SkyWise (Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) is in the process of being acquired by PAK Africa Aviation, the Dubai/Pakistani-backed firm that acquired a 62% stake in Global Aviation Operations (GE, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) subsidiary, Global Airways, earlier this year.
PAK Africa Managing Director, Tabassum Qadir, told BusinessDay earlier this week that the purchase was part of her firm's greater strategy of acquiring stakes in aviation-related companies which includes 1time Holdings, the holding firm for defunct LCC 1time airline (Johannesburg O.R. Tambo).
"We are not only focused on the low-cost carrier market; we want to acquire aviation-related companies in SA," Qadir said. "Our main aim is to go regional after domestic."
SkyWise had its Air Services Licence (ASL) cancelled in April by local regulators after it failed to launch scheduled services within a year of its first issuance. The planned budget carrier had hoped to offer multiple daily Cape Town International to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo flights using a fleet of B737-300s.
Qadir said that despite the acquisition, SkyWise management, which includes former 1time CEO Rodney James, Glenn Orsmond, Michael Kaminski, Johan Borstlap and Wayne Duvenage, would remain in place and would guide the start-up through certification.
PAK has alluded to ambitious plans for its portfolio of airlines. Last year, it reportedly entered into a 49/51 joint venture with Zimbabwe's Central Air Transport Services (CEN, Harare Charles Prince) with the longterm goal of establishing 1time Zimbabwe (Harare International), a planned partner to its proposed South African budget operations.
