Former SAA acting CEO Zuks Ramasia has new job

The former acting CEO of South African Airways (SAA), Zuks Ramasia, has been appointed the new head of the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (Barsa), effective from April 17.

South Africa’s national carrier, which is currently in business rescue, announced last week that Ramasia will go into “early retirement” in April at her own request. She is also the chair of the Airlines Association of Southern Africa and a director on the board of Aviation Co-ordination Services.

Ramasia takes over at Barsa from June Crawford, whose term ends in April. Crawford will continue to serve on the board.

News of her appointment comes after Transnet announced that former interim CEO of SA Express, Siza Mzimela, will head up its freight rail operations. The SA Express board on last week announced that Mzimela would be leaving to pursue other opportunities.

In her new role at Barsa, Ramasia will provide a voice for local and international airlines operating in South Africa, and represent its members on industry forums to deal with matters affecting the industry.

The greatest challenge facing the airline industry at the moment is how it will weather the upheaval caused by countries locking their borders and cutting down on domestic travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.