FlySafair is moving closer to a change in ownership after the Competition Tribunal approved Harith Aviation’s acquisition of the low-cost airline, clearing a major hurdle in the transaction. The decision was announced on Thursday with the parties now working towards completing the remaining regulatory requirements before the end of 2026. The deal will see Harith acquire 100% of Safair Holdings, FlySafair’s parent company.
CemAir Challenge and Lanseria Concerns
The approval faced objections from rival airline CemAir, which challenged the transaction over concerns about overlapping ownership interests involving Harith, Lanseria International Airport and the Public Investment Corporation (PIC).Harith holds a stake in Lanseria, while the PIC has interests in both Harith-related entities and Airports Company South Africa (ACSA).
CemAir argued that these connections could affect competition between airlines and airports.
Conditions attached to the transaction address concerns around the exchange of commercially sensitive information and require airline-related and airport-related services at Lanseria to be provided on fair and non-discriminatory terms.
What Changes for FlySafair?
FlySafair is expected to continue operating under its existing management team, brand and low-cost model following the approval. The airline has maintained that its day-to-day operations will continue as usual while the transaction progresses.
The acquisition is a result of regulatory scrutiny of FlySafair’s ownership structure under South Africa’s domestic air services licensing requirements. The change in ownership does not automatically resolve those outstanding matters. Harith’s acquisition would bring South Africa’s largest domestic airline under local investment ownership, with completion expected later this year subject to remaining approvals and conditions.