Cape Town - After a long weekend of chaos, SA Express passengers around the country were left frustrated due to the airline being grounded.
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) grounded the airline’s fleet on Saturday and lifted the suspension late on Sunday after a series of meetings.
Angry passengers say they were left in the dark, claiming SA Express still checked in passengers knowing full well that no flights would be departing.
About 50 people due to board #SaExpress have been sitting at the EL airport from as early as 8am due to the #airline being grounded.
— The Daily Dispatch (@Dispatch_DD) May 1, 2016
Venting their frustration on social media, passengers had choice words for the airline, while SA Express’s only response was “we cannot apologise enough to smooth over the effect of all of this”.
[CARTOON] #SAExpress Flight instructions by Dr Jack & Curtis of @africartoons https://t.co/AxHE6MAYnW pic.twitter.com/bwKIeCj5SZ
— Eyewitness News (@ewnupdates) May 3, 2016
According to ewn.co.za, the SACAA said it would be keeping an eye on the airline because the regulator was unhappy with certain safety protocols.
Simon Segwabe, SACAA's Executive Manager for Aviation Safety Operations, told EWN the suspension was based on more than just incomplete paperwork.
“What they provided for us was adequate to lift the suspension. However, we need to increase our oversight on them.”
@SAExpress Shocking service, cancellation no notification for flight! No attempt to assist passengers. Will not be using or recommending you
— Kery Boucher (@keryboucher) April 20, 2016
SA Express CEO Inati Ntshanga’s response to this was that the airline takes safety seriously and is improving services to ensure flights are not grounded again.
“We are going to improve on the paperwork going forward and we’re fixing manuals to ensure that everything is aligned in the business.”
IOL