With adverse weather conditions expected over the coming days, several airports across South Africa are bracing for further disruptions.

The Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) maintenance programme has already caused service interruptions and further delays are anticipated for affected flights nationwide.

Zululand Observer reports that more than 3 000 passengers have been affected by delayed, diverted or cancelled flights in recent weeks owing to the suspension of instrument flight procedures (IFPs).

Airlink, the only commercial airline operating on the Johannesburg to Richards Bay route, says the suspension of the IFPs has placed severe limitations on its flights.

“Under normal circumstances, our flights to and from these destinations would be permitted to operate in the present summer weather,” says Airlink CEO de Villiers Engelbrecht.

“South Africa’s Air Traffic Navigation Services indefinitely suspended 226 IFPs across South Africa in July 2024 when it missed a deadline to complete the paperwork to renew their validity.

“Over 200 of these remain withdrawn. It suspended additional IFPs last weekend, primarily affecting Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA).”

Over the past weeks, ATNS has been announcing which airports will face disruptions that day via social media as a result of adverse weather conditions. Earlier today, it announced that KMIA, Polokwane International Airport and Ricards Bay Airport are affected.

Airlink says among the passengers affected are many tourists visiting the Kruger National Park and other prime tourist attractions in KZN and Mpumalanga.

On Saturday, Lowvelder reported that Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism special attaché Oupa Pilane has called for swift action to address ongoing flight disruptions at KMIA. Pilane said the disruptions were severely affecting travel to the Kruger Lowveld region.

“These disruptions risk deterring tourists and harming our local economy, which relies heavily on seamless access through KMIA,” said Pilane.

He also apologised to affected travellers, saying that the region remains committed to restoring ‘the warm, hassle-free welcome that the Kruger Lowveld is known for’.

“In commercial airline operations, pilots are legally obligated to follow IFPs, which are published charts with annotated instructions illustrating and describing the stipulated speeds, direction and altitudes aircraft should follow when taking off or approaching to land at an airport,” says Engelbrecht.

Absence of critical aviation services

Earlier this month, Airports Company South Africa (Acsa), which manages Richards Bay Airport, confirmed that it experienced several flight diversions, delays and cancellations owing to adverse weather conditions amid the absence of IFPs.

The absence of IFPs means the airport is inaccessible during bad weather conditions, with no access permitted during poor visibility.

“ATNS has made significant progress in obtaining the South African Civil Aviation Authority approval for the instrument flight procedures, and Richards Bay Airport management is confident this process will be completed soon.

“Meanwhile, the airport is completing its Airfield Ground Lighting project, which includes installing PAPI [precision approach path indicator] lights.

“This upgrade will improve safety during low visibility and night-time operations by giving pilots accurate visual landing guidance. The project is in its final phase and is expected to be operational shortly,” says Acsa.

ATNS spokesperson Percy Morokane says it is expected that all remaining IFPs for OR Tambo International and Richards Bay airports will be in place as of November 27.

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