> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thecontrail.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # South Africa's Biggest Airline Is Getting a New Owner. What Changes for Flyers - URL: https://www.thecontrail.org/flysafair-sale-harith-approved/ - Published: 2026-10-30T11:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T11:00:00.000Z - Description: South Africa's competition regulator has approved Harith's takeover of FlySafair, the budget airline that sells most of the country's domestic seats. FlySafair says nothing changes for passengers, but the new owner also has a stake in a Johannesburg airport. - Author: Zach Benitez - Tags: News, FlySafair The FlySafair sale has cleared its biggest hurdle. South Africa's Competition Tribunal has approved private equity firm Harith General Partners' plan to buy the budget airline, which by some counts sells more than 60% of the seats on flights within South Africa. The deal, reportedly worth about R7 billion, is expected to close by the end of the year once the remaining approvals come through. For the millions of South Africans who fly FlySafair between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, the airline's message is simple: nothing changes for now. --- ## What Changes for Passengers According to Harith, FlySafair will keep running independently under its current management, with the same low-cost model and the same offering for customers. "It is a demonstration of long-term South African capital backing a successful South African business," Harith CEO Sipho Makhubela said. FlySafair CEO Elmar Conradie said the airline was pleased with the tribunal's decision. The part worth watching is Harith's other aviation business. It already owns a stake in Lanseria International Airport, Johannesburg's second airport and South Africa's only privately run international airport. An owner with interests in both an airline and an airport raises obvious questions about fair access for rival airlines, and the regulator is expected to set conditions to make sure competitors are treated fairly. FlySafair ยท New owner What the sale means for flyers 60%+ of seats on flights within South Africa are sold by FlySafairReported figure No change, for nowSame management, low fares and customer offering, Harith says Lanseria linkThe new owner also has a stake in Johannesburg's second airport Closing late 2026Some approvals are still outstanding Contrail --- ## Why FlySafair Is Being Sold FlySafair started in 2014 with two planes and now flies more than 30\. It grew fast after the collapse of rivals like Comair, which ran kulula.com and British Airways flights in South Africa, and the long struggles of state-owned SAA, [which is still paying its staff late](https://www.thecontrail.org/south-african-airways-salary-delays/), until it became the airline most South Africans fly at home. That growth ran into a problem in 2024\. After a complaint from rival airline Lift, a South African aviation regulator found FlySafair had broken the country's rules on who can own and control a domestic airline. Selling the airline to Harith, a South African investor, is meant to settle that for good. It's also a second try at a big airline deal for Harith, which was part of the group that tried and failed to buy a stake in SAA a few years ago. ## Know Before You Fly Airline shakeups and what they mean for your fares, explained for normal travelers. Free in your inbox. Get Contrail Free Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. For travelers, the bigger question is competition. With FlySafair already selling most domestic seats, any change in how it's run affects almost everyone flying inside the country. For now, the new owner is promising continuity.