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Significant flight disruptions may be expected at several South African airports.
The Air Traffic Navigation Service (ATNS) issued a notice on July 19 of the indefinite suspension of instrument-navigation flight approaches impacting airports in George, Kimberley, Mthatha, Polokwane, and Richards Bay.
Various approaches to major airports like OR Tambo International, Cape Town International, and others have also been suspended.
This suspension affects flights to a number of SA airports, allowing only visual approaches in favourable weather.
At night or during cloudy, misty or rainy weather, visual approaches may not be permissible, confirms News24.
Night flights and those during adverse weather conditions may therefore face delays or cancellations.
The looming flight disruptions are due to a delay in the process of a compliance review of SA’s air navigation infrastructure and procedures, states ATNS.
These procedures are based on South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and International Civil Aviation Organization Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Aircraft Operations (ICAO PAN-OPS) design criteria, which are subject to change.
As part of the process, procedures are being reviewed and updated to meet the current ICAO PAN-OPS criteria and advances in technology, states the notice.
Travellers are advised to check the status of their flights to the affected destinations.
ATNS spokesperson Percy Morokane assured that the maintenance program is progressing, aiming to minimise flight delays and ensure safety, stating that the maintenance programme has “progressed significantly and there is reasonable assurance of a positive outcome”.
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