Airport challenges frustrate passengers
Miles van der Molen, CEO of CemAir said they have frequent operational challenges into Margate Airport.
There have been complaints that standards have dropped at Margate Airport, among them flights being diverted and poor bathroom facilities.
Some passengers said they had recently booked a flight from Johannesburg to Margate but instead landed in Durban and had to be transported by mini buses to Margate Airport.
Miles van der Molen, CEO of CemAir said they have frequent operational challenges into Margate Airport.
“There hasn’t been fuel available at the airfield for several years. Although we have received numerous undertakings from the municipality, there is no solution in sight. Air BP unsuccessfully tried to reach a deal with the municipality before they disinvested from South Africa.”
He also said that fire and rescue services are required for the commercial operation into the airfield. These services have suffered interruption due to equipment issues which has affected cancellations from their side.
“Due to the category of fire fighting services available we are restricted to operating a limited number of aircraft into the field. This causes operational inflexibility and an issue elsewhere in our network may result in delays with our Margate service. Discussions on upgrading the services have not resulted in progress.”
Van der Molen said the terminal building received a provincially sponsored upgrade a few years ago and that it is disappointing to learn that the facility’s condition has deteriorated so sharply.
Spokesperson for Ray Nkonyeni Municipality Simon April said the only reason for the recent scheduled flight (CemAir) unable to land at Margate Airport, would mainly be due to unfavourable weather conditions for the aircraft to land safely.
“Margate Airport is not equipped with the specialised navigational equipment, to the likes of King Shaka International Airport, that assist aircraft or pilots to land in weather conditions where the visibility is lower than the minimum requirements. It should be stated that the category of Margate Airport does not force it to have that equipment.”
He also confirmed that all bathroom facilities are in a working condition to accommodate for the number of passengers making use of the airport.
“We take note that passengers are inconvenienced, during the unlikely events where flights to and from Margate Airport are diverted to King Shaka Airport, but it’s of no shortcomings from the municipality. The airport provides the facilities and services to the scheduled flight service, general aviation and the general public. The municipality will always ensure that the safety of the public, passengers and crew members are prioritised without any compromise.”
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