Johannesburg - The SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA)
introduced a fining system on Wednesday for those who contravene aviation
rules.
"In a nutshell, SACAA inspectors and/or authorised
officers will now be able to impose monetary penalties for infractions,"
SACAA legal head Ntheri Magoai said.
"Such infractions include, among others, the
obstruction of authorised SACAA officers in performing their duties, flying
illegally, falsifying records, as well as the general contravention of the
Civil Aviation Act."
He said the new regulations came into effect after SACAA
identified gaps in its punitive measures.
"Instead of just warning and letting culprits walk away
unpunished for minor contraventions, we now have in place a comprehensive
system that can deter rampant disregard of all civil aviation
regulations," said Mogaai.
Fines would range between R5 000 and R20 000 for individuals and between R16 000 and R53 000 for organisations, depending on the nature of the contravention.