PE Firm Harith Clears Antitrust Hurdle to Buy FlySafair

South Africa's antitrust authorities have approved private equity firm Harith General Partners' bid to acquire budget carrier FlySafair, according to Bloomberg Markets. The regulatory clearance removes a significant obstacle to the transaction and paves the way for completion of the deal.

The approval signals confidence from competition regulators that the acquisition will not substantially restrict competition in the South African aviation market. FlySafair, a low-cost carrier operating in the competitive regional airline space, will now transition to private equity ownership under Harith's banner, which manages investment funds focused on infrastructure and aviation assets across Africa.