SA pilots' grading scrutinised

Johannesburg - The international recognition of all South African pilots could be in danger due to the possible downgrade of the South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) by the USA's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Due to the shortage of inspectors that test the flight worthiness of aeroplanes and issue and reassess pilots' licences, the FAA had considered downgrading the CAA in January already.

The CAA was however awarded a six-month postponement after appeals from Colin Jordaan, a former head of the SAA who had then just been appointed as the executive head of the CAA. Since then, Jordaan has been working ceaselessly for the CAA to maintain its status.

This shortage of inspectors came to light during an audit by the FAA that was done at the CAA's head office in Midrand last year - just like the audit done at SAA's technical department which exposed a dangerous skills shortage and which was exposed on Sake24 on Monday.

A downgrade will have disastrous effects on South African aviation, the country's biggest magazine for pilots, SA Flyer, wrote in its latest edition.

It would mean a dramatic decrease in the international recognition of South African pilots' licences, that aeroplaines' air worthiness-certificates won't be worth much abroad, and that SAA won't be able to develop its routes to America.

A leader from an FAA delegation which visited the CAA in January, brought with him a letter which informed the CAA of the downgrade. Jordaan convinced him and the other delegates to give the CAA six months to recover.

According to an interview with SA Flyer, it was the first time in the history of the FAA that a downgrade of an airline regulatory authority was issued but not awarded to the involved authority.

Transport minister Jeff Radebe has since ensured that Jordaan gets a sufficient budget to lure back skilled inspectors, who are in demand worldwide. More than 80 of them have been hired in the last few months.