Climbing through flight level 280 (28 000 foot above sea level), the multi-layered wind shield developed a crack, which led to depressurisation of the flight deck and passenger cabin. As per procedure and training, the Captain executed an emergency descent and diverted to East London Airport, which was the closest suitable airport. The depressurisation resulted in the deployment of oxygen masks from the passenger service unit.

“At no stage during the malfunction were the passengers or crew in any danger. The windscreen will be replaced in East London before the aircraft is returned to service”, says Captain Phil Meredith: Acting Chief Pilot.

Mr Inati Ntshanga, CEO of SA Express states, “The safety of our passengers and crew is a priority for us. The aircraft will be thoroughly examined on the ground before it returns to service.  I would like to thank the Captain on board, Karen Essery, and the rest of the crew for ensuring that everyone on board was safe.”

Captain Laurie Kay passes away

 SA Express is deeply saddened by the death of Captain Laurie Kay. Not only was he an icon in the aviation world, he was also a committed educator and mentor to many youngsters learning to fly.

“On behalf of SA Express, I want to extend our sincere condolences to the Kay family.  Captain Kay will be dearly missed and always remembered. His contribution to the aviation industry and SA Express will remain part of his legacy. He was generous with his knowledge and his time,” says Inati Ntshanga: CEO of SA Express.

Laure joined SA Express in 2009 as a Cadet Manager and Mentor for the airline’s cadet pilot programme. “SA Express was honoured to welcome him back in 2013 to once again manage and mentor the current cadets,” concludes Ntshanga.

The use of electronic devices will apply to all domestic and regional flights on the CRJ700/200 and DH8 Q400.  SAX passengers will be permitted to use PED’s such as cell phones, e-readers and electronic tablets in flight-mode.

Portable Electronic Devices may, in some conditions, radiate radio frequency signals (non-intentional or spurious emissions) within the frequency bands of the aircraft navigation and communication receivers. These emissions must be avoided during critical phases of flight.

Flight Mode is a setting available on any mobile phone and other PED’s that, when engaged, suspends the device’s signal transmitting functions – thereby disabling the device’s capacity to place or receive calls or text messages – while still permitting use of other functions that do not require signal transmission such as calendars, address books and preparing e-mail, etc.

All PED’s must be switched off and stowed safely during taxi, take-off, approach and landing.

Cabin crewmembers are responsible for enforcing the policy regarding the use of PED’s on board the aircraft and they will advise passengers accordingly.

Passengers will be required to select the flight mode functionality prior switching their cell phones off in preparation for the flight.

This move is the latest in a series of innovations by SAX designed to better the flying experience of the airline’s clients.

The state-owned airline came into being in 1994, as the new South Africa began to embrace the culture of Black Economic Empowerment, and was put together by a group of Canadians and Thebe Investments, a black-owned investment house.

Ramon Vahed, General Manager in charge of Maintenance, Engineering and Fleet Development, takes up the story:
“SA Express was set up as a feeder airline to SA Airways and one of its primary functions was to convey passengers from the smaller airports in the country, to the larger ones and strengthen the network”.

“Today our flights are incorporated within the strategic alliance with Airlink and South African Airways and we are a fully-fledged commercial scheduled airline.”

Vahed himself has worked in aircraft engineering and maintenance for over 19 years, including a four year stint in France. He returned to South Africa in 2005 and has worked at SA Express for the past seven years.

He has overseen a period of consistent growth and change at the airline and his experiences have given him an excellent broader perspective of the business:

“Compared to say Europe, we are a relatively small airline, but we are amongst the second or third largest in South Africa and our market share is approximately 11 per cent of the domestic market.

“We are 100 per cent state owned and ultimately controlled by the Department of Public Enterprise; making us a sister company to SA Airways.”

SA Express is headquartered at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and operates secondary domestic routes from ten airports. It also operates regional international flights to destinations such as Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Maputo, Namibia and Zambia.

The company operates a fleet of 50 and 70-seater aircraft which are both jet and turbo props and as Vahed explains, is currently going through the process of upgrading its range:

“We currently run ten CRJ200s, five CRJ700s and nine Q400s (which are turbo prop aircraft). We are in the midst of fleet renewal; the Q400s were acquired for a total investment in the region of R1 billion and have all been secured on 10-year operating leases, although the lifespan of these aircraft can extend beyond 30 years.

“These aircraft have been brought in to replace our previous –Dehaviland Dash 8 – 300s and we have invested significant amounts since 2006 (when we acquired the first two Q400s) in training for our pilots and maintenance teams as well as support infrastructure.

“We are still reviewing our jet fleet of choice to replace the existing 50 and 70-seater aircraft and we are looking at 80-seater options; if we looked beyond 100-seater, we would be into different territory.”

The need to increase capacity on flights suggests an increase in demand from passengers – and Vahed is happy to confirm this point:

“There has been roughly an 11 per cent passenger growth over the past year and we carry around 1.7 million travelers each year now. A lot of the growth can be attributed to the cost of flying; all airlines are working very hard to keep their costs down and as disposable incomes have increased, people have enjoyed greater access to flying. Whilst Europe and much of the world has suffered at the hands of a double dip recession, South Africa has not been as impacted. At the moment approximately 65 per cent of our passengers are business-oriented, with the rest comprising of leisure and visiting friends and relations.”

