CemAir has asked South Africa’s Competition Tribunal to block Harith Aviation’s planned acquisition of Safair Holdings, the owner of FlySafair, as the domestic carrier’s takeover proceeds through regulatory review. The hearing took place on Monday, with CemAir arguing that the deal could distort competition, especially around access to Lanseria International Airport and the flow of commercially sensitive information.
The Competition Commission has already recommended approval of the transaction, but only with conditions designed to limit post-merger information-sharing and address airport-access concerns. CemAir wants stronger remedies, including independent governance at Lanseria and tighter firewalls, to prevent any competitive advantage for FlySafair if Harith’s links to the airport remain in place.
Harith Aviation was named in February as the buyer of Safair Holdings from ASL Aviation Holdings, pending regulatory clearance. The dispute centres on governance and market structure rather than fleet or network changes, but it is significant because FlySafair is South Africa’s largest domestic airline and any change in control could affect competition in one of the country’s busiest aviation markets.