FlySafair

FlySafair is a South African low-cost airline headquartered in Kempton Park, Gauteng. It is owned by Safair Operations and flies an all-Boeing 737-800 fleet, mainly on domestic routes, with some regional international flights. Its basic Lite fare includes only a 7 kg carry-on bag, and checked bags are sold separately, the model the airline itself defends on its luggage page.

A delayed start

The airline was established in August 2013 and was approved by South Africa's Air Service Licensing Council to start with ten daily services between Johannesburg O. R. Tambo and Cape Town. It planned to begin in October 2013, but on 8 October that year the High Court granted rival carriers an interim order stopping it, on the grounds that it did not meet the legal requirement of 75 per cent local ownership. After its ownership was substantially restructured, FlySafair's first flight took place on 16 October 2014. It rebranded with a new logo and livery in September 2022, when the International Air Services Council also approved 11 new international routes for it.

Ownership questions, 2024–26

Ownership has remained an issue. In November 2024 the International Air Services Council found that FlySafair was 74.86 per cent owned by Ireland-based ASL Aviation Holdings through an investment holding company, in breach of the Air Services Licensing Act; the airline disputed that reading of the law. In October 2025 the High Court granted FlySafair an urgent interdict that, in effect, removed a January 2026 compliance deadline.

• February 2026: Harith Aviation, backed by the South African private equity firm Harith General Partners, agreed to buy FlySafair from ASL, subject to regulatory approval.
• July 2026: the Competition Commission recommended that the Competition Tribunal approve the deal, with conditions.
• 17 August 2026: at the Tribunal hearing, the regional airline CemAir opposed the deal, and the Tribunal reserved its decision.

No Tribunal ruling had been found as of 24 October 2026.

Network and fleet

Wikipedia lists hubs at Cape Town, Durban King Shaka, Johannesburg O. R. Tambo and Johannesburg Lanseria. In August 2026 ch-aviation gave its network as 16 destinations and 26 routes, with 195 daily flights. A Wikipedia fleet table dated August 2025 lists 36 Boeing 737-800s. The airline has been the official domestic carrier of the Springboks and SA Rugby since 2017, and of the Proteas cricket team since November 2024. In July 2025 a pilots' strike over pay, called through the Solidarity union, led to flight cancellations.