The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), together with key aviation industry organisations, have set in motion a process aimed at improving safety at all aerodromes.

Civil Aviation commissioner and SACAA CEO Captain Colin Jordaan said on Tuesday that the recent spate of incidents involving light aircraft suggested the need to pay closer attention to safety standards among light aircraft and smaller aerodrome operators.

“The current economic downturn notwithstanding, civil aviation is a generally exponentially growing industry with an increasing number of people opting for it as a speedy mode of transport. Moreover, growth in the tourism industry as well as recreational flying has also propelled the number of people taking to the skies.

“While these are positive developments for the aviation industry and the economy, the downside thereof is that there is also an increasing number of smaller aerodromes being established, with a significant number of them being unlicensed and therefore unregulated,” he said.

Jordaan stated that the risks were even higher when one was using the aircraft and the facility for business purposes, for instance, transporting tourists into game farms or operating microlight flying schools.

In most cases, the onus is on the pilot to establish the safety of an aerodrome before landing, and this usually takes the form of a verbal report from an aerodrome owner. However, safety is jeopardised in cases where technical standards are not adhered to in terms of runway specifications, including coordinates as well as the length and width of a runway.

Jordaan added that the process of ensuring safety at all places of departure has already begun. Thus far, a representative workgroup has been formed and comprises, among others, the SACAA, Airport Operators Association, Aero Club of South Africa, Soaring Society of South Africa, and Microlight Section of the Aero Club of South Africa.

The primary task of this workgroup is to formulate regulations and technical standards that will regulate all landing and departure points in South Africa.

“The workgroup has made some progress and we are confident that by the end of the year we would have made serious inroads toward ensuring that all our aerodromes are conforming to internationally acceptable safety standards,” concluded Jordaan.

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