Nationwide 'ignored CAA'

2007-11-30 10:47

Johannesburg - Nationwide's aircraft will remain grounded until the airline has fixed deficiencies within its maintenance section, the SA Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Friday.

The CAA suspended approval for the airline's aircraft maintenance organisation from midnight on Thursday, said CAA chief executive officer Zakes Myeza.

It had also suspended the certificates of airworthiness of Nationwide's fleet of 16 aircraft - twelve 737-200s, five 727s and one 767.

If the airline did not comply, its licence would be revoked altogether.

"It was unavoidable," said Myeza.

He said the suspension arose from the airline's failure to comply with an airworthiness directorate issued in September and subsequent audits of its compliance.

"We cannot afford to be reckless on this because we are dealing with human lives," said CAA executive legal manager Ntheri Magoai.

This was not the first time the CAA has grounded an airline, said CAA aircraft safety executive manager Obert Chakarisa.

It had already grounded the airline maintenance organisations of the smaller airlines Nel Air and Executive Aerospace. It would be suspending two more in the next week, he said but would not name them.

They were also smaller airlines.

Nationwide was notified by fax late on Thursday night that the CAA had revoked its aviation maintenance organisation licence, said the airline's sales and marketing manager Charmaine Thome.

- SAPA