CEMAIR might be forced
to cut its flights to
Plettenberg Bay due
to a lack of infrastructure
provision at Plettenberg Bay
Airport and unsustainable
demand, Miles van der
Molen, ceo of CemAir, told
TNW.
This comes after agents
raised concerns about
frequent flight cancellations
that have seen clients
rerouted to George with an
added two-hour transfer to/
from Plett, or forced to delay
their travel plans.
A travel agent, who spoke
to TNW on condition of
anonymity, said that her
bottom line had been
impacted as consumer
confidence in CemAir
declined. “We are about
R400 000 down on CemAir
ticket sales since the
beginning of the year when
compared with the 18-month
period before that. We now
simply don’t sell tickets
on the days we know they
usually cancel flights.”
Miles told TNW that while
the airline had experienced
capacity challenges when it
came to filling the aircraft
on certain days, its biggest
concern was lack of
infrastructure at Plettenberg
Bay Airport. “We would like
to be able to place more
focus on these routes and
address concerns. However,
the Bitou Municipality (BM)
in Plett is failing to deliver
the basic infrastructure
required for us to service
the route. Without this in
place, we will be left with
no option but to consider
cutting the Plett routes at
the end of the summer
season.”
He added that, despite
months of attempting to
communicate with the
municipality to resolve these
issues, the airline had been
blocked at every turn. “BM
has now suggested that
it may issue a tender for
management of the airport.
As to whether, or not this
would improve our outlook
on the route depends on
who is granted the tender.
If the relationship remains
unsustainable, CemAir’s
aircraft would be better
deployed on the more
lucrative routes that have
become available since SA
Express was grounded.”
