Newspaper report Nationwide airlines 'not being sold'
Nationwide airlines 'not being sold'
Cape Argus - December 27, 2007
Henri Du Plessis
Nationwide Airlines was not in the process of being sold and expected to be back to normal operations by the end of January, said director of corporate quality Roger Whittle.
Quashing rumours that the airline was up for sale, or being sold to American interests, Whittle yesterday said Nationwide has been "in conversation with" a wide range of people as it sought an investment partner, but that nothing had been finalised yet.
Nationwide, a mainly domestic airline with a flight to London, fell upon hard times last month after an engine fell off one of its planes during take-off at Cape Town International Airport.
The airline was later grounded by the Civil Aviation Authority, after it found that Nationwide's maintenance administration and record-keeping were not up to standard.
The airline has since returned to about two-thirds of its operational flight schedule.
"We have been in conversation with a number of people for a period of time, but none of them is American and there has been no intention to sell the airline," said Whittle.
"What has happened to us was terrible and the timing was the worst it could have been.
"We should be back to full schedule by the end of January, just as things begin to go quiet after the festive season.
"The disruption of our service was absolutely terrible and so has the effect been on our passengers," he said. "But I can confirm that there is absolutely no truth to any rumour that the airline is to be sold or is in the process of being sold."