VZCZCXRO0095
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSA #2602/01 3521101
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181101Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0656
INFO RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAN/AMEMBASSY ANTANANARIVO 0891
RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE 3930
RUEHLS/AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 3823
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 6189
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 2936
RUEHMB/AMEMBASSY MBABANE 4604

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 002602 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EEB/TRA/OTP 
DAKAR FOR MO KEANE 
FAA FOR NANCY ANGELO 
ROME FOR ANTHONY GIOVANNIELLO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR ECON PREL CASC OTRA ATRN FAA ICAO SF
SUBJECT: SERIES OF AIRLINK INCIDENTS TESTS SOUTH AFRICAN CIVIL 
AVIATION AUTHORITY'S OVERSIGHT REFORMS 
 
REF: A. 08 PRETORIA 1791, B. 08 PRETORIA 73, C. STATE 38571 
 
PRETORIA 00002602  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  A spate of recent accidents/incidents involving 
South African Airlink has raised concerns about the safety record of 
the carrier.  Privately owned Airlink also provides regional service 
to Lesotho, Mozambique, Madagascar, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe 
with over 3,500 flights per month.  The South African Civil Aviation 
Authority (CAA) took swift and what appears to be appropriate 
oversight action.  Airlink worked through the weekend to address 
corrective actions and avoided being grounded by the CAA.  The 
Department of Transport gave Airlink until December 21, to address 
all compliance requirements identified by the CAA.  CAA oversight 
capacity was boosted significantly after a round of FAA consultative 
meetings from 2007-2008.  The CAA took swift action in a similar 
case with low-cost carrier Nationwide in early 2008; Nationwide 
ceased operations in April 2008.  The CAA insists lack of 
alternatives to Airlink for regional air services at a time of high 
holiday season demand does not have an impact on how Airlink is 
being handled.  Post will continue to monitor and report on the 
status of the CAA investigation and oversight process.  End 
Summary. 
 
--------------------------- 
AIRLINK HISTORY AND NETWORK 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Privately owned South African Airlink (SA Airlink)was formed 
through the amalgamation of a number of small local airlines (Border 
Air, Citi Air, Link Airways, Lowveld Aviation Services, Magnum 
Airways and Midlands Aviation) in 1967.  The airline, renamed 
Airlink in 2006, has developed into South Africa's first feeder 
network, specifically aimed at linking smaller domestic cities and 
regional centers hubs throughout Southern Africa.  Airlink operates 
over 3,500 flights per month and serves more than 25 destinations in 
Southern Africa.  It provides regional service to Lesotho, 
Mozambique, Madagascar, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.  Quite a 
few USG personnel use the carrier regularly for their regional 
duties and for personal travel. 
 
¶3. (U) Airlink formed a strategic alliance with South Africa's 
national carrier South African Airways (SAA) in 1997.  The alliance 
was dissolved in 2006, but Airlink retains certain cooperative 
agreements with SAA such as joint online booking and ticketing 
systems.  Airlink carries over 65,000 passengers every month 
utilizing a fleet of Jet stream 41 aircraft, ERJ 135 jet aircraft, 
BAe 146-200 aircraft, and BAe 146-RJ85 aircraft.  Airlink's 
passenger profile is composed of 70 percent business and 30 percent 
leisure travelers.  Airlink successfully completed the International 
Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit and was 
placed on the IATA Register on February 6, 2008. 
 
---------------------------------- 
SERIES OF AIRLINK SAFETY INCIDENTS 
LEADS TO CAA INVESTIGATION 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) A spate of incidents in late 2009 (July, September, October, 
November, and December) have raised concerns about safety procedures 
at Airlink.  One of these incidents, the crash of Airlink flight 
Qat Airlink.  One of these incidents, the crash of Airlink flight 
8911 near Durban, was due to engine failure and caused one fatality 
(pilot).  Engine failure was also the cause of the July incident in 
Cape Town.  In response to these incidents, the CAA audited 
Airlink's maintenance and flight operations programs. 
 
