East London — East London’s King Phalo Airport has resumed flights this morning after operations were grounded due to adverse weather and problems with the navigation systems.
The Eastern Cape Department of Transport spokesperson, Unathi Binqose, said the weather has cleared and flights are once again able to resume at the airport, EWN reported
“These are welcome developments for us as the Eastern Cape Department of Transport, [as] we understand the importance of air transport as an enabler for economic development, especially for our province that is in dire need of economic stimulation,” Binqose said.
He welcomed the intervention by Transport Minister, Barbara Creecy, who has deadlines to its partners to attend to navigation systems and challenges without cutting any corners to avoid fair-weather airports.
Operations at East London’s King Phalo Airport resumed on Friday morning following massive disruptions due to adverse weather and problems with the navigation systems.
The gloomy weather conditions coupled with navigation system problems made it impossible for any flights to… pic.twitter.com/Waqe0V8Lux
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) September 13, 2024
In a statement, Creecy convened a meeting with the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) to share their comprehensive plan to address the delays at airports across the country.
“The industry was taken through the comprehensive Flight Procedure Plan per airport as well as the categories of instrument flight procedures impacted and their status in terms of those already approved and those pending approval by the SACAA,” Transport Department spokesperson, Collen Msibi, said.
The deliberations include addressing backlogs in-flight procedures, passenger and airline safety is still the main priority.
“The Minister renewed her commitment to expedite the process of finding a solution in this regard,” Msibi added.
NOTICE: Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) confirms that due to current adverse weather conditions, the King Phalo Airport in East London is experiencing flight delays.
Under certain weather conditions, particularly with reduced visibility, aircraft may not be able to… pic.twitter.com/vMqjLhx0BP
— King Phalo Airport (@King_Phalo_Air) September 12, 2024
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
