Following recent flight delays and diversions at Pietermaritzburg Airport, the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business (PMCB) is ramping up its opposition to ATNS’s inefficient landing procedures.
In December 2023, ATNS redesigned the landing procedure for one of Pietermaritzburg Airport’s runways by increasing the obstacle clearance height by about 150m, which determines the height at which pilots must have a clear visual of the runway to authorise landing, explained Linden Birns, MD of airline consultancy Plane Talking.
More recently, ATNS further increased the height by another 15m.
Experts noted that the new increased height often sits above the cloud cover in the region, hindering pilots’ ability to land at the airport, and causing flight delays and diversions for airlines such as Airlink.
Melanie Veness, CEO of the PMCB told witness.co.za that Airlink now incurs costs to transport passenger to Pietermaritzburg, after diverting to land at King Shaka International Airport. She said that businesses in the province are being threatened by the lack of connectivity, as the road between the two cities is currently under construction and long delays are common.
This situation is exacerbated by the airport’s outstanding Instrument Flight Procedures for its second runway, which will remain suspended until July, according to a Civil Aviation Authority NOTAM issued earlier this month. The lack of this procedure prevents flights from taking off from and landing on this runway during inclement weather conditions.
In January 2024, Airlink’s now-retired CEO Rodger Foster published a notice for passengers stating that its flights will be impacted and that the new procedure limits the carrier’s ability to meet its flight schedule.
