The South African government and the appropriate entities have taken the necessary measures to ensure that the aviation industry's security "was at its best" in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, a Department of Transport (DoT) official said on Tuesday.

The Deparment's director for civil aviation Anwar Abdul Gani told delegates at the Avsec World 2009 conference, in Cape Town that government was committed to working with all stakeholders to deal with the country's needs for a safe and secure civil aviation industry.

President Jacob Zuma, in May this year, signed the Civil Aviation Act (Act 13 of 2009), which endeavours to "modernise and harmonise" past aviation acts and which incorporates essential elements, specifically aviation security, the department said.

The new act would also require that a National Aviation Security Programme be developed by the DoT.

The Act also set out a consultative process for the development of regulations for the industry, which the department said it hoped would allow the airlines and airport operators, as well as all other stakeholders to be consulted prior to regulations being developed.