South African regional SA Express cleared to restart flights

South African regional carrier SA Express is set to begin a staged return to services from Aug. 23, three months after the country’s regulator barred it from flying. The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) suspended both the company’s air operator’s certificate (AOC) and aircraft maintenance organization (AMO) authorisation May 24 after an audit uncovered what the regulator described as “severe cases of non-compliance that pose serious safety risks.” The AMO suspension meant the airline had to apply to have all its aircraft certificates of airworthiness individually revalidated. The state-owned airline has been working since May to restore necessary authorizations to resume scheduled services. In the interim, other South African carriers have sought to fill the void by stepping up their own services on SA Express routes.<br/>