{"id":805486,"date":"2025-01-03T08:22:56","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T06:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=805486"},"modified":"2025-01-03T08:23:01","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T06:23:01","slug":"south-african-airline-named-the-most-on-time-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/motoring\/805486\/south-african-airline-named-the-most-on-time-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"South African airline named the most on-time in the world"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>FlySafair was named the most on-time airline in the world for the vast majority of 2024, with the airline also claiming the title as the most on-time airline in the Middle East and Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Cirium 2024 On-Time Performance Review, FlySafair was named the leading on-time airline in the Middle East and Africa region in 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The airline achieved an impressive 93.82% of flights arriving on schedule, highlighting its operational excellence and reliability, and solidifying its status as a standout carrier in a competitive industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;This achievement is particularly significant for South African aviation, positioning the country as a leader in dependable air travel within the continent,&#8221; said Cirium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;South Africa\u2019s advanced infrastructure and strategic location have long made it a key aviation hub, connecting intra-African routes and international markets.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;FlySafair\u2019s success not only enhances its own reputation but also reinforces South Africa\u2019s role as a trailblazer in raising standards and fostering growth in the region on multiple fronts.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>FlySafair&#8217;s commitment to punctuality was clearly evident as it was named the <strong>most on-time regional carrier in 11 out of 12 months in 2024 by Cirium.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Through investments in data-driven practices, advanced scheduling, and fleet management, the airline has minimized delays and reduced travel disruptions for passengers,&#8221; said Cirium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Close collaboration with ground handling teams and air traffic management has further ensured seamless operations.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Despite challenges such as rising operational costs, volatile jet fuel prices, and currency pressures, FlySafair has maintained its resilience through strategic initiatives.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Refining its route network, optimizing fleet efficiency, and prioritizing operational excellence have been key factors in its success.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cirium added that FlySafair&#8217;s leadership in on-time performance should be seen as a benchmark for the MEA region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is particularly impressive as the region faces diverse challenges, such as infrastructure gaps, regulatory complexities, and geopolitical instability.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-12.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"643\" src=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-12-1024x643.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-805493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-12-1024x643.png 1024w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-12-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-12-768x482.png 768w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-12.png 1497w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: Cirium<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FlySafair&#8217;s troubles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The ratings come amidst a tough period for the group, with South Africa&#8217;s Air Services Licensing Council ruling that the group does not comply with the Air Services Licensing Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The law states that domestic airlines must have at least 75% local ownership.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The International Air Services Act requires substantial local shareholding, which is widely accepted to be above 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>FlySafair is currently 74.86% owned by ASL Aviation Group, an Irish aviation services holding company focused on cargo and passenger airline operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"color: rgb(33, 37, 41); font-family: lato, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1rem; white-space-collapse: collapse;\">The company structure comprises a 49.86% shareholding by the Safair Investment Trust, which is 100% owned by ASL, as well as a 25% direct ASL shareholding.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Near the end of last year, the International Air Services Council (IASC) ruled that FlySafair\u2019s shareholding structure was not compliant with South African law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The IASC stated that the airline failed to apply for an amendment of its air service licence when its ownership structure changed in March 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The international body said that it would announce the planned sanction within the next few weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a separate blow to FlySafair, South Africa\u2019s Air Services Licensing Council has also ruled that FlySafair does not comply with the Air Services Licensing Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In response, FlySafair said that it believes that its structure and operations align with the required legal provisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhile these recent findings challenge our understanding, we remain steadfast in our commitment to compliance,\u201d said FlySafair<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>FlySafair added it was confident that this issue could be resolved amicably through dialogue and cooperation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/government\/805208\/south-africas-oldest-university-deteriorating-in-front-of-everyones-eyes\/\">South Africa\u2019s oldest university deteriorating in front of everyone\u2019s eyes<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amidst a series of legal troubles, FlySafair has been recognised for its strong performance regarding on-time performance. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":771295,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11119],"tags":[21331,14616,10020,20960],"class_list":["post-805486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motoring","tag-asl-aviation-group","tag-cirium","tag-flysafair","tag-iasc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/805486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=805486"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/805486\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":805576,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/805486\/revisions\/805576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/771295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=805486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=805486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=805486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}