18 FlightCom Magazine
CemAir
TAKES ON SA EXPRESS
P
LACING itself in a
different category from
larger domestic carriers,
CemAir claims to be
South Africa’s only
independent regional
carrier on low density
routes. Its competition,
SA Express has state shareholders, and SAA
holds a 3% stake in Airlink and shares common
booking systems and similar branding.
Until it offered flights to Bloemfontein,
CemAir only competed with Airlink on
the Johannesburg-Sishen route, and chose
instead to offer flights to the unserved holiday
destinations of Plettenberg Bay and Margate.
The Johannesburg-Bloemfontein route opens
them up to competition with SA Express in the
business commuter market.
CemAir started in 2006 by focusing on
contract flying in Africa. In the past two years
they have been getting involved in scheduled
domestic routes. CemAir is investing heavily in
this market and intends expanding its regional
network significantly in the coming years, saysCemAir CEO, Miles van der Molen.
With the intention of expanding their
regional service, CemAir acquired 10 CRJ-100
aircraft in desert storage from Delta Airlines in
the USA. The Bloemfontein route will be the
first to utilise the 50-seater regional jet.
Using CRJs gives CemAir the challenge
of higher operating costs when compared to
SA Express’s Bombardier Q400 turboprops.
Despite jets being generally less fuel
efficient than turboprops, CemAir is confident
it will be able to offer competitive ticket
prices. Van der Molen says: “Firstly, we are in
a period of lower fuel prices, so that narrows
the gap. Secondly, we operate a different cost
structure from the state-owned enterprise and
therefore we have efficiencies that we will be
able to pass on, and that’s essentially where
we will be able to stay ahead of the game.”
CemAir won’t, however, be able to rely on the
lower fuel price indefinitely.
CemAir is also pushing the advantage of
‘jet comfort’ and ‘jet speed’, emphasising that
jets are smoother and quieter than turboprops
and that the flight times are shorter. Lastly,CemAir intends offering a more punctual
service.
Like SA Express, the flights to and from
Bloemfontein will be ‘full-service’ flights as
opposed to the LCC model, and, having no
qualms with advocating CemAir’s position
as the competition, Van der Molen says, “By
supporting us you support some competition
in this industry. The regional space has been
a little stagnant. We are the first new-comers
in a long time, and we believe the industry
needs it.”
The Johannesburg-Bloemfontein route
was opened on 2 March and CemAir offers
11 return flights per week. Weekday flights
will be a morning and evening return flight,
and an afternoon return flight will be offered
on weekends. The flight will be 50 minutes
from gate to gate with a flying time of around
35 minutes.CemAir has gone head to head with state-supported regional operator,
SA Express by launching a scheduled Johannesburg-Bloemfontein route.
Companies
TexT: Graeme WuThÞThe CemAir team behind the Bloemfontein route.Miles van der Molen, CemAir CEO, reckons
his CRJs will successfully compete with SA
Express's turboprops on the Bloemfontein route.