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South Africa could face restrictions on flight access to the United States and European Union due to non-compliance with international civil aviation regulations.
The Department of Transport (DoT) has warned that South African aeroplanes may be denied entry into US and EU airspace after the country failed to establish an independent body to investigate aviation accidents and incidents, which is an obligation under Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention, the global treaty that governs civil aviation safety standards.
According to Business Day, the Convention requires that all flight accident investigations must be conducted independently and impartially, and countries are expected to establish a separate body for these tasks.
In South Africa, these investigations are currently performed by the Civil Aviation Authority, which falls under the DoT.
The Civil Aviation Authority is, however, not considered to be “sufficiently independent of the government”, according to the terms of the Chicago Convention.
The DoT said that it will table a draft policy before the cabinet to seek a resolution.
“This could lead to SA obtaining an audit finding of a serious safety concern. As a result, SA airlines will not be allowed to fly into the US and EU airspace.”
“Similarly, US and EU airlines will not fly into SA airspace due to safety concerns.”
Also in the draft policy is the DoT plan to establish an independent aircraft accident investigation entity by 2027.
It also proposes that the Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) should hold the sole responsibility of managing South Africa’s airspace.
“Private service providers offering air navigation services within the SA airspace compromise the national airspace control provided by ATNS, posing national security risks,” it said.
“ATNS shall have the sole mandate for civil airspace management, to mitigate the national security risks that arise from the fragmentation created by the existence of multiple air navigation service providers.”
The Department of Transport (DoT) has also proposed tighter restrictions on international stopover flights in South Africa, citing concerns about the impact on the domestic aviation market.
According to the department, allowing foreign carriers to transport passengers between South African cities – via international stopovers – undermines local airlines, which could otherwise serve those routes.
“The exercise of such rights further erodes the value of South Africa’s air transport market, making it increasingly difficult to protect the domestic industry and uphold national interests,” the department stated.
The DoT also raised security concerns, noting that international passengers disembarking at domestic airports during stopovers complicate the work of the Border Management Authority. As a result, the department is calling for stopover rights granted under bilateral air service agreements to be withdrawn.
The document also warns that adopting an “open skies” policy, particularly with regions like the United States and the European Union, could put South African carriers at a disadvantage.
KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape have offered incentives like airport fee waivers to attract direct international flights. While these incentives help improve regional connectivity, the DoT is urging a more balanced approach to ensure local airlines also benefit.
[Source: TopAuto]
