British Airways’ South African franchise partner Comair had to cancel some flights at the weekend, just days after getting its operating licence back.

Comair’s operating certificate was suspended by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) just over a week ago, over safety concerns, but the ban was lifted at the end of last week and the carrier said it was starting to restore its flight schedule.

The airline operates flights in South Africa under a British Airways franchise and also has a low-cost subsidiary, Kulula.

On Saturday, a BA flight from Gqeberha struggled to land at Cape Town International Airport, after experiencing technical problems with its landing gear.

A spokesman for Comair said: “Unfortunately the incident did have a knock-on effect resulting in the cancellation of some other services. Customers were accommodated on other flights.”

The incident has led to a call for the SACAA to permanently ground all ‘Comair aligned aviation companies’ according to aviation news source Fin24.

Comair CEO Glenn Orsmond said on Friday: “The best way we can assist our customers is to start flying again. Our operations, airport, contact centres and support teams are working to help customers get to their destinations.

“We’re ramping up our schedule and should have our regional and domestic services restored by tomorrow, ahead of the long weekend.”

He added: “Comair has an enviable 76-year track record. We operate some of the most modern aircraft in South African skies, apply global best practice to ensure operational safety and our crew training is world-class.”