Flight operator Airlink has suspended commercial services to the airport. From Moneyweb.
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (Sacaa) briefly downgraded Richards Bay Airport over fire safety concerns following a routine inspection.
Commercial airline Airlink confirmed the airport’s downgrade on Friday, which forced it to suspend flights between the Northern KwaZulu-Natal industrial port town and Johannesburg.
However, the airline said it will resume its normal Richards Bay flight schedule from Tuesday morning.
“This follows the reinstatement of Richards Bay Airport’s fire and rescue approval to accommodate scheduled airline operations,” says Airlink.
Read: Multi-billion-rand Cape Town and OR Tambo airport expansions to go ahead
Richards Bay Airport has been downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 2 aerodrome by Sacaa, meaning it was not allowed to land commercial aircraft. Only small aircraft were allowed to use the airport until the downgrade is lifted.
Moneyweb understands that Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) has dispatched a replacement fire engine from OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, as the one at Richards Bay is in for repair. This should allow for a resumption of scheduled commercial services within a few days.
Airlink said in a statement over the weekend that it suspended commercial flights to Richards Bay due to the Sacaa safety concerns.
This is a blow for Richards Bay, which is home to various mining operations, heavy industries and SA’s biggest coal export terminal, making it one of the fastest growing regions in the country.
Richards Bay also has ambitions of overtaking Durban as KwaZulu-Natal’s economic hub and has plans to develop an international airport for the uMhlathuze municipality in which it is located. The airport is owned by the municipality and managed by Acsa.
Safety ‘paramount’ says Airlink
“The safety and wellbeing of our customers, crews and equipment is paramount for Airlink and we scrupulously follow the Sacaa’s safety regulations,” said Airlink MD Rodger Foster.
“However, Richards Bay is an economically important route, and we intend to resume services on the route as soon as the Sacaa lifts the restriction on the airport,” he added.
According to a statement by the civil aviation authority: “The Sacaa would like to clarify that the downgrade of the [Richards Bay Airport] followed an inspection by the regulator which identified the risks related to their fire and rescue services that do not meet the required safety standards under this grading.”
Read: Acsa handled over a million international passengers in December
It added: “Under a category 2 classification, an aerodrome is not permitted to land commercial aircraft and is only granted permissions for small aircraft.
“The regulator will consider a higher aerodrome categorisation application as soon as [Richards Bay Airport] submits a corrective action plan that showcases compliance as well as the mitigation of safety risks that were identified at the airport.”
Flight rebooking
Airlink said holders of tickets for flights between Johannesburg and Richards Bay should contact the airline or their travel agent for rebooking at a later date, for travel via another destination such as Durban, or to request a refund.
The airline resumed scheduled flights to Richards Bay in September 2022 after a 20-month hiatus due to Covid.
In December 2023, Airlink upgraded to larger aircraft on its Johannesburg-Richards Bay route, switching from the 29-seater British Aerospace Jetstream 41 to the 75-seater Embraer ERJ 170.
This was to accommodate the increased demand for passenger and cargo services to and from Richards Bay following the lifting of flight restrictions post-Covid. Airlink was the only flight operator to resume services on the Johannesburg-Richards Bay route following the Covid shutdown, as opposed to the three operators prior to Covid.
