SAA was the first airline in the world to be audited under the new Second Edition Standards, which have increased the number of ISARPS (IOSA Standards and Recommended Practices) from around 600 to 900, a significant increase in the intensity of the audit.

SAA became the first airline based in Africa to be registered with IOSA in 2005. It completed its first safety audit only months before registration in the same year.

“At South African Airways we pride ourselves on ensuring that we always achieve the highest international safety standards. For us, safety is non-negotiable and will under no circumstances be compromised,” says Captain Johnny Woods, SAA Head Flight Operations.

The audit, which is carried out every two years, takes into account the following areas: Organisation and Management; Flight Operations; Engineering and Maintenance; Ground Handling; Operational Control and Flight Dispatch; Cabin Operations; Cargo Operations (dangerous goods) and Operational Safety.

Within these categories only 16 findings out of 900 standards were made and SAA will have closed these ahead of the August 2009 deadline. Most related to minor documentation shortcomings.

SAA has this year incorporated its Freighter fleet into full compliance with the installation of Enhanced Ground Proximity Systems (EGPWS) to ensure that there are no exceptions to the certification.

The IOSA audit is an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the safety and quality of the airline’s operational management and control systems. The audit determines whether the required standards are documented and implemented by airlines.

IOSA is the first industry accepted, harmonised operational safety audit programme for worldwide airline application. It is required of all IATA member airlines to undergo the safety audit in order to retain their membership status of the organisation.