Cape Town - The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) says it was meeting with its members and legal counsel to map a way forward as hundreds of employees were affected by Comair’s planned liquidation.

Embattled airline operator Comair on Thursday announced that its business rescue practitioners have lodged a court application to convert the business rescue proceedings into liquidation proceedings.

British Airways and kulula.com flights are operated by Comair under a licence agreement.

Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said it was a blow to their members.

“This is not the outcome we had hoped for but it is what it is and we will have to work with it.

“We will be meeting with our members and legal counsel in order to map a way forward.

“Our greatest concern at the moment is to cushion the blow for workers as much as we possibly can,” she said.

Numsa linked the airline’s problems to poor management by its leadership.

“Numsa represents about 700 Comair employees out of approximately 1 200 and we call for management to fix their mess and return the airline to operations.

“Jobs and the future of the airline are at stake. As a country, we cannot afford to lose any more jobs and therefore we will do whatever it takes to save this airline.”

One of Comair’s business rescue practitioners, Richard Ferguson, said despite their best efforts they had been unable to secure the capital required for the airline to recommence operations.

“We did our utmost to secure the funding, but when we were unable to do so (we) had no option to lodge the application.

“It is an extremely sad day for the company, its employees, its customers and South African aviation,” he said.

Ferguson cited Covid-related air travel lockdowns as well as significantly high fuel prices experienced in the past five months were among the factors that had a material negative impact on the business.

Employees and customers who hold bookings or are owed refunds will now become creditors of the company, he said.

Cape Times

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