Cemair's seven year wait for SA airline 'normalisation' pays off - airline has quadrupled since pre-Covid

Loading player...
During the worst of the insanity in SA's airline sector, Miles vd Molen's Cemair stopped servicing the industry's Joburg/CT/Durban 'golden triangle' as it realised how first taxpayer (SAA) and then creditor's capital (Comair) was used to subsidise travellers in an attempt to bludgeon competitors into bankruptcy. Now that those market's distortions are over, Cemair has invested heavily and with a significantly increased fleer recently returned to servicing SA's three biggest airports. Its capacity has risen four-fold (1m passengers annually) from the pre-Covid number of 250 000. And there is lots more growth to come, not just in SA, but also in neighbouring countries as it secures licences to expand flights into neighbouring countries. Entrepreneur Van der Molen, a pilot himself, explains how Cemair waited seven years for the market to normalise and is now expanding aggressively (but he says sustainably) into the vacuum left by the demise of Comair and dramatic down-sizing of SAA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
10 Oct 2022 7AM English South Africa Investing · Business News

Other recent episodes

Juanita Du Preez: Mchunu, Mkhwanazi, Masemola, Matlala, Mashatile…

The fusion of crime and South African politics remains in the headlines. In her latest interview with Chris Steyn, Action Society's National Spokesperson, Juanita du Preez, comments on Special Leave Police Minister Senzo Mchunu resuming his duties as a member of the African National Congress (ANC) NEC; KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner…
31 Mar 9AM 13 min

BNC#8 Piet le Roux Q&A - Economy, policy, and the crisis no one talks about

A hard-hitting conversation with Piet le Roux confronts South Africa’s uncomfortable truths: slowing growth, rising policy risks, and fragile infrastructure. While not yet a full crisis, warning signs are intensifying. The discussion challenges complacency, urging honest language about transformation policies and their consequences. It highlights the limits of politics alone…
31 Mar 8AM 24 min