The air operator certificate of Comair has been suspended in South Africa.
CAPE TOWN, March 12 (Reuters) - South Africa has suspended Comair's air operator certification as a precautionary measure for 24 hours, effectively grounding its fleet and affecting passengers using low-cost airline Kulula as well as British Airways flights, according to the transport ministry on Saturday.
Under the British Airways livery, Comair has since completed local and regional routes from South Africa for a period of time. As part of a license agreement, Comair has provided services.
In a statement, the regulator made this decision independent in line with its mandate to oversee aviation safety.
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) claims that Comair had experienced safety issues, ranging from "engine failures, engine malfunction, and landing gear issues," the regulator said in the previous month.
"This is a period of 24 years to go until a precautionary delay.
In a statement on its website, the operator must demonstrate to the regulator that risk and safety management systems are effective in dealing potentially harmful hazards.
"The operator has until tomorrow morning, Sunday, 13 March 2022, to meet requirements from the regulator, if any, the regulator will be suspended indefinitely, pending the conclusion's satisfactory conclusion," said the SACAA.
The airline said its executive team was engaging with the regulator in a bid to resolve the issue on the Kulula.com website.
The airline advises all passengers who booked for Saturday not to travel to the airport unless they had made a booking on an alternative carrier.
The air operator certificate of Comair has been suspended in South Africa.