SAA set to leave TransNet stable

CAPE TOWN – South African Airways will soon be a separate entity reporting directly to the public enterprises department, TransNet chief executive Maria Ramos said on Friday.

Addressing the Cape Town Press Club, Ramos said she had received permission from Cabinet to begin the process of taking SAA out of the TransNet group, and the same would apply to its other aviation interests, such as SA Express. In this phase, SAA would probably be set up as a separate entity reporting directly to the public enterprises department.”I think it’s up to government to decide what it’s going to do with SAA going forward,” she said.”I can tell you, the airline industry is not in the best shape ever, and I’ve had lots and lots of people approach me in the past 10 months on doing business with TransNet; I haven’t had anybody approach me about buying any part of SAA.”I can sell big parts of (TransNet) but not on the SAA side.”So I think government will probably set it up independently, and I would imagine when the right opportunity comes, they will do so,” Ramos said.TransNet needed to concentrate on its core business of ports, freight trains, and pipelines.- SapaIn this phase, SAA would probably be set up as a separate entity reporting directly to the public enterprises department.”I think it’s up to government to decide what it’s going to do with SAA going forward,” she said.”I can tell you, the airline industry is not in the best shape ever, and I’ve had lots and lots of people approach me in the past 10 months on doing business with TransNet; I haven’t had anybody approach me about buying any part of SAA.”I can sell big parts of (TransNet) but not on the SAA side.”So I think government will probably set it up independently, and I would imagine when the right opportunity comes, they will do so,” Ramos said.TransNet needed to concentrate on its core business of ports, freight trains, and pipelines.- Sapa