From the CAA website:
MEDIA RELEASE FRIDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2007
THE SA CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY GROUNDS NATIONWIDE AIRCRAFT
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) is hereby announcing that with effect from
midnight, 29 November 2007, the approval for the Nationwide Aircraft Maintenance Organization
(AMO) has been suspended in terms of Part 145 of the Civil Aviation Regulations. This action
has been necessitated by the inability of the AMO to demonstrate full compliance with the
applicable Civil Aviation Regulations of 1997 as amended and thereby is unable to guarantee
continued safety to an acceptable or required level.
Furthermore, the SACAA also confirms the suspension of the Certificates of Airworthiness of
aircraft maintained by the AMO in terms of Part 21, effective midnight 29 November 2007. As a
result of this action the aircraft that constitute the Nationwide air fleet will not be permitted to
undertake any further flights until their airworthiness status has been verified.
The SACAA would like to assure the public that the above decision was reached after the
SACAA conducted a rigorous audit of the AMO in an effort to confirm its compliance with
applicable regulations. The AMO was unable to satisfy the Authority of its capability to continue
maintaining the aircraft to a standard commensurate with the requirement of the Civil Aviation
Regulations (CARs).
The regulations require that the AMO maintain the aircraft in accordance with the manufacturers’
requirements and any other requirement imposed by the South African Regulations which would
be consistent with International Best Practice.
The decision was taken by SACAA in the interest of continued aviation safety in the country.
Whilst this will result in an inconvenience to passengers, and this is very much regretted, our
view is that safety cannot be compromised.
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