Furore erupts over safety of foreign freighters

Local operators allege discrimination LEONARD NEILL LOCAL OPERATORS have voice concern over the safety of freight aircraft operating in and out of South Africa. “Many of the freighters, specifically of Russian manufacture, are not compliant with their builders’ operating and maintenance schedules and do not fulfil requirements of the international Freighter Operator’s Permit (FOP) codes,” says Tramon Air’s Daniel Coetzer. For the majority of them, the only approved maintenance facilities are based in Russia or the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but this service is seldom carried out, he claims. “There are some that are flying death-traps. The local authorities are aware of complaints levelled against them, but are reluctant to do anything about the situation. I’m afraid we are facing a disastrous situation. What will the answers be when one of them is involved in an accident on the local scene? “I have checked on the claimed maintenance details of one particular aircraft. The logbook states it was serviced at Fujera (UAE) but the company there denied any knowledge of it. A closer check of the logbook showed that on the day it was supposed to have been serviced there it was actually standing here in Johannesburg.” Coetzer’s claims have been supported by a number of South African operators and formed part of a debate at the Interlining Conference arranged by the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) in Johannesburg last week. Questions were fired at the Department of Transport, which issues FOPs and other authorising permits. “South African operators are being unfairly treated by the authorities here,” says Coetzer. “As any operator knows, flying into African destinations requires clearances and fully compliant documentation. Without these we face expulsion or even imprisonment of the crew. But the arrival of a foreign registered cargo aircraft at JIA for instance is often ignored.”