Cape Town – CemAir is operational again following the suspension of its air operator certificates, which left clients stranded for several days.
The suspension came after a permit renewal audit where SA Civil Aviation Authority inspectors found the airline
allegedly contravened the Civil Aviation Act and five other SA Civil Aviation regulations.
The airline had since approached the courts for an interdict to lift the suspension and won.
CemAir chief executive Miles van der Molen said: “The fact that CemAir obtained the order, under such rigorous scrutiny from the judge, on its own, speaks for itself and is a vindication of CemAir’s safety credentials.
“We were very pleased with this outcome, which has vindicated our airline as we have always held the safety of our passengers and crew above all else.
"As a guarantee to our loyal client base, we offered the court to add some conditions that will eliminate any doubt as to our safety standards.
"We are thankful to our loyal customers and staff for the patience and confidence which they have shown during these trying times.”
However, the authority said it was air safety that was the true winner in this regard.
“This is because the court did not exonerate the airline from complying with its licence conditions. The parties reached a settlement which was made an order of the court.
"The court granted an interim order pending final determination of an appeal to be lodged by CemAir to the director of Civil Aviation,” SACAA said.