Comair Grounds Kulula and British Airways Due to Lack of Funding, South Africans Left Stranded
- South Africans are unhappy following the announcement that Kulula and British Airways flights have all been cancelled
- The announcement was made on Wednesday night and Comair says it needs to secure funding before getting back into the air
- On social media, some people shared that they did not know about the cancelled flights and were left stranded at the airport
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!
JOHANNESBURG - South Africans have been left feeling frustrated after Comair, the holding company that owns Kulala flights and British Airways announced that all flights will be cancelled on Thursday, 1 June
The announcement was posted on the Kulula official Twitter page on Wednesday night just after 11pm. The airline stated that passengers who had booked flights for Thursday should not head to the airport unless they have alternative flights.
Source: Getty Images
Kulula stated that the reason for the cancelled flights is due to lack of funding and flights will remain cancelled until they can secure funds.
The post reads:
PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!
"Comair regrets to advise its flights have been voluntarily suspended from 1 Jun pending securing funding to resume operations. If your flight has been cancelled, please don't travel to the airport unless you have alternative arrangements. Our heartfelt apologies for the inconvenience."
Comair CEO Glenn Orsmond says they have also suspended ticket sales with immediate effect. Orsmond says passengers can apply for refunds and they will be updated for further developments, according to EWN.
This is not the first time Comair has cancelled flights on short notice. In March, the airline was grounded by the South Africa Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) due to safety concerns, reports SowetanLIVE.
South Africans frustrated by Comair
On social media, many South Africans who have flights scheduled were left feeling upset that their flights were cancelled. Some people were wondering why the airline waited for the 11th hour to make the announcement.
@Tallqone said:
"Yo, imagine waking up kabo 4am to go catch that 6am flight Going to be A LOT of pissed off people at airports around the country later this morning. Reminds me of the days of 1Time when that was falling apart."
@Mxm79736529 said:
"Some people have their luggage packed and have gone to sleep. They will only realize tomorrow when they get their boarding pass online that hey something is fishy.'
@AdeleG11826799 said:
"What the hell. I am supposed to fly this morning. Where am I going to get money from now? I am losing all my hotel money and everything. This is stealing from me."
Kulula and British Airways take flight again after Comair suspension was finally lifted by SACAA
Briefly News previously reported that Kulula and British Airways flights began operating as normal this morning, 17 March. The planes were banned due to possible passenger and staff safety hazards identified by SACAA.
Comair CEO Glen Orsmond announced that the SACAA had granted Kulula and British Airways flights to resume operating as usual. Travellers are pleased to learn that their plans will no longer be altered.
According to Eyewitness News, the inspection took place on Wednesday evening, where regulators sought to see if Comair was complying with the set safety guidelines. After a thorough investigation, the SACAA found the planes to be in satisfactory condition.
Source: Briefly News
