Airline operators recalled some of their aircrafts on Tuesday Oct. 22, 2019 after South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), the aviation regulator, found that airlines used unqualified personnel to commission the maintenance of planes.

A total of 12 aeroplanes, according to Business Insider, were halted from flying yesterday.

SACAA said it picked up that airlines used uncertified people to sign-off aircrafts for regular maintenance as required by the regulator. The identified irregularities were out of standard procedure for the technical upkeep of aeroplanes in South Africa.

Thus, operators grounded flights for compliance in order to meet the requirements of CAA and avoid risking the safety of the crew and passengers.

Operators usually use certified supplier/s for maintenance. South African Airways Technical (SAAT) is a subsidiary company for SAA that handles maintenance for all three airlines: SAA , British Airways and Kulula.com (both under Comair).