Airlines in South Africa grounded jets and the big question is why

Three airlines in South Africa took the unusual step of grounding some planes Tuesday after a regulator flagged compliance issues and ordered maintenance checks. Things got weirder when no one would publicly say exactly what needed checking. The groundings by South African Airways and its Mango unit, plus Comair, which operates British Airways domestic flights and Kulula, were big local news. There were some delayed and rescheduled flights. The disruptions followed Civil Aviation Authority inspections at South African Airways Technical, the maintenance provider for the airlines. But what specific violations the inspectors found, and whether they compromised passenger safety, remain a mystery. <br/>