Airlink has been forced to divert, cancel and delay flights over the suspension of flight procedures.
Na’ilah Ebrahim/News24
- Regional airline Airlink says delays linked to the suspension of instrument flight procedures have affected thousands of passengers in recent weeks.
- According to the airline, the problem has affected services at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay and Mthatha.
- Last week, Air Traffic Navigation Services announced that flight procedures had been suspended at Kruger, Mpumalanga and Polokwane due to its ongoing maintenance plans.
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South African regional airline Airlink says thousands of passengers have been impacted by delayed, cancelled, and diverted flights due to the recent suspension of instrument flight procedures (IFPs) at domestic airports in recent days.
In a statement on Friday, the airline said there has been a severe disruption to its services at the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, and Mthatha.
“With more unfavourable weather forecast for the area, customers booked to fly to or from these destinations should contact Airlink or their travel agents for the latest status of their flights.”
IFPs are procedures that help pilots navigate flights during adverse weather conditions or poor visibility, at arrival or departure. Their suspension means that pilots can only access runways once weather conditions and visibility have improved, meaning flights will be diverted during adverse weather conditions.
READ | Flying blind: Airlines hit by failing navigation systems and poor airport upkeep
Airlink CEO De Villiers Engelbrecht said: “Airlink is doing everything possible to get customers to their intended destinations as quickly as possible with the minimum inconvenience. Under normal circumstances, our flights to and from these destinations would be permitted to operate in the present summer weather. However, the suspension of the IFPs places severe limitations on flights.”
The airline previously told News24 that it had spent R9 million on additional fuel costs due to airport delays each month. Fuel is the largest expense for airlines globally.
Last week, Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) announced the suspension of IFPs at Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport, Polokwane International Airport, and Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, with flights having to be diverted.
According to the update, flight procedures at Polokwane and Kruger Mpumalanga have been suspended as part of the IFP maintenance programme, and will only be in operation once the SA Civil Aviation Authority approve their certification.
ATNS said the flight procedures for Chief Dawid Stuurman would only be restored by 27 November, after the aviation authority approved its renewal certification for Runway 8.
Issues at ATNS
ATNS has suffered from severe staff shortages, “brain drains”, unreliability issues, and poor management.
Last year, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy announced that she would implement an overhaul of the ATNS to root out issues at the entity, including the renewal of the IFPs, and numerous resignations of traffic controllers. A committee of aviation experts was also established to diagnose issues at ATNS.
READ | Air traffic navigation failures leave pilots flying blind, expert issues warning
About 66 flight procedures out of 300 were due to expire at SA’s major airports in April.
While ATNS had been able to restore critical flight procedures at major airports – including Cape Town International, OR Tambo International Airport, King Shaka International Airport, Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport, Lanseria International Airport, King Phalo Airport and George Airport – flight procedures remained suspended at three airports.
This includes Bram Fischer International Airport, Upington Airport and Richards Bay Airport.
“These airports will only be accessible during visual meteorological conditions, with no access permitted during poor visibility. ATNS will prioritise the maintenance of procedures at these airports to ensure that operations during adverse weather conditions are restored as soon as possible,” ATNS said at the time.
According to Airlink, about 200 IFPs have remained withdrawn following ATNS’ failure to renew their validity in July 2024.