A further indicator of the growth and popularity of SA Express has been the development of more routes over the years. Two important contributors to this ongoing success come in the shape of safe, reliable aircraft and stellar customer service. The former aspect is of course very close to Vahed’s heart:

“Overall we have about 1,000 employees, but our technical department accounts for 326 of these. We operate at all of the major airports in South Africa and our main maintenance centre is based at OR Tambo International Airport, where we have four hangars for storage of aircraft and equipment.

“We also have a hangar in Cape Town and smaller operations in Bloemfontein and Durban; in total we occupy around 10,000 square metres of space. Most of the maintenance takes place in Johannesburg but we are a full scope maintenance organisation which involves preventative, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance at all sites.”

Given South Africa’s rich pedigree in aviation, Vahed indicates that finding the right skills is not too difficult and SA Express has a dedicated training department which assists apprentices and new employees in attaining full qualified maintenance engineer status.

“We provide a lot of internal training as well as send staff on international courses which are crucial given our work with companies like Bombardier,” he asserts. “We run an apprentice training programme and it takes about three years to reach full maintenance engineer level.  However to gain certification to release aircraft to service takes another five to ten years, depending on ability.”

The Bombardier connection has been significantly reinforced in recent months, with the announcement in November that the aircraft giant has appointed SA Express as its First Commercial Aircraft Authorized Service Facility in Africa.

“This agreement will benefit not only SA Express, but the country as a whole, as it will create extra jobs and skills training opportunities. At company level, the appointment will increase our experience and credibility and of course it also increases our third party capabilities.”

The New Year promises to be an exciting one for SA Express, as Vahed looks ahead to further opportunities:

“We have objectives for growth in the whole region, so agreements like the Bombardier one, may offer opportunities, given their geographical footprint. That aside, 2013 is going to be a year for cost containment and we have to adapt to the rising costs and return the business to sustainability and make our cash flow situation stronger.

“We will strive to do this through improving efficiency both through the airline and the maintenance departments and we can perhaps succeed through strengthened partnerships. The government’s aviation portfolio includes a group of companies that have committed to working closer together to find the best model regarding spending.”

The launch comes after nine months of planning with key stakeholders. SA Express CEO, Inati Ntshanga, said: “The route is integral to our network expansion strategy that aims to improve connectivity between domestic airports.”

Harnessing the growing demand from smaller cities and towns is a key strategic imperative for the airline that already dispatches 940 flights a week to 23 destinations including: George, East London, Port Elizabeth, Kimberley and Bloemfontein. Part of SA express’ competitive advantage lies in its smaller gauge aircraft fleet. “Back in 1994 when we started, the fleet was 6 aircraft. We grew that to 15 in 2004 and now it is currently 27. All of these are 50 and 70 seater aircraft. We are now focusing on streamlining the fleet as this will align the costs and planning of maintenance and make operational scheduling and planning easier.”

The airline has acquired seven Bombardier Q400s which will be delivered between August and December 2011 as part of the fleet renewal strategy. “These Q400 Turboprops have the latest technology and are, as a result, much more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. SA Express already operates two Q400’s which have been in the fleet since 2006, and with the performance of the product we are confident that not only will it enhance the customer experience but also increase profitability. The funding structure enables SA Express to operate with the needed flexibility and to ensure that SA Express operates within the targeted gearing ratio’s. This is the second new route that SA Express has launched in this calendar year; in January 2010 the airline added Cape Town – Durban flights.

Overall, we are pleased with our performance, there are areas where we will not meet our targets due to service interruption challenges.” Said Ntshanga: “SA Express is focusing holistically on improving our customer service, meeting our reliability target of 91%, building our skills base across the organisation. We are spending a lot of time and resources on training and skills development.”

SA Express is proud to add the Durban-CapeTown-Durban route to its convenient network, effective 10 January 2011.

The domestic and regional airline will operate the Durban-CapeTown-Durban route a minimum of 3 times daily during weekdays and 2 times a day during weekends.

In order to adequately accommodate customers who frequent this business and leisure route, SA Express has factored in frequency, availability and timing of flights in this addition to its schedule. The flights will initially be operated by a CRJ-200 aircraft.

Customers can view the full flight schedule and make a booking on flyexpress.aero.

The Board of Directors of SA Express has announced Inati Ntshanga as the new Chief Executive Officer of growing regional airline SA Express effective 1 September 2010. As CEO of the airline, Ntshanga will also serve as Executive Director on the SA Express Board of Directors.

Ntshanga is a Harvard Economics graduate, whose current portfolio includes the development of SA Express’ strategy and business development, including the airline’s route expansion and forays into the rest of the African continent

Lilian Boyle, Chairperson of SA Express’ Board of Directors says: “The Board is delighted to conclude this process and make the announcement after eleven weeks of deliberation. We are confident that Ntshanga’s blend of skills, coupled with his leadership style, will ensure that the airline rises to the occasion, even within a volatile economic and operational environment. We have no doubt that Ntshanga will take SA Express to even greater heights, further aligning the airline to its vision to be the regional carrier of choice.”

