Air Traffic Navigation Services denies shutdown of King Phalo Airport

Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) has denied significant involvement in suspensions at King Phalo Airport, attributing disruptions primarily to adverse weather conditions and cloud cover.

This comes after flights to and from King Phalo Airport were suspended on Tuesday morning, with the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) blaming inclement weather and ATNS for the chaos.

Disruptions

ACSA spokesperson Ernest Mulibana said the reason for the airport shutdown was “adverse weather conditions” that were “compounded by lapsed ATNS procedures”.

“The disruptions at KPA have been compounded by lapsed Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) procedures. ACSA and ATNS are coordinating efforts to address these procedural lapses and restore normal flight operations promptly.”

Mulibana added that while operations at King Phalo Airport and flights are being closely monitored, passengers are advised to stay updated with their airlines for the latest information on cancellations and delays.

“All passengers affected by delays are advised to contact their airlines directly for information regarding rebooking and are further encouraged to verify the status of their flights before travelling to the airport.”

ALSO READ: All flights at King Phalo Airport in East London cancelled until further notice

Bad weather

The airport has faced multiple shutdowns recently, stranding hundreds of travellers.

ATNS spokesperson Mphilo Dlamini told The Citizen weather was bATNS spokesperson Mphilo Dlaminiad and that planes could not land.

“ATNS wishes to inform the aviation industry and all relevant stakeholders that flight disruptions at King Phalo Airport in East London today were not only associated with the instrument flight procedure maintenance programme.

Runways ‘operational’

Dlamini confirmed that flight procedures for  two runways at the airport are “operational.”

“This morning [Tuesday]  the airport was affected by extreme inclement weather conditions which were below acceptable approach minima. The cloud base was below 300ft which necessitated missed approach (go-arounds) until the conditions improved.”

“ACSA did not acknowledge that they made a mistake because you can’t land if the procedures are not there in the event the weather is bad. The aircraft had to do what we call a missed approach, meaning going around a few times so that the weather can clear,” Dlamini said.

Shutdown

This was the second shutdown at the airport in less than a month.

Between 20 and 30 flights land at King Phalo Airport each day, which brings 946,000 people to East London each year.

The airport is also a crucial link in the cargo chain, playing an important role in the growing economy of the Eastern Cape, according to ACSA.

ALSO READ: ACSA confirms flight cancellations at King Phalo Airport in East London