The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has responded to the now-viral incident on a FlySafair flight where an employee of the SABC is seen assaulting crew members on board.
Director Poppy Khoza says they have received the airline's full incident report and handed it over to law enforcement for further investigation.
It is alleged that the altercation started when SABC Brand Manager Nobuntu Mkhize was told by cabin crew that she could not have more alcohol.
She says that under Section 135 of the Civil Aviation Act, unruly behaviour is punishable by up to six months in prison.
Khoza says cabin crew members are licensed as Safety Officers under the regulation, and disobeying or interfering with their orders violates civil aviation law.
The SABC and the ANC have distanced themselves from the passenger's unruly behaviour, which Khoza called distasteful.
Khoza says they unequivocally condemn the incident and emphasised the regulator’s zero-tolerance stance against passengers who assault, threaten, intimidate, or interfere with airline cabin crew members.
“Unruly behaviour, nuisance, disorderly or indecent act on board any aircraft endangers the safety of both the aircraft and its occupants, and this cannot be tolerated. We want to
discourage any act that undermines the safety of crew and passengers and call on all passengers travelling on any flight to observe and obey the crew's instructions. South Africa carries a sterling record in air safety, and this is the record that cannot be undermined by any individual,” she said.
“While we appreciate the cooperation of passengers during the incident, we also commend the efforts of the cabin crew, who worked hard to de-escalate the situation and ensure the safety of all passengers on board,” Ms Khoza concluded.
