CemAir (Pty) Ltd is a privately owned airline operating in South Africa which services popular tourist destinations and important business towns and leases aircraft to other airlines across Africa and the Middle East. The airline is based in Johannesburg.
CemAir has since evolved into a specialised aircraft leasing company offering turboprop and jet aircraft to a variety of operators throughout sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Indian Ocean islands as well as a significant operator of scheduled regional services within South Africa.
The company is a South African Part 121 (Large aircraft operator) and Part 135 (Small aircraft operator) holding SACAA issued AOCs (Air Operator Certificates) in both of these categories.
The Air Service Licensing Council has issued the company with Domestic & International licenses, for both Scheduled & Non-Scheduled services. In addition, CemAir holds approval from the SACAA for a Part 145 AMO (Approved Maintenance Organisation).
The management structure conforms to the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) model and has six full-time post holders for complete oversight of flight operations and maintenance.
The duties and responsibilities of each position are documented with frequent internal and external audits to ensure compliance. The organisation runs an ICAO based Safety Management System (SMS) conforming to the requirements of ICAO Safety Management Standards & Recommended Practises (SARPs) and ICAO Doc 9859.
The company was previously a member of the Flight Safety Foundation and completed three successive BARS audit. BARS (Basic Aviation Risk Standard) is a move towards audit standardization using a risk-based model based on best practise aviation safety principles and tailored to the needs of the resource sector, mainly the mining industry.
Two additional resource based audits have been successfully concluded by Hart Aviation to ensure that CemAir's operating and maintenance standards are acceptable to companies in the oil, gas and petroleum industry. The company has recently concluded it's first IOSA audit (IATA Operational Safety Audit)and expects full accreditation to be achieved by mid-2016.
Based at OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa, a large portion of the fleet is deployed outside of South Africa and the aircraft periodically rotate back to base for selected inspections. The main foreign deployments are to Mali in West Africa and Gabarone, Botswana as well as Juba in South Sudan.
Where needed in these locations, CemAir has created SACAA approved Line Stations to conduct flight operations and to carry out the required maintenance programs. Domestically, CemAir operates daily services from OR Tambo International Airport to Margate, Bloemfontein, George, Cape Town, Plettenberg Bay and to Sishen in the Northern Cape. These services utilise all the types in the fleet, i.e. Beech 1900D, DHC-8 and CRJ 100/200 aircraft.
The company provides a web-based sales channel for the purchase of e-tickets. The traditional booking methods are available for those who may not wish to use electronic services.
Non-scheduled services are undertaken to a diverse range of destinations both within and outside South Africa. These individually chartered flights have encompassed diplomatic, business and tourist activities.
The company has operating and leasing experience throughout Africa and the Middle ast, including:
- Afghanistan
- Botswana
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Kenya
- Mali
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Sudan
- Tunisia
The CemAir fleet consists of the following aircraft:
Bombardier CRJ-100 10
Bombardier Dash 8 1
Beechcraft 1900D 9
Total 20
The maintenance arm of CemAir has been accredited by the South African Civil Aviation Authority with the necessary approval to include the maintenance of the Bombardier CRJ to be conducted along with the Dash 8 and Beechcraft 1900s at the OR Tambo base by the company's own technical staff. This facility has the capability to carry out maintenance up to the C-check on the CRJ and all maintenance inspections on the Dash 8 and Beech 1900 including the changing of all major components such as engines, propellors etc. Apart from specialised activities like painting or Non-Destructive Testing, all maintenance is carried out in-house.
CemAir's head office and engineering (maintenance) facility are located at OR Tambo International Airport, previously Johannesburg International Airport, (ICAO:FAOR), 25 km North-East of Johannesburg. This is one of only two official Ports of Entry for Gauteng Province, the other being Lanseria(ICAO:FALA). The fully equipped Flight Operations Control Centre is housed within the Head office and operates between the hours of 05h00 - 20h00 during the week and as required at weekends. This facility is also the primary parts stores and logistics hub of the operation. The reservations and ticket sales office is situated on the upper level below the viewing deck of Terminal B in the main airport complex, operating during normal office hours.
CemAir suffered two hull losses in 2008 with aircraft leased out to 3rd parties, one in the Sudan and the other in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- On 2 May 2008 a CemAir owned Beechcraft 1900, registered in Kenya and operated by Kenyan-based Flex Air Cargo was flying from Wau to Juba, Sudan when it crashed near Rumbek killing all nineteen passengers and two crew. Among the passengers were two senior officials of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army and their wives.
- On 1 September 2008 an Air Serv leased nineteen passenger Beechcraft 1900C crashed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 15 km northwest of Bukavu carrying two crew and fifteen passengers.The aircraft, wet leased and flown by crew from CemAir, then based at Lanseria International Airport, Johannesburg South Africa, was arriving at Bukavu following technical service at N'Dolo Airport, Kinshasa. The aircraft crashed into a mountainous ridge. Passengers included twelve Congolese, one French, one Indian, and one Canadian.
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