Page 58 - World Airnews Magazine March 2021

NEWS DIGITAL

CEMAIR FORGES AHEAD WITH

EXPANSION PLANS

Ambitious, privately owned South African airline Cemair is
expanding its operations undeterred by the ongoing slump in
the aviation sector
by Lorne Philpot

reliable scheduled carrier on several “Ethiopian is a strong partner and, with
of South Africa’s major routes. These the significant changes in the South African
Cemair is going from strength to include the country’s two busiest routes airline industry, we look forward to working
strength, and has taken advantage of the - Johannesburg to Cape Town and closely with them as we expand our
altered aviation landscape in South Africa. Johannesburg to Durban. network both domestically and beyond,”
Since it returned to the skies in June Cemair CEO Miles van der Molen said in a
2020, it has grown its domestic route CEMAIR EXPANDS REGIONAL press release.
network. It has also formed partnerships NETWORK Rahel Asefa, vice president: marketing
with several major international airlines for Ethiopian Airlines Group, said: “In
flying to South Africa. Cemair also has permission to operate our continuous endeavour to expand our
flights to countries outside of South service beyond our extensive network in
OPPORTUNITY TO GROW LOCAL Africa’s borders. The airline aims to fly to Africa, we are happy to partner and add
Lagos (Nigeria), Luanda (Angola), Maputo
Cemair to our list of partners in Africa.”
ROUTE NETWORK (Mozambique) and Gaborone (Botswana) in
On 1 June, when airlines were permitted the near future. QATAR AIRWAYS
under the lockdown to begin operating lim- The airline has three additional Airbus A
ited domestic services again, Cemair was 319 aircraft which will be deployed on the Cemair also signed an interline agreement
quick to get back into the air. The airline new routes. Cemair hopes to start flights with award-winning Middle Eastern carrier
took advantage of the uncluttered aviation to these destinations outside South Africa’s Qatar Airways.
landscape while many of the country’s borders when the relevant governments The agreement will enable convenient
other carriers remained grounded. end flight bans on South African carriers travel options for passengers from either
Cemair used to operate a limited and reopen borders to South Africans. airline to destinations across both carriers’
domestic route network serving regional route networks on a single ticket.
centres including Plettenberg Bay, Margate ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES “We are proud of our association with
and George only. But it has now begun to Qatar Airways, one of the world’s leading
operate scheduled fights on several of the Cemair signed an interline agreement with airlines,” Van der Molen said.
country’s major air routes as a result of Africa’s largest airline, Ethiopia Airlines, on Qatar Airways’ Hendrik du Preez, said:
“being in the right place at the right time”. 22 January. The agreement allows passen- “We are delighted to sign the interline
The carrier began operating flights gers from both airlines to enjoy seamless agreement with Cemair, connecting our
on routes it previously had not flown travel with a single ticket. It will also mean passengers to 16 additional domestic and
lower costs between destinations within
while there were few airlines operating. both of the carriers’ route networks. four regional destinations from South
Cemair has now entrenched itself as a Africa.” Q
World Airnews | March Extra 2021
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