The Eastern Cape Department of Transport wishes to a assure the people of Mthatha and the Eastern Cape at large that it is in constant contact with its partners, Air Traffic Navigation System (ATNS) on time frames of their systems upgrades that have affected operations at the airport.
According to Eastern Cape Department of Transport spokesperson, Unathi Binqose the aim of the engagements is to get ATNS to speed up their processes to eliminate the irregular suspension of flight services that have left dozens of travelers frustrated.
He said that the upgrades are not on any of the airport infrastructure, but rather on the instrument flight procedure maintenance program in the global safety protocols.
“This has affected other airports such as George Airport, Polokwane International Airport as well as Kimberly Airport. This has led to airlines operating in this airport opting to suspend their services to these airports, especially on days when weather conditions are less than ideal for flights to take off or land, as the key priority is always the safety of travelers,” said Binqose.
According to him this department wishes to state it clear that the airport is open for operation as soon as Mthatha Airport is open for operation is ready to welcome back ATNS services as soon as they are done attending to their challenges.
“We understand the frustrations of travelers, it is a frustration that we also share and one that we are in talks with our service provider to ensure that their speed up their upgrades. The airport is and has always been open for operation. However, in less-than-ideal weather conditions, a decision is always taken in the interest of the safety of our skies and the travelers. But we know that fair a weather airport is not ideal nor is it sustainable. We trust our partners speed up their process without compromising any of the safety measures.”
