Long wait as planes grounded

The grounding of South African Express airline by the Civil Aviation Authority on Friday caused major upheavals in the travel plans of people flying to and from East London at the weekend.

Travellers booked on the airline’s three flights from East London yesterday were shocked on arrival at the airport when they were told to “hang around” in case a flight became available.

The CAA ruling – which came as a precaution to prevent potentially “catastrophic” incidents due to the carrier’s safety systems which posed “serious safety hazards and risks to the crew, passengers, and the public” – was lifted late yesterday.

CAA spokesman Kabelo Ledwaba said: “The regulator cannot allow the operator to continue with operations until such time that the identified safety concerns are adequately addressed.”

Dispatch reporter Siphe Macanda waited for more than six hours on Saturday without any communication from SA Express.

“Emotions ran high especially when an old lady travelling to attend a funeral was not assisted to get a refund.