An industry consortium representing commercial and general aviation stakeholders has issued an update on the status of two outstanding amendments to the Civil Aviation Regulations — regulatory changes that directly affect a number of grounded Part 91 aircraft in South Africa. Here is a factual summary of where things stand.
What the update says
On 5 August 2026, the Commercial Aviation Association of South Africa (CAASA) met with the Department of Transport (DoT) to follow up on correspondence sent to Minister Barbara Creecy in June. The meeting was hosted by the Department's Acting Director-General, Mathabatha Mokonyama, and Acting Deputy Director-General for Civil Aviation, Elizabeth Mpye.
The discussion centred on two pending amendments to the Civil Aviation Regulations, covering Parts 91 and 43, intended to enable Appendix 3:
- The 33rd Amendment, submitted to the Department on 20 February 2026.
- The 36th Amendment, submitted on 10 June 2026.
According to the update, the Department indicated that both amendments will now be prioritised for promulgation using the process previously used for similar amendments, rather than the extended State Law Adviser review that had been causing delays. The Department advised that it expects this process to conclude within two weeks, with the amendments going to the Minister for signature within this timeframe.
The industry consortium — which includes CAASA, the Aeroclub of South Africa, the Aviation Watch Action Committee, the Aviation Action Group, and a group of concerned aircraft owners, pilots, engineers and operators — says it is awaiting written confirmation of these commitments and the official minutes of the meeting.
What this means if you have an affected aircraft
If your Part 91 aircraft has been affected by this delay, the consortium's guidance is to continue preparing for the amendments to take effect, in consultation with your Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO). Once your aircraft is cleared to return to service, plan for proper proficiency and currency training before resuming normal flying, particularly if it has been grounded for an extended period.
As your AMO, we're following this update closely and are ready to support the compliance steps needed once the amendments are formally promulgated. If you're unsure what this means for your specific aircraft, get in touch and we'll talk it through.
This summary is based on Media Release No. 21, issued 6 August 2026 by the AIC 18.19 Task Team under the collective auspices of CAASA, the Aeroclub of South Africa, the Aviation Watch Action Committee, and the Aviation Action Group. It reflects the industry consortium's account of the meeting and the Department's stated commitments as of that date; formal written confirmation from the Department was still pending at time of the release. We'll post an update here once the amendments are formally promulgated or further information becomes available.
Aeronautical Aviation · SACAA AMO No. 1033 · Hangar 202, Lanseria International Airport.
