Safair


Safair is an airline based at the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, South Africa. Operator of one of the world's largest fleets of civil Lockheed L-100 Hercules cargo aircraft, it also conducts aircraft chartering; leasing and sales; contract operations and leasing services; flightcrew leasing and training; aircraft maintenance and modification; aviation safety and medical training; and operations support.

History

Safair Operations as it is known today was established in 1965. At the time it was known as Tropair Ltd and was a general aviation charter company. In 1970 the company name changed to Safair Freighters Ltd when the company was purchased by Safmarine and the new entity began operations on 18 March 1970. Its primary client in the 1980s was the South African Defence Force. Until the 1990s it mainly served the local and regional air cargo market. In 1991 it diversified into aircraft maintenance and overnight courier operations before concentrating on leasing and chartering. In 1998 Safair purchased a 49% stake in Air Contractors, based in Ireland, and was itself acquired by Imperial Holdings for $40 million in December 1998. In July 1999 Safair acquired control of National Airways Corporation and Streamline Aviation.
Safair is wholly owned by ASL Aviation Group Ltd based in Dublin, Ireland, a subsidiary of the Belgian group Compagnie Maritime Belge. Humanitarian Aid and Relief operations has always been Safair's "niche" market. Safair assists aid and relief agencies such as the United Nations, World Food Programme, and the International Committee of the Red Cross in delivering much needed humanitarian aid to stricken regions on the African continent as well as other areas in the world where such assistance is required. Until 2018 Safair was contracted to the Italian Antarctic Program to support science over the austral summer, flying Lockheed L-100-30 missions from Christchurch, New Zealand to Zucchelli Station in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. In 2007, Safair obtained its IATA Operational Safety Audit approval.

Fleet

the Safair fleet consists of the following aircraft:

AircraftIn FleetOn OrderNotes
Boeing 737-8007Passenger
Boeing 737-40010Passenger
Boeing 737-400C1Combi aircraft
Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules6Freight only, passenger only, or combi
Lockheed Martin LM-100J10Ordered in 2014 to replace current L-100s
Total2410

Previously operated

In 2013, Safair created a low-cost carrier subsidiary called FlySafair. The initial plan to operate flights in October 2013 had to be cancelled, as a result of a high-court application by Comair. FlySafair is currently operational with the first flight having taken place on 16 October 2014. FlySafair operates to Cape Town, George, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, Lanseria, Durban and East London.