural flight experienced a few teething challenges with Zimbabwean transport and airport authorities that are currently in the process of being resolved,” SA Express spokesperson Mpho Majatladi later told The Star.
She said the routes were key to the airline’s growth and for job creation in the country.
“It is also critical to note that an important part of SA Express’s turnaround strategy is route network growth – especially as regional routes generate higher yields than the domestic markets.
“SA Express is committed to restoring customer confidence and is working towards re-establishing its status as the well-running, efficient, profitable entity it was in previous years,” Majatladi said.
The Bulawayo route consists of flights every Tuesday and Thursday.
Regarding their spat with Airlink, Majatladi said they had approached the Competition Commission for intervention.
“SA Express will contest the appeal to the North Gauteng High Court. The airline has also lodged a complaint with the Competition Commission against Airlink for its anti-competitive behaviour. It is clear that Airlink’s behaviour of lodging objections is intended to limit and stifle competition,” she said.
Airlink, however, said their challenge to SA Express’s new route was on the grounds of fairness and compliance. They claim the company does not meet the criteria as set down in the International Air Services Act.
“Airlink believes that SA Express is not financially capable given that its recently presented annual financial statements, reflecting a loss before tax of R758 million, have been disclaimed by the auditor-general in their totality and that the company is not a growing concern,” said Airlink chief executive Rodger Foster.