Eastern Cape Airport Saved From Closure

Eastern Cape Airport Saved From Closure
BuaNews (Pretoria)

November 11, 2003

The Eastern Cape Department of Public Works has moved swiftly to rescue
the Umtata Airpot from closure after the airport was declared unsuitable
for commercial flights.

Flights in and out of the airport were suspended in July following an
ultimatum for permanent closure from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA),
which ruled the airport did not comply with aviation regulations.

The authority also suspended the airport's operational licence, citing
inadequate fire fighting equipment, poor management, lack of security and
vandalism and poor state of fencing which as a result allowed livestock
from nearby villages into the airport's runways.

Director in the provincial department of public works Phumzile Mayaphi
said the department had contracted a private company to fix the areas
identified by the aviation authority.

"All the issues are technical and structural ones, at no time is safety
compromised, we have two fire fighting machines," he said.

He explained the airport was a gateway to the former Transkei, and its
closure would have a negative effect on the region's economy.

"So there is no way that we'll let technical problems hinder our
development," he said.


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