The Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, has issued a ministerial order to the ACSA Board to engage in a mediation process with Airports Coordination Services (ACS), following a dispute over hold baggage screening (HBS) services.
“I am concerned about the negative impact the protracted litigation could have on the integrity and reliability of HBS as the first line of defence against threats in the aviation system at ACSA’s airports,” said Creecy.
The dispute has resulted in multiple review applications, interdictory proceedings, and related appeal proceedings in the High Court.
“Intervention is necessary to prevent potential disruption, compromise of national security, and reputational harm. As such, my engagements with the ACSA Board have, in the main, related to finding a solution to resolve the dispute amicably and timeously to obviate any destabilisation of an essential national security function,” said Creecy.
According to the Department of Transport, the objective of the mediation is for the parties to reach a settlement within the parameters of the regulatory framework to avoid a prolonged legal dispute.
The ACSA Board has been ordered to finalise and execute a mediation agreement that will address the legal disputes and the short- and long-term issues relating to the provision of HBS services and maintenance.
