JOHANNESBURG, May 21 (ANA) - JSE-listed Comair Limited announced late on Tuesday that Erik Venter had resigned as chief executive of the company to pursue his own interests after 23 years with the airline.
Venter, who was Comair chief executive for 13 years, will leave at the end of July. Comair said the board had not yet decided on a new appointment.
Venter is only the fifth chief executive in the company's 73-year history. Comair operates British Airways and budget airline kulula.com in South Africa.
Piet van Hoven, Comair board chairman, said Venter was leaving the airline in a much stronger position than when he started.
"When Erik took over Comair was almost exclusively dependent on its airline businesses which are notoriously subject to seasonal and economic vagaries. He conceived and led our diversification strategy," Van Hoven said.
"Other group businesses now contribute nearly 30 percent of profit before tax, a proportion that is growing."
Van Hoven said those businesses included the group's investment in an aviation training academy with a global customer base, its SLOW lounge business, its Food Directions catering unit, its travel business and its investment in technology solutions for tourism, travel and aviation.
- African News Agency (ANA)
