Nationwide is back in the air!

NATIONWIDE (CE) says it is to resume its long-haul flights between Johannesburg and London Gatwick tonight, December 7, and limited domestic flights will recommence on Sunday, December 9. CE102 will depart from ORTIA at 21h05 tonight and is scheduled to land at London-Gatwick early on Saturday morning. The aircraft will depart London-Gatwick on Saturday evening operating as flight CE101. It is scheduled to land back at ORTIA on Sunday morning. The SA CAA yesterday reinstated the airline’s B767’s Certificate of Airworthiness. JNB-CPT flights will resume this Sunday (December 9) as an interim limited service operated by the Boeing 767, but services will return to normal as the other aircraft – B737-200s, 737-500s and 727s are released back into use, in accordance with CAA approval. Nationwide says it has begun contacting customers with tickets for the JNB-LGW flights, and notifying them of the new flight schedule, and also those who have tickets between JNB and CPT for this weekend and beyond. “I cannot apologise enough to our customers for the inconvenience, frustration and anxiety they have experienced as a result of the disruption to our normal service,” said Nationwide’s ceo, Vernon Bricknell. “The safety of our customers, staff and equipment is – and always has been – Nationwide Airlines’ top priority. At the end of this process, which will still take a few days to complete, we will have demonstrated our compliance to the SA CAA, so that there can be no question-mark at all in travellers’ minds as to the safety, reliability and integrity of Nationwide Airlines,” he added. More information is available from the call centre 0861 737 737, ticketing offices, and on www.flynationwide.co.za Kate Nathan (katen@nowmedia.co.za)