The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco), which represents 95% of taxi operators in South Africa, unveiled its low-cost airline recently to a generally skeptical audience. The taxi organisation believes its airline business will not be competing with other low-cost airlines as it plans to develop a new market for the aviation industry.

Santaco Airlines will initially focus on routes with high commuter numbers which they intend to calculate from the number of long-distance taxis that operate in these regions such as routes from Johannesburg’s Lanseria Airport and Cape Town to Bisho in the Eastern Cape. They intend to further the convenience for commuters by allowing them to purchase airline tickets at a taxi rank, from where they will be shuttled to the airport.
The route targets commuters who often make the 14 hour trip between Gauteng and Bisho for short visits. The transfer from the taxi rank is set to take 45 minutes and the flight around 1 hour, providing a quick and convenient alternative for those travellers who have to date only had access to the long distance taxi travel.

At present the planes are leased, and Santaco will partner with other airlines that will supply it with technical capacity, including air hostesses, pilots and technicians.

The question on most people’s minds was whether the first wholly black owned airline in South Africa will actually get off the ground. Santaco, often associated with violence and disruption amongst their many taxi members, launched their first flight between Lanseria Airport and Bisho in September 2011, but the scheduled flights were expected to be fully operational by November 2011, in time for the December holidays. The maiden flight was a success, with attendance by many dignitaries including Taxi and Government officials along with many media representatives.

Although there are no current results for Santaco flight schedules or prices, South Africans wait with bated breath to see whether the Taxi Airline can fulfil its promises of a successful no-frills airline for the South African commuter.