Planning a flying visit to SA? GOOD LUCK
- 4 hours ago
- 8 min read
By Rob Russell
Every time you pick up a newspaper or travel magazine, you read about the increase in international travel to and from SA, with many overseas and foreign airlines increasing their flights into South Africa. Mainly tourists and great for the economy, but also many business people.
Your President is always, when he is not passing another BBBEE law or running to the courts to stop his impeachment, encouraging foreign business to invest in SA. Whilst many of these businessmen and the rich and wealthy travel on international airlines (in part because SAA doesn’t fly overseas any more), there are a great deal that prefer to travel on their private jet.
Whilst the Dept of Home Affairs deserves praise for updating their systems, modernising them, making it easy to get a visa to enter SA, thanks to the tireless work of the Minister Dr Leon Schreiber, who has gone a long way to reduce corruption and improve efficiency in his Department, as well as remove much of the rot that was within the Department, the same cannot be said for the Minister of Transport and her Department, in particular the office that deals with Landing Permits and Foreign Operators Permits. That is one department that takes the cherry off the cake when it comes to inefficiency, chaos and dogged determination to be uncooperative. In the defence of the Minister, she has a massive department and has her hands full at the best of times. She should delegate responsibility and proper management to her Director-General, but let's not go down that route!
So you decide you want to come to SA and use your private jet. Either for business or pleasure. Well, there are a couple of hoops to get through and a few boxes to tick off.
First, you need to decide if you are a private flight with less than 8 passengers (ie Part 91 flight) or one with more than 8 passengers, or a non-scheduled passenger, or a cargo flight. (This can be a Part 91, 135 or even a Part 121 flight). What are those, you ask? Those are the regulations in the Civil Aviation Regulations that define the operating requirements of your aircraft, what you need to carry on your aircraft, the flight personnel qualifications and a ton of other information.
To start with, you will need a landing permit, or an overflight permit, if you decide you just want to flash past the country.
So how do you get one?
Well, you visit the CAA website and when you click on the “read more”, and lo and behold, the page is not available. That’s a good start! Eventually you find the link for foreign operator permits and the requirement, and you follow the instructions. Pretty simple. But is it? Well, to be honest, it’s become a myriad of red tape, rules and regulations and paperwork. That is, if the website is working properly and all the various links work (Good luck there)
Basically, you need the following:
1. Private Flights (8 or Fewer Passengers)
Under the Civil Aviation Exemption (Chicago Convention Article 5 exemption), non-commercial private flights carrying 8 or fewer passengers (or under 1,000 kg of cargo) bypass the commercial license requirements, but you need a standard Department of Transport (DoT) Landing Permit.
Where to apply: The Department of Transport (DoT) via their Flight Clearances division. You could do it yourself, but with so much red tape and forms, it’s easier to make use of a local ground handler or a large professional flight handling company.
What is required in terms of paperwork?
Flight Itinerary:
Proposed route, FIR entry/exit points, estimated arrival/departure times, and purpose of flight.
Aircraft Documentation:
Certificate of Registration, Certificate of Airworthiness, Valid Worldwide/Regional Liability Insurance certificate, Radio Station License,
Crew & Passenger Manifest:
Full names, nationalities, and passport numbers for all passengers and crew, and then Crew Documentation: Colour scans of pilot/crew licenses and valid medical certificates.
When to submit it? Official processing time is 3 working days, but the experienced local ground handlers advise you to submit the request at least 5 to 7 days in advance and even that is cutting it a bit tight. Remember you are dealing with the SA civil service and some departments have no understanding of client service and delivery.
And that’s just for a private flight! Now it gets complicated if you want to bring more than 8 passengers in, or conduct a charter/non-scheduled flight
2. Flights Carrying Over 8 Passengers (or Commercial / Charter Operations)
Any foreign aircraft operating commercially, or private aircraft carrying more than 8 passengers, must apply for a Foreign Operator Permit (FOP).
Key Requirements & Documentation
Air Operator Certificate (AOC):
Must be valid and issued by your home civil aviation authority, including the accompanying Operations Specifications (Ops Specs).
Foreign Operator Permit (FOP):
Mandatory for commercial non-scheduled/charter flights carrying passengers or cargo.
Aircraft Documentation:
Certificate of Registration (CoR)
Certificate of Airworthiness (CoA)
Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC) (or latest maintenance release)
Noise Compliance Certificate
Insurance & Radio Licensing
Proof of Aviation Liability Insurance, must specifically cover third-party liability, passenger, cargo, and baggage risks within South African airspace and territory.
Aircraft Radio Station License
Flight & Operational Details:
Full Flight Itinerary. Specific routes, entry/exit points, FIR fixes and planned schedules.
Passenger & Cargo Manifest:
Passenger counts, full names of all the passengers and their nationality, passport details and details of cargo (with special clearances if carrying dangerous goods).
Local Ground Handler / Agent Confirmation:
Name and contact details of your appointed ground handling company at the destination airport.
