Grounded! Why SAA Cargo wasn’t cleared for takeoff

Three South African Airways Cargo aircraft spent five days grounded last month after the airline missed a crucial deadline to upgrade software that allows aircraft to communicate while in the air.

The Boeing 737 freighters were grounded by SAA itself after the airline was denied request for extension by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) after missing a deadline to upgrade the aircrafts’ Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).

SAA Cargo operates one frequency per night between OR Tambo International and terminals in Durban‚ East London‚ Port Elizabeth and Cape Town to deliver freight. On occasion they will also do two regional frequencies to Maputo‚ Harare‚ Lusaka‚ Kinshasa‚ Entebbe and Namibia‚ depending on demand.

“The grounding of the aircraft was self-imposed to ensure compliance to CAA requirement and it was for five working days. Operations resumed on February 24 2018‚” said spokesperson Tlali Tlali.

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