Howard Neill
11-30-2007, 03:12 PM
If you are booked with Nationwide, you'd better check with your travel agent. I wonder if this affects Chick's travel plans?
http://www.capeargus.co.za/?fArticleId=4152682
Flights suspended as aviation authority withdraws Nationwide licence
By Staff Reporters
The Civil Aviation Authority has grounded all Nationwide aircraft, causing chaos at Cape Town International Airport today.
No reasons had been given for the suspension of the flights, announ-ced last night, at the time of going to press.
By early morning, all Nationwide flights listed on the Airports Company SA website for the day were either listed as cancelled or indefinitely delayed. At least 26 Nationwide flights due to leave from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban were affected. No other airlines appeared to be affected.
In the departures lounge at Cape Town International Airport, disappointed passengers milled around the Nationwide check-in desk.
Announcements blared over the intercom saying all Nationwide passengers had to report to the airline's desk. They were handed letters informing that Nationwide was "taking precautionary measures" in light of CAA's decision.
Many were told to get a booking on a British Airways flight; others were told to return tomorrow.
Early today, the departures noticeboard showed two flights had been cancelled: the 8am to Johannesburg and the 9.40am to Nelspruit.
A check-in clerk said passengers could either get another flight, or they were being refunded.
Nationwide spokeswoman Char- maine Thomé said today that the CAA had withdrawn the airline's Aviation Maintenance Organisation licence.
"We've suspended our normal operations because they've suspended our licence," said Thomé.
"We are as confused as you are. The reason for it - we have no idea."
She said the licence had been suspended last night and the first flight affected had been this morning's 6.50am departure from Johannesburg to Cape Town.
Thomé said Nationwide CEO Vernon Bricknell was meeting the CAA.
The CAA, the oversight authority for the aviation industry, was not immediately available for comment and, in a statement, referred only to "a decision of public importance regarding the non-compliance of an airline operating in South Africa".
Acsa spokesman Solomon Makgale told the Cape Argus today that Cape Town airport was operational and that all airlines - apart from Nationwide - were "taking off and landing as normal".
The grounding of Nationwide follows an incident on November 7 when one of the engines fell off a Nationwide Boeing 737-200, soon after take-off from Cape Town International Airport. The pilot made an emergency landing.
Two days later the CAA issued an "Emergency Airworthiness Directive" to all airlines to submit their Boeing 737-200 aircraft fitted with Pratt and Whittney JT8D engines for technical inspections.
This directive grounded all such aircraft pending technical inspections to confirm airworthiness.
The directive ordered detailed visual inspections, compliance with previous airworthiness directives and service bulletins, X-rays of some mountings and bolts, and various other inspections. The CAA demand-ed written reports of compliance.
Nationwide said later that the engine had taken in an object during take-off. The engine was designed to fall off under such circumstances to prevent damage to the wing.
Published on the web by Cape Argus on November 30, 2007. /* */ http://secure-za.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?rnd=1196431843640&ci=za-independent&cg=0&cc=0&sr=1024x768&cd=32&lg=en-za&je=y&ck=y&tz=2&ct=lan&hp=n&si=http%3A//www.capeargus.co.za/general/print_article.php%3FfArticleId%3D4152682&rp=
http://www.capeargus.co.za/?fArticleId=4152682
Flights suspended as aviation authority withdraws Nationwide licence
By Staff Reporters
The Civil Aviation Authority has grounded all Nationwide aircraft, causing chaos at Cape Town International Airport today.
No reasons had been given for the suspension of the flights, announ-ced last night, at the time of going to press.
By early morning, all Nationwide flights listed on the Airports Company SA website for the day were either listed as cancelled or indefinitely delayed. At least 26 Nationwide flights due to leave from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban were affected. No other airlines appeared to be affected.
In the departures lounge at Cape Town International Airport, disappointed passengers milled around the Nationwide check-in desk.
Announcements blared over the intercom saying all Nationwide passengers had to report to the airline's desk. They were handed letters informing that Nationwide was "taking precautionary measures" in light of CAA's decision.
Many were told to get a booking on a British Airways flight; others were told to return tomorrow.
Early today, the departures noticeboard showed two flights had been cancelled: the 8am to Johannesburg and the 9.40am to Nelspruit.
A check-in clerk said passengers could either get another flight, or they were being refunded.
Nationwide spokeswoman Char- maine Thomé said today that the CAA had withdrawn the airline's Aviation Maintenance Organisation licence.
"We've suspended our normal operations because they've suspended our licence," said Thomé.
"We are as confused as you are. The reason for it - we have no idea."
She said the licence had been suspended last night and the first flight affected had been this morning's 6.50am departure from Johannesburg to Cape Town.
Thomé said Nationwide CEO Vernon Bricknell was meeting the CAA.
The CAA, the oversight authority for the aviation industry, was not immediately available for comment and, in a statement, referred only to "a decision of public importance regarding the non-compliance of an airline operating in South Africa".
Acsa spokesman Solomon Makgale told the Cape Argus today that Cape Town airport was operational and that all airlines - apart from Nationwide - were "taking off and landing as normal".
The grounding of Nationwide follows an incident on November 7 when one of the engines fell off a Nationwide Boeing 737-200, soon after take-off from Cape Town International Airport. The pilot made an emergency landing.
Two days later the CAA issued an "Emergency Airworthiness Directive" to all airlines to submit their Boeing 737-200 aircraft fitted with Pratt and Whittney JT8D engines for technical inspections.
This directive grounded all such aircraft pending technical inspections to confirm airworthiness.
The directive ordered detailed visual inspections, compliance with previous airworthiness directives and service bulletins, X-rays of some mountings and bolts, and various other inspections. The CAA demand-ed written reports of compliance.
Nationwide said later that the engine had taken in an object during take-off. The engine was designed to fall off under such circumstances to prevent damage to the wing.
Published on the web by Cape Argus on November 30, 2007. /* */ http://secure-za.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?rnd=1196431843640&ci=za-independent&cg=0&cc=0&sr=1024x768&cd=32&lg=en-za&je=y&ck=y&tz=2&ct=lan&hp=n&si=http%3A//www.capeargus.co.za/general/print_article.php%3FfArticleId%3D4152682&rp=