The Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) has awarded Comair R1.16bn for anti-competitive conduct by national carrier SAA‚ Comair said yesterday, according to a TimesLIVE report. The judgment related to a case initiated by Comair against SAA 14 years ago in respect of SAA’s anti-competitive travel agent incentive schemes. Comair is the second airline to succeed in a claim against SAA concerning the national airline's anti-competitive conduct.

Last year the court ruled in favour of Nationwide‚ awarding it R104m. The cases arise from SAA’s agreements with travel agents from 2001 whereby SAA paid them to divert customers to SAA rather than other airlines.

‘In terms of the judgment‚ Comair was awarded R554m‚ plus interest at 15.5% thereon‚ which will be capped at the value of the award‚ plus costs‚ amounting to approximately R1.16bn in total‚’ the company said in a statement.

Full TimesLIVE report

SAA said its legal counsel would study the judgment and advise it on how to proceed, notes a report on the IoL site.

Spokesperson Tlali Tlali said this was one of the legacy matters, dating back to the period between 1999 and 2005 and implemented by the then management team. Tlali said all of those managers left the airline a while back and new business management processes were since introduced to ensure compliance with all relevant prescripts. ‘The current management is focused on turning the business around to ensure that SAA is commercially viable, operationally competitive and financially self-reliant in the shortest time possible,’ he said.

Full report on the IoL site