[LISTEN] Mbalula: Grounding of flights not a crisis
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has assured commuters that the grounding of domestic flights is not a cause for concern but was merely done as a precautionary measure.
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) grounded a number of domestic flights on Tuesday in the wake of an audit on one of its maintenance and technical service providers South African Airways Technical (SAAT).
The audit identified technical irregularities in the manner in which SAAT conducts business.
The Sunday Times previously reported that the SAAT had used fake parts on aircraft it services, including South African Airways (SAA).
The report also led to a safety audit of Comair, which operates Kulula and British Airways, and South African Airways.
"We've been briefed by the SACAA that as a consequence of a sampling of a few aircrafts, these were subsequently issued with a prohibition order meaning that these could not operate until they had addressed the non-compliances," Mbalula told a media briefing in Cape Town on Tuesday.
"SAA Technical has since submitted a corrective technical plan aimed at addressing the irregularities."
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Civil aviation working 'hand-in-hand' with SAA amid grounding of flights
Several South African Airlines planes failed to take to the skies as planned on Tuesday morning. SACAA also clipped Comair's wings, with Kulula and British Airways flights grounded on Monday evening, in the wake of an audit by one of its maintenance and technical service providers South African Airways Technical (SAAT).
Mbalula also assured commuters that the issue would be resolved soon.
"This is not a total shutdown, it's not a crisis."
He believes all flights will be back to normal by the end of the week.
Listen below:
