NATIONWIDE is awaiting the results of its appeal to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The CAA has confirmed that Nationwide submitted its appeal on Friday, November 30, and was hoping that the commissioner would release his verdict today.
Yesterday, Nationwide was forced to cancel its flight to London last night (December 2) because it was still awaiting notification from the SA CAA regarding permission to recommence its international service between JNB and LGW.
The airline says CAA inspectors spent the day going through the extensively documented maintenance and operational history of Nationwide's B767, including that history relating to the period prior to 2003, the year it was acquired by Nationwide from Air Canada.
At a media conference yesterday (December 2), Nationwide ceo, Vernon Bricknell, said the CAA's concerns related primarily to administration, data capturing and storage processes in its maintenance division. The more frequent inspections of toolboxes, the labelling of grease guns, the storage of batteries and distilled water and the disposal of battery cells were also cited by the CAA.
But the big issue appeared to be the authentication of components – and that too has now been cleared up, said Bricknell. He said a particular bolt singled out by the CAA as being of doubtful provenance, had now been proven an authentic Boeing part with a Boeing serial number, with the aid of a special light. This evidence had been presented to the CAA, and both Nationwide and the CAA were pulling out all the stops to restore flights, he said.
Said Bricknell: “Let me be 100% clear on this point. Nationwide procures only authentic parts and consumables from legitimate suppliers. We do not use so-called 'bogus' parts.”
Nationwide has offered rebooking or full refunds to passengers with cancelled flights, and says the call centre (0861 737 737) and the website (www.flynationwide.co.za) will give information on its updated schedule.