 
¶5. (U) The CAA submitted the results of its audits to Airlink and 
the Minister of Transport Sbu Ndebele on December 11.  (Note: 
Airlink worked through the weekend to address initial corrective 
actions and avoid being grounded by the CAA.  End Note.)  The 
Department of Transport reviewed the CAA findings and announced that 
Airlink could continue operations, subject to providing a 
"comprehensive corrective action plan" and meeting compliance levels 
within seven days (by December 21).  An independent review of 
Airlink's flight safety processes and procedures has also commenced. 
 
 
¶6. (U) The CAA's audit raised concerns relating to administrative 
procedures and management structures at Airlink's Technical 
 
PRETORIA 00002602  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
facility.  While such reports are not normally made public, it was 
reported that there were three "observations and recommendations" 
regarding flight operations and 12 "findings" with respect to the 
airline's maintenance program.  CAA is making inspectors and other 
technical experts available to Airlink to assist with this process. 
 
 
------------------------------ 
CAA OVERSIGHT CAPACITY BOOSTED 
AFTER FAA CONSULTATION PROCESS 
------------------------------ 
 
¶7. (SBU) CAA oversight capacity was boosted significantly after a 
round of FAA International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) 
consultative meetings during 2007-2008.  A FAA IASA consultation 
visit in July 2007 identified significant deficiencies in the CAA's 
aviation safety oversight system, which threatened South Africa's 
ability to maintain its Category I status.  As a result, the South 
African Department of Transport created a special task team to 
consult with the FAA on required reforms to the CAA and 
corresponding national aviation legislation.  A former SAA pilot 
with years of safety and security oversight experience, Colin 
Jordaan, was brought in as the new CAA CEO/Commissioner to head the 
reform process (Ref B). 
 
¶8. (SBU) The FAA validated South Africa's safety oversight system in 
July 2008, after a collaborative consultation process.  The FAA 
concluded the consultation process once the CAA was able to 
demonstrate progress with the recruitment and training of 
airworthiness and other technical inspectors (Ref A).  FAA's IASA 
legal experts also provided technical assistance on amendments to 
the South African Civil Aviation Act.  A new Civil Aviation Act came 
into force in December 2009 and provided the CAA with a direct 
reporting line to the Minister of Transport. 
 
--------------------------- 
CAA FLEXED OVERSIGHT MUSCLE 
IN NATIONWIDE CASE 
--------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Under the leadership of Colin Jordaan, the CAA took swift 
action to ground low-cost carrier Nationwide after an accident in 
November 2007.  CAA suspended Nationwide's aircraft maintenance 
organization and its fleet's airworthiness certificates after 
inspection of its operations in early 2008.  Nationwide did not 
recover from the grounding and subsequent global economic downturn. 
It ceased operations in April 2008. 
 
¶10. (SBU) There are few alternatives to Airlink for regional travel. 
 Some industry commentators note that the CAA is likely to take less 
severe action against Airlink than it took against Nationwide, 
particularly with high demand for air services this holiday period 
and for the coming World Cup.  Nonetheless, the CAA insists lack of 
alternatives to Airlink for regional air services has not influenced 
how Airlink is being handled. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) A few years ago, the South African CAA suffered from a 
lack of independence and safety oversight capacity.  Like other 
civil aviation authorities in the region, the CAA and local aviation 
industry was losing technical expertise to foreign carriers and 
oversight organizations that offered higher salaries.  However, SAG 
leadership recognized the importance of retaining international 
Qleadership recognized the importance of retaining international 
safety oversight standards, under threat of losing South Africa's 
Category I status with the FAA just before hosting the 2010 FIFA 
World Cup.  As a result of FAA consultations, the SAG launched 
reform efforts and modernized civil aviation legislation to improve 
oversight at CAA. 
 
¶11. (SBU) The CAA has not hesitated in taking strict oversight and 
corrective actions against carriers such as Nationwide and Airlink. 
With the World Cup less than six months away, the CAA is anxious to 
maintain international safety oversight standards and address any 
safety capacity shortfalls at local carriers so that feeder service 
will be available when football fans and teams arrive.  Post will 
 
PRETORIA 00002602  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
continue to monitor and report on the status of the CAA oversight 
and investigation process. 
 
GIPS