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Let's get a farm Er International show where we can frame the narrative a little bit further. Guy Johnson, it's any time, but the see of cut aways. Guy, good morning, Manice, thank you very much. Indeed, is the new CEO of Cast Airways. It is fantastic to speak with him and have him join us here at the farm Ber Ratio.
Nice to see you, really good to see you too. Friday was a busy day for the Aviation Center.
Talk me through the effects on your airline. Took me through the effect you're still seeing. Is there any effect that we're still seeing.
I'll talk about our airline and our airport. Thank god we were not affected out of our base and do Everything was moving smoothly. Our ontime performance on that specific day was around eighty seven eighty eight percent. But we were expecting some delays after our wave because our early morning wave has basically gone to Europe and the US. Were expecting some delays for our flights coming back from Europe and the US because the airports were getting busy,
so many flows were getting canceled. But luckily it was better than what we expected from from what's the lesson. Lesson You always have to have plan B. If technology fails you need to go back to to You need to have again you need to defend the dependent technology.
But you have to have a plan b Ryano this morning, dwngrading.
It's demand expectations, it's pricing expectations.
What are you seeing in terms of demand and pricing?
You know, we have recorded record profit last financial year, and we keep getting asked this question and we continue to say, no, demand is there, However, proof as in the pudding our first quarter of this financial year as another record profit. It is way more than the net profit that we have recorded in the first quarter of last year, and it is also exceeding.
Our So it's demand accelerating. Let us from what we see. Let's okay, you.
Are going to unveil in an hour or so, your new premium class cabin, your first class cabin, your business class cabin.
It's what you've got.
It's the Q Suite, and it's going to go into the Triple seven X, which is an airplane that we're all waiting for. Yeah, it's the new Boeing and we've been waiting for quite some time. And I'm wondering kind of if you're prepared to wait that long to put this new product into this new airplane, does it have to be the new Q Suite with the new Triple seven X.
You know, we're putting the new Q Suite on both aircrafts, the Triple seven X and the three fifty year.
So it's going to go in the new three fifty absolutely, yes, the Triple seven ACTS.
The date that we have now from Boeing is around first quarter of twenty twenty six. Twenty twenty four is already over, so you're talking about a year a year and a.
Half confidence on that date.
Yeah, we got we got a confirmation and a commitment from Bowing that they will be able to deliver the aircraft on this date.
So where do we see it? Where do we need it? Where do we you see this new Q Suite first? Is it going to be on the three fifty or the Triple seven X will be on the Triple seven X, right, and if it's the layed any further ittle that that changes, you'll put it into the three fifteen. Yes, we're also expecting a big order from Cata. We thought it might come at this air show. There were rumors, there.
Was some expectation there's civil owners.
Yeah, but you know it's a it's a big order, so we want to take our time and evaluating the bids or the offers that we got we received from Boeing and Airbus. We're busy evaluating both offers. We're in continuous discussion with with both manufacturers and and we're hoping we're aiming to conclude the.
The the deal, the decision.
By I would not say and this year maybe in the beginning of next year.
Where's it's a lake.
You're evaluating the offers, so you've got what you need or are you still waiting for what you need?
We got what we we got partially, We got what we need and the offers, but we asked for something different this time from both manufacturers and and this is where we're spending some time and this in the discussion with them.
The engines is the aircraft, what is where's the where's the challenge of the will?
And no, there is no challenge. It's very clear what we are asked for. But the other element that we asked the the the the manufacturers to bid for or to propose it for us, because it is something new maybe maybe in the industry or the way the bid for for tenders. This is where we are in continuous discussion with them.
Okay, that's the key, Sweet, What difference is that going to make? What do you how do you think this is going to change the product that you are going to be able to offer? And how do you think it's going to keep you competitive?
You know, for us, the Q suite.
Everybody knows the Q sweet, either you tried it or you read or read about it. So it's been there for for many years. It raised the benchmark for many years, and you know, we won so many awards. Our team decided to take a new challenge by basically push the bar once again, raise the the benchmark and too basically do some some modification and the and the and I'm not talking about colors or fabrics or no, it's structural changes in the end.
Okay, Well, that takes me to my next question. Perfectly, structural changes, a reassessment of what the airline does. You've come in as the new CEO used around the airport, you step stepped into the to the airline role. Now all I hear about is you changing the culture in a significant way. Structural changes at this airline in terms of the way that it operates. Taught me through some of the some of the metrics you're looking at in terms of the effect that that is going to have.
You're listening people's the way they work, You're giving them more autonomy. What effect is that going to have? What's the effect is it going to have on things like job retention? Tall me through the numbers you're looking for.
You know, what we are trying to achieve out of this is to make people, our people in the company feel that they're listened to and they're part of the decision and they're not scared or stressed to speak up their opinion. By the end of the day, we are getting the best the experts in each field in each area, and this is what we want to do, basically, to have them talk about areas that matters for the company.
This is on one side, so basically it's a culture of empowerment and trust and also basically holding people accountable and liable for decisions they make. On the other hand, we've noticed with some of the easement and some of the policies that we have in place for our staff that we see some good outcome of it. Previously, we had a problem in certain areas with the attrition of ourself to us double digit person and percentage eighteen nineteen
percent every month. This number dropped by seventy percent. So people want to say in the company, people really appreciate working for paper Airways and they see that their future is with the best airline.
In the world.
So staff retention is already improved significant.
Absolutely, yes, in terms.
Of what that means in terms of your ability to the live products and control costs. What effect have in terms of the bottom line.
You know, by the end of the day, we're talking about numbers. Last year we recorded again the highest profit in the history of the company. This quarter we are recording the highest profit and the history of the first quarter and the company. We're talking about percentage wise triple digits compared to last year. So this is this is a prove that we're looking at revenue plus, looking at reducing costs and cutting costs wherever it is necessary, as long as it will not affect the customer.
Experience. I've got one final quick question. I'm going to get told off for this.
Rwanda Rair and some of the South African airlines and other areas.
Took me through what we're going to see in terms of deals.
You know, I was I was hoping to announce our investment and in the South African Airline in this interview, however, because of some final stages.
Which name are we talking about again? It's one of three companies and I promise you you will be the personal I will be the person.
I paraoma see casa away, sir, Thank you very much.
Indeed,