QUESTION 1 [50 MARKS] Read the case study below and answer the questions that follow Comair's British Airways And Kulula Aircraft Grounded In South Africa On March 12th, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) suspended the Air Operator Certificate of Comair for at least 24 hours. The decision has led to the grounding of the operator's aircraft and the subsequent cancelation of flights- a move that impacts British Airways services within South Africa, as well as flights of budget airline Kulula. The snap suspension left passengers angry and confused, with many having already checked in and arrived at the airport. Photos and video posted to Twitter show chaos at South African airports. Triggered by numerous safety incidents According to SACAA, this sudden decision was prompted by an investigation into a series of safety incidents involving Comair. SACAA notes that, just in the past month, Comair's airlines (Kulula and British Airways in South Africa) had experienced a number of incidents, ranging from engine malfunctions, engine failures, and landing gear malfunctions, amongst others. "This is a precautionary suspension for a period of 24 hours, within which the Operator must demonstrate to the Regulator that the risk and safety management systems are effective in managing potential hazards. This suspension period allows SACAA team members to investigate and evaluate Comair's compliance with regulations and safety standards. At least four infractions noted SACAA's statement on the grounding indicates that it has completed an inspection of Comair's aircraft and procedures. The inspection was specifically reviewing the compliance of Comair's quality control management system (QC) and safety management systems (SMS) related to reporting, analysis, and follow-up on occurrences, as well as corrective action plans to prevent recurrences. The aviation regulator noted that it discovered the following outcomes: Three (3) level 1 findings (poses an immediate risk must be closed immediately) One (1) level 2 finding (must be closed within seven days) As a result of these findings, SACAA imposed "a precautionary suspension of the operations" to give Comair an opportunity to "demonstrate that their systems are able to prevent and avert safety hazards." As such, Comair has until the morning of Sunday, March 13th (local time) to meet SACAA's requirements. If requirements aren't met, then the airline's operations will be suspended indefinitely until problems can be solved. Comair in disagreement Speaking with South African media outlet BusinessTech, the air operator said that there was "no justification" for the suspension imposed, issuing the following statement: "Comair regrets that our flights have been suspended by the CAA for 24 hours. This will affect both British Airways (operated by Comair). Our Executive Team are engaging with the CAA on an urgent basis. Comair believes there is no justification for the suspension," The operator was apologetic and expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to its customers. Undoubtedly, Comair's workforce will be working diligently to rectify issues flagged by authorities. As of the publication of this article, no further news has come from either SACAA or Comair regarding the restoration of services. 1.1 In your own words explain ANY TWO (2) methods Comair can use to pursue integrative agreements. (4 marks)

1.2 In your opinion, which type of negotiation should Comair engage in with SACAA? Justify your answer by discussing at least 3 key theoretical points to support your application. (10 marks).

1.3 Design a customer relationship management programme for Comair given their most recent challenges. Note, you are expected to outline respective theory as well as apply it the scenario above. (36 marks)