kulula.com

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Kulula.com
IATA ICAO Callsign
MN CAW COMAIR
Founded6 July 2001; 22 years ago (2001-07-06)
Ceased operations9 June 2022 (2022-06-09)
HubsOR Tambo International Airport
Fleet size10
Destinations6
Parent companyComair
HeadquartersBonaero Park, Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa
Key peopleWrenelle Stander
Websitekulula.com

Kulula.com (stylized as kulula.com) and commonly referred to as Kulula was a South African low-cost airline, operating on major domestic routes from O. R. Tambo International Airport and Lanseria International Airport, both serving the city of Johannesburg.[1] The airline's headquarters were located at Bonaero Park, Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.[2] The name 'Kulula' comes from the Nguni languages of Zulu and Xhosa, meaning It's easy.[a] Kulula suspended operations on 1 June 2022 pending securing of additional funding[3][4] The company was placed into liquidation on 9 June 2022.[5]

History[edit]

A former kulula.com McDonnell Douglas MD-82, acquired in 2004.[6]

Kulula.com was established in July 2001 and commenced operations as South Africa's first 'no-frills' carrier in August of that year. The stated aim was to position kulula.com as more than just an airline brand, but to include booking, paying and making 'the complete travel experience' affordable.[7]

In 2010, Kulula.com was forced by FIFA to stop a campaign describing itself as the "Unofficial National Carrier of the You-Know-What",[8][9] which took place "Not next year, not last year, but somewhere in between",[10] obviously referring to the 2010 FIFA World Cup which took place in South Africa at that time. Another advert announced "affordable flights [to] everybody except Sepp Blatter" (the FIFA president), who was offered a free seat "for the duration of that thing that is happening right now".[11]

In July 2012 Kulula.com announced[12] that it was operating the first of seven brand new Boeing 737-800s, with three to be in operation before the end of that year, and the remaining four to be delivered in 2015 and 2016.

Kulula.com and parent company Comair suspended operations towards the end of March 2020 due to financial constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline resumed operations in September 2021.[13] On 1 June 2022, Kulula.com suspended all flights and entered business rescue[14][4][3] Kulula.com was accused of using a sale a day before to raise cash before stopping flights.[15][16] Since suspension, only people who booked through Discovery Vitality were given the opportunity to obtain a refund.[17] On 9 June 2022 the business rescue practitioners announced that there was no reasonable prospect of rescue of either Kulula or Comair and that the companies be placed into liquidation.[5]

Corporate affairs[edit]

Ownership[edit]

Kulula.com was a wholly owned subsidiary of Comair Ltd,[7] which also operated flights as a franchisee of British Airways. Kulula.com, the British Airways franchise Southern Africa and Comair Ltd suspended operations in July 2020 due to financial issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Business trends[edit]

Financial and operational results for Kulula.com are not separately disclosed, but are fully incorporated within the annual results for Comair (for years ending 30 June).[citation needed]

Destinations[edit]

As of March 2019, Kulula served the following destinations:[18]

Province City Airport Notes
Eastern Cape East London East London Airport
Eastern Cape Gqeberha Port Elizabeth International Airport
Gauteng Johannesburg O. R. Tambo International Airport Hub
Lanseria International Airport Hub
KwaZulu-Natal Durban King Shaka International Airport
Western Cape Cape Town Cape Town International Airport
Western Cape George George Airport

Codeshare agreements[edit]

Kulula held codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

Fleet[edit]

kulula.com Boeing 737-400
kulula.com Boeing 737-800

As of October 2018, the Kulula.com fleet consisted of the following aircraft:[20]

Kulula.com fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers
(Economy) 		Notes
Boeing 737-400 1 —
162
Boeing 737-800 9 —
186
189
Total 10 —

Historical fleet[edit]

Kulula previously operated the following aircraft:

Liveries[edit]

Kulula.com became known for its distinctive, brightly coloured, and often comedic aircraft liveries.[22] One of its former aircraft, known as Flying 101, was covered with a legend describing the different parts of the aircraft.[23]

Services[edit]

Loyalty programme[edit]

Kulula.com operated the Avios frequent-flyer programme, which was created from the merger of the Air Miles, BA Miles and Iberia Plus Points schemes on 16 November 2011. A restructure in 2015 meant that all of IAG's affiliated loyalty programmes which use Avios, including Avios Travel Reward Programme, Iberia Plus and British Airways Executive Club were transferred to Avios Group, an IAG subsidiary.[24][25]

Inflight services[edit]

Kulula.com offered food and drinks as a buy-on-board programme.[26] The airline's in-flight magazine, khuluma, had a readership base of 200,000 per month.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ This "word" is made of the general verbal present particle ku- and the root lula: easy or light (both easy and not heavy).

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 3 April 2007. p. 103.
  2. ^ "Contact Us". kulula.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2011..
  3. ^ a b Staff Writer. "Goodbye Kulula flights". Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Travel updates". kulula.com. Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b Staff Writer. "Comair goes under – with no prospect of rescue". Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  6. ^ "1Time Airline ZS-OBK (McDonnell Douglas MD-80/90 – MSN 49115) (Ex F-GPZE OE-LDY ) | Airfleets aviation". airfleets.net. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  7. ^ a b "The Comair Story – Launching kulula.com". Comair Limited. Archived from the original on 5 May 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  8. ^ "Fifa [sic] orders South African airline to drop 'ambush' ad". BBC. 19 March 2010..
  9. ^ "Picture", Flickr, Yahoo!.
  10. ^ The advert – via Facebook.
  11. ^ The advert – via Facebook.
  12. ^ "kulula celebrates first of its brand new fleet". kulula.com. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  13. ^ "Latest Coronavirus (COVID-19) Travel Info & Updates – kulula.com". kulula.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  14. ^ White, Ray. "Still no clarity on whether Comair will resume operations soon". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  15. ^ Labuschagne, Hanno. "Kulula owner accused of using sale to raise cash one day before stopping flights". Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  16. ^ Smith, Carin. "Comair crisis: Let us speak to rescue practitioners, unions demand after fruitless talks with CEO". Fin24. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Discovery Vitality will refund clients booked on suspended Kulula and BA flights". BusinessLIVE. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  18. ^ a b c "Routes – kulula.com". kulula.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  19. ^ "KLM / Kulula begins codeshare partnership from late-May 2018". Routesonline.
  20. ^ a b c "Kulula.com Fleet Details and History". planespotters.net. 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018..
  21. ^ "Kulula's fleet history". Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  22. ^ Wien, Kent (30 January 2010). "Kulula-air tries not to take itself too seriously". Gadling. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  23. ^ Fawkes, Piers (3 February 2010). "Kulula Airplane Rebranding". PSFK. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  24. ^ "About Avios". Avios. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  25. ^ "Helping Avios analyse huge data sets to boost transparency and growth". PwC. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  26. ^ "Flight info Archived 27 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine." kulula.com. Accessed 6 May 2009.

External links[edit]

Media related to Kulula.com at Wikimedia Commons

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