South African private sector airline group Comair confirmed on Wednesday that it would resume scheduled operations on September 1, as planned. The company, which operates the British Airways (in South Africa) and Kulula low cost carrier brands, had temporarily suspended its services on July 5, following the imposition of a modified Level 4 lockdown by the South African government (aimed at countering the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic).

The period of the flight suspension saw the number of Covid-19 cases peak and the national vaccination campaign gain momentum, stated Comair. Consequently, the airline believed that suspending flights was the right decision.

“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 re-open more routes such as Mauritius,” affirmed Comair marketing executive Brian Kitchin. “Flying is what we do and we’re eager to take off again and provide South African travellers with compelling products and competitive fares.”

Currently, the airline is planning to relaunch its services to Mauritius on November 30. Initially, there will be two flights a week, but the intention is to subsequently add a third flight.

For its Kulula operation, the group has developed three ‘bundled’ fare alternatives. ‘Fly Light’ is for people with only cabin luggage (‘hop-on, hop-off’); should a change of booking be required, a fee of R299 would be payable. The ‘Pack & Go’ fare includes one piece of check-in luggage (with a weight of up to 20 kg) but which allows two free changes of bookings. The ‘Fully Loaded’ fare includes two pieces of check-in luggage, unlimited changes of bookings, plus ‘Q-Jump’ privileges for faster check-in.

The airline is currently preparing its aircraft, flight, cabin and ground crews and airport staff for the restart of operations. The intent is to achieve a seamless restart.