End of an era: Guy Leitch publishes final edition of SA Flyer Magazine

"And so it ends. SA Flyer has been killed by not one, but two, fatal wounds."

That's Guy Leitch, go-to aviation analyst for CapeTalk and its sister stations, on the end of the Africa-wide aviation magazine.

It was launched in 1995, with Leitch taking control as editor and publisher in 2006.

The October edition of SA Flyer is its final one.

The first of the 'fatal wounds' Leitch refers to is the policies of the SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA).

He writes about the 'idiocy' of this body, which he says has forgotten that it's not just supposed to make the industry safer, but actually develop it.

Then, of course, like the rest of the media, SA Flyer has felt the sting as advertising revenue moves towards other platforms.

"It's been the end of an era, I suppose. I've been overwhelmed and completely taken by surprise by the vast outpouring of support and condolences and understanding that I've had over this... because we are after all a very niche kind of publication."

Guy Leitch, Editor - SA Flyer Magazine

Without sufficient advertising revenue it’s no longer possible to print the magazine, Leitch says.

"Without print we tried hard to make it digitally accessible, using extra-large fonts and shorter stories. But people don’t like reading magazines on mobile devices. Our readership declined, despite our efforts to maintain the quality we have been renowned for."

Guy Leitch, Editor - SA Flyer Magazine

Maytham expresses the hope that the end of SA Flyer does not mean the end of properly researched information about the aviation industry, which we have come to expect from its editor.

He is weighing up his future options, says Leitch, which include possibly a YouTube channel and an app for the aviation industry to ultimately replace the longform journalism which is becoming less popular.

"I am being seriously persuaded by any number of people that I should perhaps refocus my energies on a YouTube channel and push out two- or three-minute soundbites of commentary on this, that and the next thing... We know how social media has sort of just sucked the advertising revenue out of magazines; we've got to change to keep up with the times."

Guy Leitch, Editor - SA Flyer Magazine

Guy and his wife Nicola are also involved in the hospitality industry, with their latest venture the Safari Moon Luxury Bush Lodge near Hoedspruit, where the airport serves as a launch pad for tourists to especially the Kruger National Park.

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