The Unteleported Man
17th Jan 2001, 17:27
CAA closed Skukusa airport for a ‘contravention’ of their rescue and fire fighting regulations. Of interest is the fact that this same airport would comply with the provisions of the FAA, New Zealand CAA, CASA (Australia), Sweden and probably hundreds of other countries.
Pity CAA can’t identify some real safety issues for a change. R480 million (plus)required on firefighting equipment nationwide could save a lot of lives if used in a sensible manner.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Skukusa Airport Closed to Commercial Flights
16 Janaury 2001
The licence of Skukuza Airport has not been renewed because it failed to comply with the aviation regulations to operate a commercial aerodrome, the Minister of Transport Dullah Omar was informed earlier today.
The Acting Commissioner for Civil Aviation, Ms Wrenelle Stander informed Minister Omar and confirmed that Skukuza's license was not renewed following its expiry on October 31 last year. Utilisation of the airport has continued under an exemption granted by the acting Commissioner to the scheduled carrier, SA Express, to give Skukuza Airport an opportunity to rectify its non-compliance relating to inadequate rescue and fire-fighting services.
Even after we gave Skukuza 10 weeks to rectify the matter, the airport failed to achieve compliance," Ms Stander said.
For Skukuza Airport, the ruling by the Commissioner means that it cannot operate commercial flights to and from the airport until the airport complies with the Civil Aviation Regulations. Ms Stander said that the regulations prohibit commercial operations exceeding 5700kg gross take-off mass from operating in an unlicenced aerodrome (airport).
Minister Omar supported the closure of Skukuza Airport and said that he will go out of his way in support of aviation safety. "While we make every effort to avoid disruption to commercial flights we cannot afford to compromise aviation safety in this country. We want to apologise for the inconvenience the closure may have and will cause but our top priority is safety and this is not negotiable", Omar said.
SA Express, a scheduled commercial airline, operates the Skukuza route daily. The acting Commissioner has been informed that a fire engine was dispatched to Skukuza Airport late last night in a bid to put in place a rescue and fire-fighting service.
"Skukuza Airport will need to demonstrate how this equipment can provide a substitute service and that the proper personnel are trained and procedures followed in this regard, before we can consider a new license application," said Stander.
This is the third airport to be found non-compliant in the past six months. Last year, the licences of Umtata and Ermelo airports were not renewed for failing to comply with the relevant Civil Aviation Regulations. Ermelo Airport remains unlicenced.
Common areas of non-compliance that result in an airport licence not being renewed, being suspended or cancelled are inadequate rescue and fire-fighting services, inadequate control of persons and livestock from accessing aircraft movement areas such as runways, inadequately maintained runways and obstructions in the vicinity of runways.
Note to editors :
On August 23, 2000 the CAA conducted an annual inspection of Skukuza Airport during which a number of non-compliances were noted and communicated to the airport management. This included inadequate rescue and fire fighting services. The licence was not re-issued after it expired on 1 November 2000, since the non-compliances identified in August had still not been complied with. The CAA conducted a follow-up inspection on receipt of a written notification that the identified non-compliances had been addressed. However, all the regulations had not been met.
The licence can only be renewed subject to the inspection revealing that the non-compliances have been addressed. The acting Commissioner granted an exemption for SA Express to use Skukuza Airport until January 15, 2000 subject to certain conditions being met. By January 16, 2001 Skukuza Airport still failed to comply with the regulations and the Commissioner cancelled its licence.
ISSUED BY
Mike Mabasa
HEAD: Media Liaison and Corporate Communication
Ministry of Transport
PRETORIA
TEL: 083 680 7048
FAX: 083 676 8450 </font>
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The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words.
Pity CAA can’t identify some real safety issues for a change. R480 million (plus)required on firefighting equipment nationwide could save a lot of lives if used in a sensible manner.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Skukusa Airport Closed to Commercial Flights
16 Janaury 2001
The licence of Skukuza Airport has not been renewed because it failed to comply with the aviation regulations to operate a commercial aerodrome, the Minister of Transport Dullah Omar was informed earlier today.
The Acting Commissioner for Civil Aviation, Ms Wrenelle Stander informed Minister Omar and confirmed that Skukuza's license was not renewed following its expiry on October 31 last year. Utilisation of the airport has continued under an exemption granted by the acting Commissioner to the scheduled carrier, SA Express, to give Skukuza Airport an opportunity to rectify its non-compliance relating to inadequate rescue and fire-fighting services.
Even after we gave Skukuza 10 weeks to rectify the matter, the airport failed to achieve compliance," Ms Stander said.
For Skukuza Airport, the ruling by the Commissioner means that it cannot operate commercial flights to and from the airport until the airport complies with the Civil Aviation Regulations. Ms Stander said that the regulations prohibit commercial operations exceeding 5700kg gross take-off mass from operating in an unlicenced aerodrome (airport).
Minister Omar supported the closure of Skukuza Airport and said that he will go out of his way in support of aviation safety. "While we make every effort to avoid disruption to commercial flights we cannot afford to compromise aviation safety in this country. We want to apologise for the inconvenience the closure may have and will cause but our top priority is safety and this is not negotiable", Omar said.
SA Express, a scheduled commercial airline, operates the Skukuza route daily. The acting Commissioner has been informed that a fire engine was dispatched to Skukuza Airport late last night in a bid to put in place a rescue and fire-fighting service.
"Skukuza Airport will need to demonstrate how this equipment can provide a substitute service and that the proper personnel are trained and procedures followed in this regard, before we can consider a new license application," said Stander.
This is the third airport to be found non-compliant in the past six months. Last year, the licences of Umtata and Ermelo airports were not renewed for failing to comply with the relevant Civil Aviation Regulations. Ermelo Airport remains unlicenced.
Common areas of non-compliance that result in an airport licence not being renewed, being suspended or cancelled are inadequate rescue and fire-fighting services, inadequate control of persons and livestock from accessing aircraft movement areas such as runways, inadequately maintained runways and obstructions in the vicinity of runways.
Note to editors :
On August 23, 2000 the CAA conducted an annual inspection of Skukuza Airport during which a number of non-compliances were noted and communicated to the airport management. This included inadequate rescue and fire fighting services. The licence was not re-issued after it expired on 1 November 2000, since the non-compliances identified in August had still not been complied with. The CAA conducted a follow-up inspection on receipt of a written notification that the identified non-compliances had been addressed. However, all the regulations had not been met.
The licence can only be renewed subject to the inspection revealing that the non-compliances have been addressed. The acting Commissioner granted an exemption for SA Express to use Skukuza Airport until January 15, 2000 subject to certain conditions being met. By January 16, 2001 Skukuza Airport still failed to comply with the regulations and the Commissioner cancelled its licence.
ISSUED BY
Mike Mabasa
HEAD: Media Liaison and Corporate Communication
Ministry of Transport
PRETORIA
TEL: 083 680 7048
FAX: 083 676 8450 </font>
------------------
The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words.