South Africa has introduced stricter flight rules for international charter flights, requiring operators to provide advance passenger information as part of efforts to strengthen national security.
The new requirements, published in the Government Gazette under the Civil Aviation Act, apply to non-scheduled international flights carrying 20 or more passengers.
New flight rules target charter flights
According to TimesLive, as of 11 December, operators must submit passenger and crew manifests at least 72 hours before departure to South African immigration authorities.
Where issued, a manifest clearance number must also be included in the flight plan submitted to Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS).
ATNS may then refuse entry into South African airspace or prevent passengers from disembarking if the required clearance information is missing.
The notice also allows authorities to request passenger manifests even for flights with fewer than 20 passengers, and gives officials the power to revoke, suspend or cancel flight authorisations when necessary.
The move follows a security assessment that identified weaknesses in immigration controls for charter flights and comes after a November incident in which 153 Palestinians were held on a chartered aircraft for 12 hours after arriving without proper departure stamps.
Government has warned that non-compliant operators may face denied entry, administrative penalties, and possible criminal action.
The notice will remain in force until formally withdrawn.
