More airports downgraded for not meeting standards

South Africa’s once envied internal air network is shrinking – and it’s not due to Covid-19 restrictions or airlines going broke. It’s because many smaller airports are no longer safe enough to operate commercial services.

This week, Airlink suspended all flights to and from Polokwane due to an airport licence downgrade of several notches.

And it is not the only regional airport that has seen its traffic impacted by the regulator clamping down on licence conditions.

Richards Bay and Kimberley airports cannot accommodate the same air traffic that they was once able to due to similar reasons. Umtata airport has also been a challenge for regional domestic carriers.

ALSO READ: SACAA grounds commercial flights at Polokwane Airport

“The suspension of flights damages airlines commercially,” says Airlink chief executive Rodger Foster, adding the carrier had no time to prepare.

He says that a phone call, after hours, from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) advised Airlink the night before Polokwane airport was relegated to a category 2 airport, so commercial flights would be unable to operate.

“We try and fly where our customers want us to go, but it is becoming more challenging daily.”

The CAA’s Kabelo Ledwaba says Polokwane Airport did not comply with several criteria, including civil infrastructure, apron services, fire and rescue services and aerodrome quality management systems.

“A category 2 airport is not required to meet stringent requirements necessary to provide services for scheduled airline operations. We have given Polokwane Airport sufficient time to close the noncompliances and they have failed to comply. Hence this decision to downgrade.”

Miles van der Molen, chief executive of CemAir, which also operates to smaller, regional destinations like Margate and Plettenberg Bay, says some airports such as Kimberley and George have restrictions on operating hours and aircraft size due to limitations on fire services staff.

“We recently suspended flights for a week into Margate because of fire service downgrade,” says Van der Molen.

“We have been unable to introduce flights to airports because of infrastructure issues. Richards Bay remains an issue.”

Airlink has also been unable to operate flights to and from Richards Bay. Van der Molen also notes that “a few years ago, we considered flights to Grahamstown but withdrew due to necessary services not being available at the airport”.

“The first place any organisation seems to try and save is on human capital,” adds Foster, intimating that in the case of smaller airports, it means fewer services available that could ultimately impact the category license assigned to an airfield.

It is a short-term financial saving with the likelihood of longer term commercial damage as airlines would not longer deliver fee and taxpaying passengers when unable to operate.

Aside from George, which is an ACSA-operated airport, the balance of aerodromes are either provincially or municipally run.

“There is just no money to provide the necessary services or adequately maintain these airports,” says Airlink’s Foster.

Hein Kaiser