Publications
Partners
South African Airways (SAA) said in a statement on Thursday evening that all its flights are now operating on schedule.
SAA's decision to recall its aircraft followed an oversight inspection conducted by the SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) at the airline's maintenance subsidiary, South African Airways Technical (SAAT).
SAA had implemented contingency plans earlier this week to ensure business continuity. The airline says it has now ensured that the majority of the aircraft that were identified for the compliance checks have been released back into service.
A total of 25 SAA aircraft were identified to undergo a compliance verification process required by SACAA. According to SAA, so far 21 of these aircraft have undergone the compliance verification process.
The remaining four are undergoing a scheduled extended maintenance service.
"Their absence will not affect the airline operations, as they were not included in the schedule to allow for routine maintenance," SAA explains.
Earlier on Thursday, the Competition Commission announced that it granted SAA and Air Mauritius permission to form a joint venture on the route between Johannesburg and Mauritius route as well as other related routes.
The exemption has primarily been granted because it promotes exports from South Africa, the Commission said.
The two airlines will pool the revenue and costs associated with the provision of commercial passenger and cargo services on the route between Mauritius and Johannesburg and related destinations.
Fin24 reported on Tuesday that, according to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, one of the reasons that SACAA conducted a safety audit at SAAT was remarks made by an official at at the national airline that the loss and theft of aircraft parts may be caused by an organised crime syndicate. Mbalula said the grounding was a precautionary measure taken by airlines to ensure the safety of passengers.
