LATER this month, the
Competition Tribunal will
hear Airlink and FlySafair’s
appeal after the former’s bid
to purchase FlySafair was
denied by the Competition
Commission on the basis
that it could hinder future
competition.
Travel trade, while wary of
an uncompetitive landscape,
are optimistic that the merger
could be good for the market.
Mary Shilleto, ceo of
Thompsons Travel, believes
the two airlines have good
synergies and the deal will
give them the opportunity to
cover extensive routes, which
are needed, by linking Airlink’s
regional flights with FlySafair’s
domestic flights.
“The biggest win will be
if FlySafair’s paper will be
interchangeable,” she says, as
at present, it is not accepted
by other airlines because it
does not have partnerships.
As a result, if FlySafair is
unable to take off, passengers
have to buy another ticket and
get a refund. “I see it as a
great marriage,” she says.
While he says the deal could
go either way, Garth Wolff, ceo
of eTravel, is optimistic. “Airlink
is an incredibly reputable
airline. Given what I know
about Airlink, and as long as
they don’t have dominance, I
think it will be a good thing.”
Travel Counsellors gm,
Mladen Lukic, says because
it’s unknown what the deal
would look like, one can only
speculate. “The decision has
to be positive for the market
and not just the two players,”
he says.
