A joint venture by both Comair and Infinea saw the official launch of Nacelle, a new player in the aerotech industry, at its head office in Sandton on 18 October 2018. The new company is set to disrupt the evolving aviation industry, by providing innovative digital solutions that will deliver a seamless passenger experience.
According to Amanda Mocellin, Chief Executive Officer of Nacelle: "A competitive market is forcing players to compete with ever more innovative and cost-effective ways of attracting and maintaining a customer base. The need for new and creative adjacent revenue streams are becoming a priority for many airlines, airports and property organisations."
According to the latest IATA report, passenger numbers are to surpass 4.3 billion by the end of 2018. Says Mocellin: "Passengers have changed and they are demanding a seamless experience. Industry trends and customer demands usually end up on the plate of the in-house technology department, who are further constrained by decreasing budgets, more stringent regulatory and governance requirements and dwindling resources."
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.
Erik Venter, Chief Executive Officer of Comair, added: "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."
Nacelle combines some of the brightest digital and technology specialists in the country, who will now be able to leverage the platforms, payment solutions, and customer-centric technology from Infinea.
"Even more exciting are the partnerships that Nacelle is forging with property and air-side 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, while empowering local engineers with global skill sets," concludes Fred Baumhardt, Chief Executive Officer of Infinea.
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