JUST hours after SA
Express was grounded
last month, CemAir
announced several route
improvements, filling
the gap.
The airline has increased
capacity on its route
between Johannesburg and
Bloemfontein and it now
operates a direct service
between Cape Town and
Hoedspruit, which it was
previously serviced via
Johannesburg.
A day later, CemAir
announced it would start
operating flights between
Johannesburg and
Kimberley on May 28 and
between Johannesburg and
Richard’s Bay on May 29.
CemAir ceo Miles van der
Molen, confirmed to TNW
that the airline was also
exploring the possibility of a
service between Cape Town
and East London.
SAX has been grounded
by the South African
Civil Aviation Authority
(SACAA) for ‘serious noncompliance’.
The airline has
not operated flights since
May 24.
Will SAX fly again?
SAA, Mango and Airlink
have collaborated to
operate a year-long relief
schedule on SAX routes.
SAA is awaiting regulatory
approval on the Cape Town
- Walvis Bay; Johannesburg
- Walvis Bay and
Johannesburg - Lubumbashi
routes.
“The year-long schedule
brings travel certainty and
choice for customers who
are travelling between
now and May 28, 2019,”
says SAA Spokesperson,
Tlali Tlali.
TNW understands that
SAX’s Johannesburg -
Sun City, Johannesburg -
Mmabatho, Cape Town -
Sun City, and Cape Town
- East London routes are
currently not serviced.
SAX was grounded shortly
after a flight between East
London and Johannesburg
was rerouted back to East
London Airport because of
what the airline described
as “an engine malfunction”.
SACAA has suspended
SA Express’s Air
Operator's Certificate
(AOC), the airline’s Aircraft
Maintenance Organisation
(AMO) approvals, and the
Certificates of Airworthiness
of nine of the 21 aircraft
being operated by the
airline.
SACAA said it could take
up to three months from the
date of when SAX submits a
formal application for these
approvals before the airline
may fly again. SAX will
need to reapply for all the
certificates that have been
suspended. The AOC and
the AMO applications can
run concurrently, but the
AOC requires that the AMO
be approved first.
SAX said it was in backto-back
meetings with
partners and stakeholders,
working to ensure that the
airline is up and running as
soon as possible.