See what I mean! The myriads of red tape and forms are beyond any rational thinking. No one was able to tell me why all that information is needed, but I am sure there is a reason. And don’t forget that the Dept of Transport and CAA only work from 0800-1600, no weekends and no public holidays either. So, remember that when you apply. And you better not try and apply for a permit out of office hours; they're just going to ignore you. Of course, if you are using a local ground handler that understands the system, they might be able to help you, but there is no guarantee.
Once you submit all your forms (which you hope are correct), the fun and games start! Don’t expect your permit to be issued in the time stipulated on the websites.
Remember the LIV Golf tournament played at Steyn City earlier this year in March? So many applications, all timeously submitted, the permit office could apparently not cope. They knew there were going to be many applications and they did nothing to arrange for extra personnel to assist. And so many operators could not make it, and the golfers, who usually fly in their own jets, were forced to jump onto scheduled flights to get to and from South Africa. Of course, the Department blamed the operators and handlers for the problems. Reality was that there was no management in the office and no accountability. (The common SA Government excuse - you're wrong and they are always correct!)
So why the delays in flight and landing permits being issued from South Africa’s Department of Transport (DoT)? They apparently stem from systemic administrative disruptions and regulatory friction within the department and the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA).
Is anyone doing anything about it and if so, what?
1. Corruption Crackdowns and Bureaucratic Vacuum
In response to reports of officials deliberately stalling aviation approvals to solicit bribes, the Department apparently initiated anti-corruption cleanups and administrative restructuring. While intended to curb misconduct, the sudden removal of staff and appointment of new oversight councils created a severe operational bottleneck. Newly appointed staff were under-trained and overly cautious, resulting in processing backlogs and significant delays for private operators. They even tried to use the excuse of BBBEE requirements before permits could be issued, but after much court action, the Government were handed a firm defeat. Not that that means anything to those working in the Government.
2. Inconsistent Rule Enforcement (Landing Permits vs. FOPs)
International aviation industry groups (such as OpsGroup) highlighted a growing gap between published regulations and on-the-ground enforcement: Many local operators that operate over-border flights will concur and agree with this. It is rumoured to have gotten so bad that it even changes from the morning to the afternoon on any day!
The Confusion:
Private flights carrying fewer than eight passengers traditionally only require standard DoT landing permits. However, officials increasingly began arbitrarily demanding a Foreign Operator Permit (FOP)—a lengthy, complex clearance meant for commercial operations that can take up to a month to process.
Now throw in the thing that often happens on a charter flight: Delays. DOT guidelines strictly mandated that any late changes to passenger manifests, arrival times, or flight plans required full permit revalidation, effectively resetting processing timers for private jets making dynamic changes. So whatever you do, don't change anything once you have submitted your application(s). Why the Department cannot handle delays, or any changes to times, is beyond any logical reasoning. What could be easier than changing a time?
And this whilst your President is trying to encourage overseas people to come and visit SA and spend their monies!
Proper management and oversight of the office could potentially have prevented or significantly reduced many of these issues. There appear to be ongoing concerns about how the office handles applications and engages with operators, particularly regarding private foreign corporate aviation.
Operators have reported delays in permit processing, unanswered emails and telephone calls, inconsistent explanations for delays, and difficulties obtaining clear guidance on application requirements and status. These issues can create considerable uncertainty for international operators who are trying to comply with South African regulatory requirements and plan their operations accordingly. There is also a perception among some operators that the process has become unnecessarily difficult and that applications are not always handled in a consistent or timely manner. Whether these difficulties are the result of administrative constraints, resource limitations, communication problems or other factors, they have the potential to negatively affect South Africa's reputation as a destination for private and corporate aviation.
A more transparent, consistent and responsive approach, with clear accountability and adherence to published requirements, would go a long way towards addressing these concerns and improving the experience for both the authorities and the operators they are required to serve.
It appears that the management in this office is unfamiliar with the concept of customer service. Despite being funded by taxpayers and tasked with providing a service to customers, this seems to hold little significance for them. Conversations with operators and ground handlers reveal their frustration in dealing with management. Some truly dedicated individuals in that office handle the work and complete the necessary forms, but when it comes to their managers approving them, the situation speaks for itself.
The Department of Transport has apparently acknowledged that there are problems in the process, but has there been any improvement? Bottom line is NO.
As I write this article, a local operator is tearing out his hair trying to get the necessary permits to import an aircraft. Despite filling in the forms timeously, the only response they are getting is an email saying the permit will be attended to in 5 days! What happened to the 3 days before flight? Phone calls go unanswered, and no messages are answered either. The net result is the aircraft is sitting at an airfield in a neighbouring country whilst the poor operator waits for his permit. The operator has now resorted to writing to the Minister appealing for help. And that is not a once-off; it’s a regular occurrence
But don’t despair, remember it's Africa, and you might be lucky enough to fly in on your own aircraft. Just remember to carry extra Romeo Two Zero Zero forms with you though!
Comments