[Image: Wikicommons]
South Africa’s aviation industry has been thrown into turmoil after the Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) announced it would begin enforcing a controversial rule: all aircraft engines older than 12 years must be overhauled, no matter how many hours they’ve flown or how well they’re running.
The move has grounded more than 1,400 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters across the country.
SACAA says it’s all about safety and that sticking to a strict time-based schedule is necessary to keep the skies safe.
But the aviation community isn’t buying it. In many cases, the cost of an engine overhaul is more than what the Aeroplane is actually worth, meaning perfectly good planes are being forced out of service.
The aviation community now says that, with around 300,000 people working in or around the aviation sector, this decision could have serious consequences for jobs and the broader economy.
SACAA is, however, adamant that enforcement of the 12-year engine overhaul rule comes down to preventing mechanical failures that could lead to fatal accidents.
The authority explains that it’s aligning South African regulations with engine manufacturers’ guidelines, which usually recommend overhauls every 12 years, regardless of how much the engine has actually been used.
The reasoning is that engine components can degrade over time, even if the aeroplane is well-maintained or spends most of its time on the ground. In other words, age matters just as much as usage.
SACAA also points to international standards, including those set by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), both of which often require similar time-based overhauls for commercial planes.
“Ageing components – particularly in critical engine assemblies – can experience metal fatigue, corrosion, and rubber degradation that are invisible during external inspections.”
“Overhaul intervals are designed to identify these failures before they become safety risks.”
According to The South African, aeroplane owners could, until recently, make use of AIC 18.19, an exemption that allowed continued airworthiness via inspection, rather than calendar age. However, in 2023, SACAA rescinded that circular.
According to SACAA insiders, reliance on discretionary inspections introduced inconsistencies in compliance. Inspectors may vary in experience or overlook early signs of deterioration.
The Authority has stated that the alternate compliance pathway was vulnerable to abuse and opened the door to unsafe flying.
“The blanket inspection exemption created a loophole. Safety cannot depend on subjective interpretations of engine health.”
While there haven’t been any recent high-profile accidents in South Africa directly tied to ageing engines, SACAA argues that international data tells a different story. According to the authority, engines that are flown infrequently are more likely to fail suddenly, often due to hidden issues like internal corrosion or degraded seals.
Despite strong pushback from the aviation industry, SACAA remains steadfast in its belief that the rule is essential for long-term flight safety.
Kevin Storie, CEO of the Commercial Aviation Association of South Africa, said the new directive decimates a decades-old ecosystem of aviation expertise and economic activity.
Storie warned that the entire value chain is at risk, including the aviation maintenance organisations (AMOs), spare parts suppliers, and training academies.
Attempts by stakeholders to negotiate a phased or conditional rollout have so far hit a dead end, so unless SACAA changes course or offers a transitional plan, South Africa’s skies are likely to stay quieter.
[Source: The South African]
