City’s airport up to safety standard
It has been discovered that the level of safety at Oribi Airport is up to standard
PEOPLE usually think that safety measures at local airports are not up to standard compared to international airports such as King Shaka International and OR Tambo International.
The Msunduzi Municipality has proved this could not be further from the truth.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), a statutory body which oversees and regulates all aspects of the civil aviation sector, has confirmed that safety at the Oribi Airport is up to industry standards.
The CAA, which reports to the Department of Transport, lays regulations for airports to operate and to ensure the safety of passengers and the community.
Acting Manager at the Oribi Airport, Mr Mazwi Mngwengwe said that the safety of the community was of paramount importance to the municipality.
“We put the safety of the community first and we do not want to put the lives of the people who make use of this airport in jeopardy, that is why we adhere to the regulations put in place by the CAA and we do not take short cuts,” he said.
Explaining further, he said recklessness on their part could lead to a disaster which would adversely affect the local economy, safety of passengers and the lives of community members residing in the vicinity of the airport. Currently the airport has five departure flights and another five in-coming flights daily.
It feeds OR Tambo International Airport. It also acts as an avenue for important business meetings.
This airport has created job opportunities for locals and some economic activity for local companies.
Mr Mngwengwe appealed to Msunduzi residents to make use of the Oribi Airport because it is a source of revenue for the municipality.
“Every member of the community benefits when people make use of this airport. The proceeds from this airport are used to provide the community with basic needs, therefore if locals visit the airport, we generate more revenue which in turn helps with service delivery,” said Mngwengwe.
He further stated that the Municipality was planning to attract more airlines as they currently have one in the form of Airlink.
“Our wish is to attract more airlines so that passengers will have a choice and be able to book in line with their affordability levels. We know that infrastructure is our biggest challenge at the moment in order to accommodate other airlines at Oribi Airport. Other planes require a longer runway whereas ours is very short but we are prepared to fix it,” he said.
He said people believe that flights at their airport are expensive and as a result, they opt to drive to Durban in order to fly from King Shaka International Airport.
“People believe that our flights cost R200 more but they do not consider fuel costs, tollgates and parking fees which in total cost more than what we charge. By using this airport they also save on time,” Mngwengwe explains.