African airlines seek SA partners

MORE THAN 18 new airlines are about to be launched in sub-Saharan Africa, SA Airlink managing director, Rodger Foster, told Airfreight Express. This is in the face of the global airline crisis and the fact that many African flight companies do not have the finance to become viable on their own. The majority are starting up in the hope of attracting South African partners to provide investment needed, said Foster. Already 18 new airlines with cross-border flying rights have been licensed in Zimbabwe alone this year, he said. SA Airlink is currently negotiating with four of these as joint venture partners. Speaking at the African Airlines Association annual conference last week, Piet van Hoven, managing director of BA/Comair said that, although the World Trade disaster in New York would have a negative global impact, the African airline market had been forecast to grow at a rate of 4,8% a year.