Hilka Birns/CAPE TOWN
Plans by South African regional carrier Nationwide to launch long-haul services have been frustrated by the South African civil aviation authority's rejection of its application for a temporary international air transport licence.
Nationwide planned to launch a weekly service, with Virgin Atlantic, between Cape Town and London Heathrow in December, with an Airbus A340-300 wet-leased from Virgin. It was to be operated as a three-month route-proving service, operating with a Virgin codeshare. The UK airline is to begin a weekly Heathrow-Cape Town service next month. Virgin and Nationwide have concluded a codeshare agreement on routes, between Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and George, from October 31.
Nationwide is an established southern African regional airline operating BAC One-Elevens, Boeing 727s and 737s, but has a long-held ambition to move into long-haul services. If the London service was successful, the airline says it would apply for a permanent licence. Nationwide aims to re-apply for the licence once it has been officially informed of the reasons for the failed application, says chief executive Vernon Bricknell.
The CAA says it was unconvinced that "route-proving" had been the reason for the application. The Nationwide service would have effectively doubled Virgin frequencies to Cape Town during the end-of-year traffic peak, prompting South African Airways and start-up African Star Airways (ASA) to oppose the application.
ASA chief executive Captain Joe Kirama says the airline will start selling tickets this month in advance of the start of scheduled flights next month between South Africa and Europe with two ex-Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-300s. Three weekly frequencies will be operated between Johannesburg and London Gatwick and four to Munich.
Source: Flight International
