Aircraft Certification: Functions

The Aircraft Certification Department is responsible for ensuring aircraft operating in South Africa are manufactured, certified and registered onto the South African Civil Aircraft Register in a safe and efficient manner. This includes aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles manufactured in South Africa and abroad.

The Department is further responsible for negotiating and implementing technical agreements with foreign states and ensuring aviation safety in South Africa by investigating aircraft in-service defects and developing appropriate risk mitigation measures to ensure continued safety throughout an aircraft’s time-in-service.

To perform these functions the Aircraft Certification Department is comprised of five Sections, namely Aircraft Manufacturing, Certification Engineering, Defect Reporting and Technical Co-operation, the Aircraft Registry and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Each of these Sections is equipped with a wide ranging level of expertise to discharge the required obligations.