WATCH: ‘Virginia Airport going nowhere’ says Daryl Mann
Local resident and aviation businessman, Daryl Mann said Virginia airport was in the best place it could be.
‘VIRGINIA Airport is here to stay’. That’s the sentiment of local resident and owner of Aero Natal, Daryl Mann. The aviation businessman who has led a legal fight against the City for long-term leases on behalf of Virginia operators spoke to a crowd of more than 200 people on Saturday who were on a free educational tour around the airport.
The tour was organised by BESETDurban and Starlite Aviation Group and included a history of the airport and dealt with the speculation of whether the airport would be closing its doors. Tour goers also got a chance to tour the airport’s facilities and gain an understanding of how the airport operates.
Mann was greeted with rapturous applause when he said, Virginia Airport was going nowhere.
“The airport has the potential to be a significant contributor to the economy of Durban and the municipality should be looking at ways to ensure its viability. All the airport needs is a touch of paint here and there and it will be restored to its original glory. This is a wonderful asset to the City and its importance cannot be overstated. I’ve been in the aviation industry for more than 35 years and in my humble opinion, Virginia Airport is in the best possible site it could ever be, probably the safest place it could be so from the operators side, Virginia Airport is going nowhere,” he said.
Mann told the crowd the airport was in the best place it could be and gave a brief background as to why uncertainty surrounded the airport’s future.
He added operators had a lease until 2022 which he expected the City to renew for another 10 years.
The municipality in 2015 said in a public notice that it was considering an unsolicited bid to develop the site where the airport is situated.
The billion rand development would have comprised of a hotel, upmarket residential houses as well as leisure and related developments.
For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532.
