Comair has entered a joint venture with IT company Infinea to launch a new business, Nacelle.
Erik Venter, CEO of Comair, comments: “Like most industries, technology plays a pivotal role in our business. That’s why we’ve decided to spin off our IT budget and team into a separate entity that will provide a variety of IT related services, which will include the commercialisation of our intellectual property.
“The new venture’s strength and opportunity lies in leveraging and commercialising Comair’s decades of discipline in operational processes, with Infinea’s deep expertise in software development and IT support.”
Nacelle will be a service provider in aviation and related sectors, providing services such as IT operations and support, IT project deployment, process design and software development, he explains.
“Comair’s IT department has now reached organisational maturity, scale and delivery where it is ready to undergo progression to a profitable entity, creating multiple new revenue streams that will generate additional shareholder value,” says Venter. “It has built its own bespoke solutions within the airline operating environment, in collaboration with airline and IT subject matter experts, rather than being an external software development house, or the consumer of solutions from external suppliers.”
Using Comair as its primary customer, Nacelle’s vision is to develop and build the next generation of operationally tested solutions for a broader airline community, as well as for other industries that benefit from similar technology driven solutions including logistics, e-commerce, payment solutions, operations management, training and e-learning, and loyalty.
Fred Baumhardt, CEO of Infinea, says: “The journey towards digital is so much more than just apps, technology, or websites. Digital is a way of thinking, it’s a relationship between the customer and seamless processes, and amazing experiences. To truly achieve a digital vision a company needs to rethink its operating model, and assumptions.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Comair in launching the Nacelle brand, which apart from being a catalyst for digital revolution at Comair, is also an opportunity to benefit the entire aviation ecosystem, from customers, through to other airlines and airports.”
Nacelle will be able to leverage the aviation talent, technology and processes at Comair, and further extend it with platforms, payment solutions, and customer-centric technology from Infinea.
“Even more exciting is the partnerships that Nacelle is forging with property and airside management providers, parking companies, and aviation technology specialists with a view of bringing into Africa leading inexpensive aviation platforms and solutions and supporting them locally, whilst empowering local engineers with global skillsets,” Baumhardt adds.