Nationwide airline’s Boeing 737-200s were temporarily grounded on Saturday, pending engine inspections, said the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
CAA spokesperson Phindiwe Gwebu said the authority had sent out a directive requesting the airline to ground the 737-200s temporarily until a full inspection into the engines was complete.
This action comes after a Nationwide Boeing 737 carrying 106 passengers had to make an emergency landing at Cape Town International Airport on Wednesday after an engine fell off during take-off.
The CAA will assess reports on the inspection and then verify whether the Boeings comply with safety standards and can fly.
Some reports have already started coming in and were being assessed by the CAA on Saturday.
Gwebu said other airlines have been asked to conduct visual inspections of their Boeing 737-200s’ engines. On Monday, these airlines will also need to ground their Boeing 737-200s temporarily in order to remove the engines to do a full inspection.
The airlines will have time to make alternative arrangements for their flights, said Gwebu.
Airports Company South Africa spokesperson Solomon Makgale said on Saturday: ”We are aware of the directive from the CAA and will be assisting airlines as much as we can to make sure they comply. We are not expecting major operational impact on the airports as a result of the directive.” — Sapa