Margate Airport’s status as a Category 4 Airport has been restored and the really good news is that FlyCemAir has restored its flights between Johannesburg and the popular South Coast holiday town with effect from yesterday.
FlyCemair’s flights to Margate are a lifeline to the lower South Coast, as the drive from King Shaka Airport in Durban to the furthest point on the lower South Coast, the Wild Coast Sun, is in excess of two hours. The drive from Margate Airport to the Wild Coast Sun is only around 30 minutes.
The news of the restoration follows a five-day disruption to the airline’s Margate flights as the airport was unable to provide the required fire-fighting services due to the breakdown of the single fire-fighting truck. The airport had to downgrade to a Category 2 status (for light aircraft only) for the duration, and passengers who were already booked on FlyCemAir’s Margate flights had to be re-routed on the airline’s Durban flights to King Shaka Airport, from where the passengers were shuttled to Margate.
Now, says FlyCemAir, fire-fighting services are back up to the required level and the airport has been updated to Category 4, and flights have recommenced.
“2023 marks the 10-year anniversary of our popular service between Johannesburg and Margate. During the many thousands of flights performed safety has remained our priority. Our commitment remains unwavering,” said the airline in a statement.
“FlyCemAir remains committed to serving the South Coast community through Margate Airport. We are optimistic that with some further incremental improvements we will be able to expand our service to other centres, add additional flights and operate larger aircraft to Margate. We look forward to working with Ray Nkonyeni Municipality to make this a reality.”
