Plettenberg Bay Airport has been shut down with immediate effect. This is after the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) issued a notice of license suspension on the 31st of July.
Key to the license suspension is the airport’s runway which poses a significant safety risk.
Picture: Sourced / Michael Walter
According to Travel News, Garden Route Aero (GRA), a subsidiary of rsa.AREO, was meant to take over the airport’s operations from Bitou Municipality. This handover was meant to take place in July.
As things stand, SACAA shall only be issuing a new license to GRA after various maintenance backlogs on the runway, as well as historic issues have been attended to by the municipality.
A transitional funding agreement was issued by the GRA to deal with historic issues on behalf of Bitou Municipality. GRA currently awaits a decision.
Deidre Davids, spokesperson for GRA, expressed that they are eager for the license to be issued to them.
‘We see the airport as an extension of the town and an important asset to the Garden Route region’.
Previously, the airport fell below SACAA’s minimum standard for scheduled air services in September 2021 when it was downgraded to Category 2.
With the help of CemAir, it was able to regain Category 4 status in November of the same year. This resulted in the resumption of two-hour flights between Johannesburg and Plettenberg Bay.
This recent closure of the airport has seen CemAir suspending all its flights to and from the airport. The airline was the only one offering commercial services to and from the airport.
Passengers are to be accommodated via George Airport.
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