BUSINESS NEWS - In a statement on Saturday, the SA Civil Aviation Authority (Sacaa) said SAA had shut down its operations in Blantyre, Malawi, following poor safety findings by Sacaa.
“In what the South African aviation regulator has described as a welcomed move and an expected response from a responsible operator that understands the importance of aviation safety, SAA has opted to cancel its operations into and from Blantyre,” said the authority.
A Level 1 finding can be described as a severe noncompliance that poses a serious safety risk and requires the licence holder to adequately address the findings, and failure of which necessitates immediate enforcement action by the regulator.
The Level 1 finding raised against the national carrier primarily related to the inadequacy of aviation infrastructure facilities and related emergency support services offered at Chileka International Airport, one of the two Malawian bases utilised by SAA.
“The Sacaa inspection exposed several non-compliances, some of which were cause for serious concern. The airport’s perimeter fence was vandalised and fell short of set international standards. Due to lack of maintenance, both the ambulance and fire engine were not dependable.
