Johannesburg- South Africa's Nationwide Airline on Tuesday said it would cease operations over cash-flow problems cause partly by an incident late last year that resulted in all its aircraft being grounded in November.

"Our cash flow has become critical and as a result (we) have decided to voluntarily cease all flight operations until further notice," Nationwide's chief executive Vernon Bricknell said in a statement.

The airline made headlines in November when the engine of one of its Boeing 737-200s fell from the aircraft during take-off from Cape Town international airport.

The aircraft, which was bound for Johannesburg, was able to land safely. But the incident prompted the Civil Aviation Authority to withdraw certificates of airworthiness for Nationwide's entire fleet.

The airline on Tuesday said the subsequent decrease in passenger load and a 30 per cent fuel increase since the airline resumed operations in December, had also contributed to it current situation, according to Bricknell.

The airline operated international flights to London and Zambia and domestic flights between several major cities. (dpa)