CemAir (5Z, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) is planning to resume scheduled passenger flights later this month, the manager of Ray Nkonyeni Municipality has said.
According to eHowzit news, Max Mbili told a media gathering that the controversial carrier was in the process of finalising its operating permits with the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA). Thereafter, it would look to resume regular service between Johannesburg O.R. Tambo and Margate in KwaZulu-Natal.
“I was in contact with [Cemair] CEO Miles van der Molen a few days ago, and hope everything will be completed soon. We are hoping to hear from them by Friday. It is now up to them to finalise things on their side, and indications are that their service will also begin in July," he said.
Aside from CemAir, Airlink (South Africa) (4Z, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) will also enter the Margate market, Mbili added.
In April, the South African Department of Transport's Civil Aviation Appeal Committee (CAAC) overturned SACAA's earlier decisions to revoke CemAir's Part 121 and 135 AOCs on the grounds the regulator had not been impartial in its treatment of the carrier.
Aside from scheduled passenger services, CemAir had also operated in the ACMI/charter segment focusing on the African market.
As previously reported, against the backdrop of its acrimonious relationship with SACAA, Van Der Molen incorporated a company in Canada - FlyCemAir Canada - in May last year with two aircraft having been transferred from the South African to the Canadian register on April 1 of this year; Beech 1900D ZS-CMN (msn UE-26) now C-GIEI and CRJ100 ZS-CME (msn 7293) now C-GIER.
