Asman Airlines

The airline represented here is kulula.com, the South African low-cost brand associated with the supplied MN and CAW codes, rather than the Kyrgyz carrier that also uses the Asman Airlines name. Kulula was launched in 2001 and operated by Comair, a privately owned South African aviation company. It developed a distinctive identity through brightly painted aircraft, informal service and direct online sales. Both kulula and Comair ceased operations in June 2022, so the airline no longer accepts bookings or operates scheduled flights.

Johannesburg was the airline’s busiest departure hub, with Cape Town, Durban and George also serving as important points in its domestic network. Its recorded operation covered 12 routes connecting four destinations within South Africa: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and George. These services concentrated on major business and leisure corridors rather than international expansion. The longest route was Cape Town to Durban, about 1,277 km nonstop, while Johannesburg provided the broadest range of departures.

The fleet included Boeing 737-400 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Kulula used a single economy-class cabin consistent with its low-cost business model, without separate business- or first-class sections. Passengers could expect a straightforward short-haul product, with optional services and fare conditions varying by booking. The newer-generation 737-800 became an important part of the operation, while the older 737-400 also appeared in the airline’s fleet history and supported its domestic schedule.

Kulula was not a member of Star Alliance, SkyTeam or Oneworld. Although its parent company Comair also operated British Airways-branded flights under a franchise agreement, kulula flights were a separate low-cost product and should not be treated as British Airways services. The airline previously offered customer rewards and commercial partnerships, but it has no active frequent-flyer programme following the closure of Comair. Former benefits, balances and membership arrangements should not be assumed to remain usable.

Kulula’s main strength was a focused network linking four of South Africa’s best-known domestic destinations, with frequent service on heavily travelled corridors and a recognisable low-cost identity. Its limited network also meant that travellers needed other airlines for destinations beyond Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and George. The decisive challenge is that the carrier is defunct: any website pages, archived schedules or historical fare references found online do not represent bookable flights, and travellers must choose an operating airline for these routes.