SA airspace may be perilous

Some countries may ban flights into and out of the country aviation experts.

- Hein Kaiser

Failure to update regulatory procedures, systems being taken offline and lack of trained and experienced staff in the air traffic management sector have put South Africa at risk of being noncompliant with international air safety regulations.

This could lead to some countries banning flights into and out of the country, aviation experts said.

South Africa's skyways are in turmoil, according to aviation role players, with some airlines blaming almost 30% of recent delays on Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) - the stateowned company that regulates the highways in the sky. In total, around 15% of the world's airspace is managed by ATNS.

ATNS last month closed several airports, including George and Umtata, due to outdated regulatory procedures not being updated on time, purportedly causing almost a thousand delays in 30 days across South African airports.

Even OR Tambo International Airport, the country's main hub, was affected, though it was not shut, with six procedures past their sell-by date.

These operational setbacks can cost airlines millions of rands from diversions or burning excess fuel in holding patterns.

Late departures or arrivals mean travellers miss connecting flights and it also creates local and global operational knock-on impacts. It is also a safety issue. Procedures must be certified every five years by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Editor of International Air Affairs magazine Johan Lottering is concerned about the management of South Africa's airspace.