Hundreds of passengers are stranded as flights are suspended indefinitely after the Civil Aviation Authority intervened due to safety concerns.

The regulator is not yet satisfied with the documentation received to prove that it's safe for Comair’s planes to take to the skies again.

ECR reported on Monday the metalworkers' union Numsa says it's dismayed following the indefinite suspension of flights by Comair.

The decision, by the SA Civil Aviation Authority this past weekend, has grounded flights by Kulula and British Airways. 

The regulator said it wasn't satisfied by a safety report which highlighted immediate safety and security risks.

Comair flights were initially suspended for 24-hours on Saturday to prove to the authority that risk and safety systems to manage potential hazards were effective. 

The CAA began a probe last week after numerous reports of midair emergencies, including engine failures and landing gear malfunctions. 

Numsa's Phakamile Hlubi-Majola speaks for the majority of unionised workers at Comair Limited Express.

"We are not surprised at these unfortunate developments as we have been warning the airline from within of the dangers of their cost-cutting measures and that this would eventually have the impact of compromising safety standards, by not giving their aircraft enough ground time for proper maintenance." 

"We demand that Comair focus on running the company and implementing a clear turnaround strategy. They must stop cutting salaries and benefits of the lowest-paid workers in the company as this has clearly proven not to be a solution."

eNCA