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According to a recent article on the South African website The Times, airline group Comair is preparing to go to court next year to claim damages from South African Airways for anti-competitive incentive schemes that could have cost the carrier half of its potential business.
According to the article, officials said August 2010 was the first available date when Comair would be able to take South African Airways to the high court to seek damages.
The case can only go ahead if the Competition Tribunal issues an order stating that SAA’s conduct was a prohibited practice in terms of the Competition Act.
Hearings are scheduled to continue until March 20 and, if successful, Comair will pursue a civil case and claim for damages against the national carrier for the period 2000 to 2005.
Comair and failed airline Nationwide’s liquidators are jointly pursuing a competition ruling against SAA.
Nationwide claims that some travel agents were so intent to win SAA bonuses that they fined their own staff for booking passengers on Nationwide.