South African regulator blocks Airlink-FlySafair merger
South Africa’s competition commission has blocked Johannesburg-based regional carrier Airlink’s plans to acquire Cape Town-based Safair, parent of FlySafair. In November, the airlines announced they were seeking permission to merge under the Airlink umbrella, to create economies of scale, optimise asset use and remove systems duplication. The companies planned to retain their own branding, products, fleets and management, with no job losses expected. However, Feb 22, Airlink said the acquisition had failed to secure regulatory approval. “We respectfully disagree with the decision and the points the commission has raised to justify its decision. With this in mind, we will approach the competition tribunal for an opportunity to address and allay the competition commission’s concerns,” Airlink said. <br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2018-02-27/unaligned/south-african-regulator-blocks-airlink-flysafair-merger
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South African regulator blocks Airlink-FlySafair merger
South Africa’s competition commission has blocked Johannesburg-based regional carrier Airlink’s plans to acquire Cape Town-based Safair, parent of FlySafair. In November, the airlines announced they were seeking permission to merge under the Airlink umbrella, to create economies of scale, optimise asset use and remove systems duplication. The companies planned to retain their own branding, products, fleets and management, with no job losses expected. However, Feb 22, Airlink said the acquisition had failed to secure regulatory approval. “We respectfully disagree with the decision and the points the commission has raised to justify its decision. With this in mind, we will approach the competition tribunal for an opportunity to address and allay the competition commission’s concerns,” Airlink said. <br/>
