Greater transparency on what facts government took into account in deciding that a new airline was worth creating from the ashes of SAA will go a long way towards adding credibility to the decision, writes Hlengani Mathebula
Most importantly, it talks to the issue of public trust, specifically what those entrusted with the management of public funds owe the public.
The promise, therefore, that the mooted new airline will indeed be different must be informed by much more than just the word of government. It requires greater clarity upfront on a number of critical issues. Before I get to these, let me clarify a few issues, in particular the role of governments in the airline industry.
That said, government’s statement further makes a number of promises about a different airline. It says this new airline is premised “on a long-term vision and strategy to mitigate the impact on employees, tourism and the aviation industry more broadly, and become a catalyst for economic development and job creation”. These are noble objectives.
The question government must persuade the nation on is regarding the business model the new airline will pursue. Such a model will depend on the scale of the ambition and the determination of African governments to pursue the greater integration of the continent’s economies. Air networks are critical in this regard. However, South Africa’s key challenger in this case will be Ethiopian Airlines, which already has a head start.
But all we know at this stage is that air networks are important for the development and growth of tourism. How the troubled SAA drove the country’s tourism ambitions in this regard has never been supported by solid evidence. Nor is there clarity about how the new airline will do this.
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