Seamless Approvals for Business Aircraft Overflight and Landings at South Africa International Airports

Landing Permits in South Africa’s International Operations

South Africa mandates landing permits for both private non-revenue and charter (non-scheduled commercial) flights. The official lead time for processing landing permits through the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is five business days, with processing available during normal office hours (Monday-Friday, 0800-1600 local time). Short-notice permits might be possible at the discretion of the CAA, but they are generally not processed on weekends or holidays.

Landing permits are typically valid for +72 hours and do not require revisions for passenger or time changes within this period. However, changes of destination or passenger/time changes outside the 72-hour timeframe necessitate permit revisions.

Special permits are required when operating to South Africa with more than eight passengers onboard, and an additional permit from the African National Park is needed for operations to Skukuza (FASZ). Detailed documentation, including airworthiness and registration certificates, Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) if applicable, and various other certificates and licenses, must be provided when applying for a landing permit. Additionally, passengers and crew members may require visas, so advance checking is advisable.

Prior permission slots are mandatory for flights at Cape Town (FACT) and Johannesburg (FAOR), with specific slot allocation procedures. Johannesburg (FALA) caters primarily to business aircraft operations and does not require Prior Permission Required (PPR) or airport slots.