Garden Route Aero (GRA) has made significant progress in the refurbishment of Plettenberg Bay Airport’s runway, and will resume general aviation and charter flights only next year. The news will come as a disappointment to holidaymakers who had been hoping to fly straight into Plett for their December break.
Following the issuance of a Category 2 licence by the CAA to GRA on September 7, work on the runway refurbishment has moved beyond the initial groundwork phase into detailed engineering assessments.
The detailed survey of the runway and associated areas has already been completed. Further remedial work is scheduled to begin next year.
While the airport has only a category 2 licence, its operations will remain limited to private flights, with commercial airlines like CemAir unable to resume operations until the runway upgrades are completed.
"Considerable progress has been achieved in a short amount of time," said Deidre Davids, spokesperson for Garden Route Aero. "This is an important step towards modernising the infrastructure at Plettenberg Bay Airport and restoring scheduled commercial flight operations. We are committed to ensuring that, when completed, the airport meets all operational and safety standards."
Upon completion of the infrastructure refurbishment, the airport will be able to apply for the restoration of its Category 5 licence, enabling the return of scheduled commercial flights.
“We know that the runway closure will cause inconvenience to passengers, and we deeply regret this. But this short-term pain, will lead to a long-term gain – an airport not hindered by safety issues,” said Davids.
“We’re also using the time to make improvements to the terminal building so that there is an improved passenger experience overall once the airport reopens. The building has essentially been gutted, with new floors being added, new furniture and fittings and other improvements being made,” said Davids.
