CemAir: The South African Airline Born from Cement and Its Long Tug-of-War with the Aviation Authority

History and positioning

Created to operate commuter turboprop aircraft with an initial fleet of a single Cessna Grand Caravan and three Beechcraft 1900Cs, CemAir later moved toward regional jets, becoming between 2010 and 2016 a significant operator of Bombardier CRJ100/200s acquired largely from Delta Air Lines. In February 2018 the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) withdrew the airworthiness certificates of 12 aircraft in the fleet after an audit revealed maintenance work carried out by unqualified personnel, and in December of the same year the suspension of the air operator certificates followed; CemAir won its appeal in 2019, however, and returned to operation. In 2023 the airline began legal action for damages of almost 170 million rand against the SACAA in connection with that affair.

The fleet

The current fleet, of more than thirty aircraft, combines Bombardier CRJs, Beechcraft 1900s and De Havilland Dash 8s, a mix of regional jets and turboprops designed to cover both scheduled routes with stronger demand and charter services to smaller South African airports.

Routes and network

CemAir operates scheduled services within South Africa and regional services to other African destinations, alongside significant charter activity, often to tourist locations or nature reserves with limited airport infrastructure, a segment in which the flexibility of the turboprop fleet is particularly useful.

CemAir can be a good choice for those who need to reach smaller South African destinations not covered by the big carriers or who are organizing a charter to a nature reserve, while those looking for the regulatory predictability of a large airline should bear in mind the airline's history of disputes with the South African aviation authority. Before relying on a CemAir charter flight, it is worth checking directly with the airline whether aircraft are available for the requested date, since the mixed and relatively small fleet can mean rescheduling in the event of unscheduled maintenance.