At FACT / CPT, when a private flight lands it has to stop at the main terminal first to clear customs / immigration - ok nothing out of the ordinary. Pax + crew has to then be cleared through customs/immigration (and all the security protocol that goes with it) and proceed through to LANDSIDE. The crew then have to be driven landside to the opposite side of the airfield (there is only one gate for vehicles leading airside/landside) where they have to go through security again in order for them to get to their aircraft! As most of you know, you are not supposed to have the APU running without a crew member being there, which means that on most private jets (2 pilots + 1 hostie) the process have to be done twice as one crew member has to remain at the aircraft until his colleague arrives!
The DEPARTURE however, is where another headache comes in. Technically the GA area is OUTSIDE the national key point, so once the crew arrive at the hangars they ready the aircraft and taxi to the main terminal. Then they have to be fetched airside, driven to the other side of the airfield where they have to go through security (including going through metal detectors, being searched and their bags scanned). They then have to be driven back up to the international terminal landside, located once again on the opposite side of the airfield. Once they arrive there, they have to walk through the terminal (normal channels), go through security again, again be searched and screened and only then can they get to their aircraft.... can you comprehend such stupidity? I mean if any crew member (or even passenger) is going to smuggle anything into or out of the country they would just keep it on the aircraft - they NEVER check onboard the airplanes.
WELCOME TO AFRICA
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Last edited by GULF69; 19th January 2006 at 12:12.