The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has reviewed the judgement handed down by the Civil Aviation Appeal Committee (CAAC) following an appeal brought against the SACAA by CemAir.
The SACAA is very keen to see the airline back in the air and as soon as practically possible, and hence the necessary arrangements have been made to ensure that its inspectorate can instantly start auditing the airline.
“The actions expected to be undertaken by the Director of Civil Aviation, as well as by both the SACAA and CemAir, as outlined in the ruling, are unambiguous, and as a result, I have already delegated my functions in terms of legislation to the SACAA’s Aviation Safety Operations to immediately implement the recommendations of the CAAC as summarised above,” said Ms. Poppy Khoza, who is the Director of Civil Aviation.
“It is also in the interest of aviation development and safety to have this matter resolved as quickly as possible. However, in practical terms, the pace of finalising this matter is in the hands of the airline. The Regulator will rely on CemAir’s cooperation in relation to the submission of the relevant documents and records, as well as any other evidence that will contribute to the speedy completion of the inspection. To this end, I have written to CemAir to inform the operator of my decision to continue the renewal audit and inspection process for purposes of completing this task. The expectation is that the operator will submit all the documents and records to the SACAA inspectorate for purposes of the audit,” Khoza explained.
The SACAA’s Aviation Safety Operations division has also sent communication to the airline detailing the SACAA’s preliminary requirements for the renewal audit, which will entail the AOC renewal audit and inspections pertaining to the certification of airworthiness of the CemAir fleet.
“The primary role of the SACAA is to preserve lives by ensuring high standards of aviation safety and security. No regulator in the world or any other industry can achieve this if they do not discharge their mandate in a fair but firm manner, and most importantly, without any form of favouritism or fear,” Khoza concluded.