- Regulator limits Comair
- Hundreds of passengers stuck
- The company says it’s unclear when they will be able to fly again
CAPE TOWN, March 13 – South Africa’s civil aviation regulator suspended Comair flights indefinitely on Sunday due to unresolved safety concerns. The move also affected budget airline Kulula and British Airways, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.
A spokesman for the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) said it had extended Comair’s 24-hour air operator certificate suspension indefinitely.
The suspension was supposed to end on Sunday, but Comair did not properly address all necessary safety issues, SACAA said. More
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“We informed them (Comair) this morning that their air operator certificate has been suspended indefinitely until they close all derivations,” SACAA spokesman Findiwe Gwebu told Reuters, effectively suspending Boeing’s (BA.N) fleet. .
Comair said it could not confirm when it would fly again after working all night to provide SACAA documentation after reviewing certain policies, systems and procedures.
“This is a huge blow to our customers, employees and air passengers as it effectively takes 40% of capacity out of the market,” said Comair chief executive Glenn Orsmond.
He added that if the suspension is extended, it will have serious consequences for the aviation sector and the country.
CHARTER FLIGHTS
Airports Company SA (ACSA), which operates the country’s largest airports, said some of the stranded passengers were sent on charter flights organized by BA and Comair specifically for passengers flying the popular Johannesburg-Cape Town route.
“Priority is also given to those passengers who have onward international connecting flights,” said Terence Delomony, group executive manager for ACSA.
In issuing a warning notice on Saturday, the regulator said Comair had experienced safety issues in the past month, ranging from “engine failures, engine failures and landing gear failures” and others.
Through its investigations, the SACAA said it found three so-called “level 1” findings “that pose an immediate risk” and should be addressed immediately.
Gwebu did not specify what pending safety issues Comair, which operates local and regional flights from South Africa under a British Airways (BA) livery under a license agreement, needs to resolve before flying again. In addition to flying BA aircraft, Comair also operates the Kulula brand.
A notice on the Kulula website revealed that Comair intended to resume its schedule by 12:00 (10:00 GMT) on Sunday, subject to SACAA approval.
“We will do our best to meet the needs of customers affected by the suspension of other flights, prioritizing vulnerable customers and those who urgently need to travel,” Comair said, adding that customers will also be kept informed via text messages.
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Reporting by Wendell Rölf. Editing by Louise Havens, Mark Potter and Emilia Sithole-Matharis.
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