After years of industry advocacy, the 12-year engine overhaul rule has cleared its most significant hurdle. On 20 April 2026, the SACAA's CARCom formally approved the proposed amendment to Part 43 — including the new Condition Monitoring Program in Annexure 3 — and recommended it to the Minister of Transport for promulgation.
For aircraft owners across South Africa, this is the news the community has been waiting for. Here is what it means, what happens next, and what it changes for you.
What was the problem?
South Africa's existing regulations required piston aircraft engines to be overhauled based on a fixed calendar limit — regardless of how many hours the engine had flown, what condition it was in, or how well it had been maintained. An engine with 400 hours that had been sitting in a hangar for 12 years was treated the same as one that had been flying 200 hours a year.
The result was that owners of low-utilisation aircraft faced mandatory overhauls costing hundreds of thousands of rands on engines that were, by every measurable standard, still healthy. It grounded aircraft. It pushed owners out of flying. And it put South Africa out of step with international best practice, where condition-based maintenance has been the norm for years.
What was approved
CARCom — the Civil Aviation Regulation Committee — voted to approve the amendment to Part 43 that introduces a Condition Monitoring Program (CMP) as an alternative to the rigid calendar-based overhaul requirement. The amendment was supported by the voting members representing both the Aero Club of South Africa (AeCSA) and the Commercial Aviation Association of Southern Africa (CAASA), confirming that the interests of general aviation were fully addressed in the final text.
In practical terms, the CMP will allow aircraft owners to maintain engines based on their actual condition — monitored through structured inspections, oil analysis, compression checks, and other objective measures — rather than an arbitrary calendar deadline.
What happens next
The approval is a major milestone, but it is not the final step. The regulatory process still requires:
- Translation of the amendment text into Afrikaans (a standard legislative requirement)
- Legal review by the Department of Transport and the SACAA CARCom legal teams to ensure legal accuracy and compliance
- Consideration and signature by the Minister of Transport
The SACAA has indicated it may request an expedited promulgation process rather than waiting for the next standard amendment cycle. There is good reason to expect this will happen, but no firm date has been committed to yet.
In the interim, the industry continues to engage in good faith with the regulatory process. No Alternative Means of Compliance (AMOCs) or exemptions have been granted to date, and no appeals are being pursued — the shared objective is to avoid any disruption to the finalisation of the amendment.
Why this matters
This has been one of the most consequential regulatory issues in South African general aviation in recent years. The AIC 18.19 Task Team — working under the collective auspices of CAASA, the Aero Club of South Africa, the Aviation Watch Action Committee, and the Aviation Action Group — has driven this process through extensive consultation, technical submissions, and sustained engagement with the SACAA.
For aircraft owners, the practical impact is significant. Once promulgated, the Condition Monitoring Program will mean that a well-maintained, low-time engine no longer faces a mandatory strip-down purely because of a calendar date. That is a rational, evidence-based approach to engine maintenance — and it aligns South Africa with how the rest of the aviation world manages piston engine life.
What should owners do now?
The amendment is not yet in force. Until the Minister signs it into law, the existing Part 43 requirements remain in effect. However, this is a good time to:
- Speak to your AMO about what the Condition Monitoring Program will involve in practice
- Ensure your engine logbooks, oil analysis records, and maintenance history are up to date — a strong maintenance record will be foundational to qualifying for the CMP
- Keep an eye on the Aero Club and CAASA channels for updates on the promulgation timeline
From Aeronautical Aviation
As a Garmin and Dynon dealer, we see the maintenance side of general aviation every day. The 12-year rule has been a source of real frustration for owners across the country, and this approval is a significant step forward for the community. We will continue to share updates as the promulgation process progresses.
If you have questions about how the Condition Monitoring Program may affect your aircraft, or you want to discuss engine monitoring tools — including Garmin's automatic flight log integrations for trend analysis — contact Clinton and the team at aeronautical.co.za, or visit us at Lanseria International Airport.
This article is based on Aero Club Communiqué #11 of 2026 and Media Release No. 19 of the AIC 18.19 Task Team, dated 20 April 2026. The Part 43 amendment has been approved by CARCom but has not yet been promulgated into law. Existing regulations remain in force until the Minister of Transport signs the amendment. This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal or regulatory advice.
Aeronautical Aviation (Pty) Ltd is based at Lanseria International Airport and is Garmin's largest accredited dealer and distributor in Africa and Dynon Avionics' only Certified Installation Center. Clinton Carroll is a qualified pilot and the founder and CEO of Aeronautical Aviation.