Says Ntshanga: “SA Express is one of Africa’s leading regional airlines and I am honoured to be at its helm. My goal is to ensure that the airline continues to build on the solid foundation that has been laid and to balance stakeholder requirements with the myriad of growth opportunities in the industry, making certain that SA Express’ strategy remains innovative, visionary and competitive for years to come.”

Ntshanga succeeds Siza Mzimela, who moved on from SA Express to begin her tenure as CEO of national carrier, South African Airways in May 2010. Ntshanga joined SA Express in January 2005 as Executive Manager, Commercial and Strategy before becoming General Manager Strategy and Business Development.

Over the last 10 years, Ntshanga has held various roles in the airline industry, particularly at SAA where he worked in various departments, including Voyager, Sales, Airport Operations and Technical. Ntshanga was also Executive Manager of Strategy and Planning as well as Regional General Manager/ EVP for the Americas at SAA. Prior to joining SAA, Ntshanga worked as a consultant in various areas in aviation including Cargo, Technical and Customer Service.

Ntshanga also holds a GIBS Global Executive Development Programme qualification, serves on the Board of the Hoedspruit airport and is intensely involved in the development of the aviation industry in the region. Ntshanga is married and has two daughters, Fikile and Namhla.

When SA Express began operating in 1994, Johannesburg to Kimberley was its first route. It has flourished into one of our most successful. We have teamed up with the Department of Education to sponsor an under-16 boys’ and girls’ soccer tournament for Kimberley’s top eight previously disadvantaged schools with the highest potential. It’s our way of giving something back to the city of diamonds. Ink Publishing, who produce Indwe, has committed to give each player a soccer kit.

The winning teams will receive flights to Johannesburg, accommodation for one night and tickets to watch one of the soccer World Cup games. To increase the chances of talented players being identified and their talents nurtured, talent scouts may also attend these games. After the completion of the soccer competition and the school mid-year examinations, SA Express will be holding career exhibitions and workshops in an effort to discover and mentor children who are interested in building a career in aviation

The tournament will kick off with a formal launch of the competition on Friday 16 April; the first games will be played on Saturday 17 April at the tournament’s venue, Galeshewe Stadium.

There will also be games on Saturday 24 April, Saturdays 8 and 15 May, and the final will be on Saturday 5 June. The Department of Education welcomes initiatives by the business sector to invest in the well-being of the province’s young people.

SA Express is proud to empower our youth through this tremendous social investment initiative.

As was reported recently Airports Company South Africa participated with the South African Aviation Authority (SACAA) in a series of highly technical tests at George Airport on Monday 15th February 2010 to reconfirm its runway safety. This was in line with the notification that was issued by the SACAA that the George runway be closed during rainy weather only.

Whilst the results of the tests are still being reviewed and evaluated by the SACAA, a process SA Express respects, and due to the rainy weather experienced at George airport, the runaway will remain closed until further notice.

All affected passengers can contact us for an alternative arrangement as there will be no landing and take offs during this time. For any enquiries passengers are welcome to call the George Airport helpline on 044 876 9310 or SA Express on 0861 SAXCARES (0861 729 227). More information can also be obtained from the ACSA website.

SA Express is proud to introduce new regional airline Congo Express which will begin operating on 1 February 2010, providing a much needed air service between Lubumbashi, Kinshasa and Mbuji Mayi. This new airline is a joint venture and collaboration between established Congolese business, BizAfrika Congo and SA Express, one of the fastest growing regional carriers on the continent.

SA Express and its partner, BizAfrika Congo, have been engaged in collaborative discussions regarding Congo Express over the last 4 years. SA Express consequently holds 49% of Congo Express’ shares in this joint venture. Says Didier Kindambu, the Managing Director of Congo Express: “The new airline, Congo Express, will roll out its operations in three phases, the first being the launch of the Lubumbashi – Kinshasa and Kinshasa – Mbuji Mayi routes. Next, we plan on growing the domestic routes to serve other airports within the DRC, followed by an extension of services beyond the borders of the DRC.”

The Congo Express brand and corporate identity will be similar to those of SA Express, yet uniquely distinctive. The logo reflects the colours of the national flag of the DRC and will be reflected in the livery of the aircraft servicing the route, and also in the chic uniform to be worn by the employees. The pay-off line “Nous volons pour vous” (We fly for you) will be used across all touchpoints, adhering to partner SA Express’ new brand proposition.

Congo Express’ technical maintenance facilities will be undertaken by SA Express, who boasts a commendable safety record. SA Express launched its operation between Johannesburg and Lubumbashi in 2004, and will continue to operate this route. The Johannesburg – Lubumbashi route has since flourished, currently frequenting the DRC 6-days a week.

Congo Express corporate offices are based in Lubumbashi and Kinshasa in the DRC. Bookings can be made by calling +243 818 306 200/1/2/3, online www.flyexpress.aero or at the local offices. Congo Express will operate 7 days a week between Lubumbashi and Kinshasa, and 4 times a week between Lubumbashi and Mbuji Mayi.