Hugh Marais

CemAir is an aviation company based at OR Tambo International Airport, Jhb. The company owns and operates a fleet of Beechcraft 1900's and Bombardier CRJ regional jets. In addition to providing specialised leasing services, scheduled and non-scheduled flights are conducted locally. CemAir holds Air Operator Certificates in Parts 121 and 135 from the SA Civil Aviation Authority, as well as a Part 145 Aircraft Maintenance Organisation approval. Established in 2005, a great deal of work has been undertaken for aid agencies and exploration companies in African and Middle Eastern countries, including Afghanistan, DRC, Nigeria and Senegal. These jobs are carried out in less than optimal conditions and the challenge is to provide similar levels of reliability and safety as could be expected in the first world. So far, CemAir has managed to deliver on this challenge. The management and oversight required to achieve this owes much to the adoption of an ICAO compliant Safety Management System which permeates all aspects of the operation. To ensure that all internal processes are conducted properly, the SACAA conducts periodic audits. In addition, the company voluntarily undergoes a number of annual specialist audits to verify compliance with higher standards than those imposed by the statutory body. These standards include those of BARS (Basic Aviation Risk Standard) and HART Aviation. Meeting these qualifies CemAir to be used by the household names of the exploration world.