Senior Comair executives depart

Comair, the listed operator of low-cost airline kulula.com and British Airways (BA) in SA, announced on Tuesday that two of its senior executives were leaving the company.

Comair said Glenn Orsmond, the head of airlines — the company’s largest division — had accepted a retrenchment package.

Comair said in a statement that it was "rightsizing the group and refreshing its executive team in an orderly and carefully considered process".

It said Orsmond, who has already left the company, would not be replaced. This means that his position has become redundant.

In the year ended June 30 2019, the airlines business accounted for R6.7bn of Comair’s R7.1bn revenue. Comair’s other businesses include tourism and hospitality, training and information technology.

Until December 2019, Orsmond was a joint-CEO with incumbent Wrenelle Stander. The two were appointed on July 31.

According to Comair, Orsmond has nearly 30-years’ experience in the aviation sector, including serving as CEO and financial director for two JSE-listed airlines.

He held the position of financial director at Comair, from 1995 to 2003, playing a key role in in introducing the BA franchise to SA in 1996; the successful listing of Comair on the JSE; and the launch of kulula.com, SA’s first low-fare airline, in 2001.

Operations director Martin Louw has taken early retirement.  Louw — a former pilot, training captain, fleet captain, chief pilot and flight operations director — has been with Comair since July 1996.

Comair said Orsmond and Louw would cease to be members of the company’s board.

njobenis@businesslive.co.za