The DA will request the MEC for Transport and Community Safety ,Ms Violet Mathye, to privatise the embattled Polokwane International Airport.
This follows the cancelation of six flights earlier this week after Air Traffic Navigation Service (ATNS) notified Gateway Airport Authority Limited (GAAL) and other airport authorities nationwide of the temporary suspension of the procedures at various airports; this despite several warnings to ATNS of an imminent collapse of the system.
The suspension of these flights caused serious inconvenience and anxiety to passengers who were left stranded.
GAAL issued a media statement that Polokwane International Airport has been experiencing delays and cancellation of flights due to suspension of instrument flight procedures; if GAAL was duly prepared passengers could have been warned timeously and ATNS could have been pressurised to prevent the suspensions.
The suspension of instrument flight procedures and a long list of preceding challenges are a direct result of cadre deployment and mismanagement at GAAL.
In April 2021, the South African Civil Aviation Authority downgraded the Polokwane International Airport to category two, which is below the minimum level required for scheduled commercial air services. This downgrade was the result non-compliance with safety regulations due to a lack of maintenance, neglect and incompetence by GAAL.
Since 2019 the department forked out almost half a billion (R464,509,000) since 2019 to keep GAAL afloat and another bailout of R152 million has been allocated in the current financial year.
We will further submit questions to the MEC on the competencies and aviation experience of the serving board members and GAAL officials.
It is clear that GAAL is incapable to turn Polokwane International Airport into a profitable business to contribute to provincial revenue; privatise Polokwane International Airport.
GAAL’s free ride must come to an end; the annual bailout monies would go far to upgrade dilapidated infrastructure in the province.