SA Nationwide Airlines’ flights grounded

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s Nationwide Airlines said on Friday that all its domestic and international flights had been grounded by the country’s civil aviation authority, but did not know how long the ban would last.

“The civil aviation authority has removed our aviation maintenance organisation licence, which effectively grounds our airplanes,” Nationwide’s spokesman Rodger Whittle told Reuters. “We do not know for what period of time, we have asked the civil aviation authority for clarification and information, and we don’t anticipate that it will be a long situation.”Whittle said the airline operates about 50 to 55 flights a day, locally and internationally.The Civil Aviation Authority said it would issue a statement on the grounding of Nationwide’s flights later in the day.Earlier this month, South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority grounded all Boeing 737-200 aircraft in the country for safety checks after an engine fell off the wing of a Nationwide Airline aircraft carrying 106 passengers in Cape Town.There were no injuries sustained by anyone on board or on the ground.Nationwide, which has flights to London’s Gatwick airport, says on its website that it has more than 350 domestic, regional and international weekly flights, including to Zambia.Nampa-Reuters”We do not know for what period of time, we have asked the civil aviation authority for clarification and information, and we don’t anticipate that it will be a long situation.”Whittle said the airline operates about 50 to 55 flights a day, locally and internationally.The Civil Aviation Authority said it would issue a statement on the grounding of Nationwide’s flights later in the day.Earlier this month, South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority grounded all Boeing 737-200 aircraft in the country for safety checks after an engine fell off the wing of a Nationwide Airline aircraft carrying 106 passengers in Cape Town.There were no injuries sustained by anyone on board or on the ground.Nationwide, which has flights to London’s Gatwick airport, says on its website that it has more than 350 domestic, regional and international weekly flights, including to Zambia.Nampa-Reuters