Transport minister Barbara Creecy has ordered the board of the Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) to place its CEO, Nozipho Mdawe, on precautionary suspension.
This pending the outcome of an investigation by an independent law firm as to whether she fulfilled her duties and responsibilities as CEO.
ATNS is the sole provider of air traffic management, navigation, training and associated services in SA. Over the last few months it has been plagued by problems that have affected the efficient flight operations at SA’s airports in all weather conditions.
The precautionary suspension of Mdawe follows an investigation by a committee of aviation experts appointed by Creecy in December to probe air traffic navigation services in SA and the problems that have beset the ATNS.
These include flight delays at a number of airports because of failure to maintain flight instrument procedures.
The transport department said in a statement on Thursday that ATNS CFO Matome Moholola will act as CEO.
Creecy said the findings of the committee “reveal several grave and material issues within the ATNS and the country’s air traffic navigation services”.
A number of urgent interventions have been identified as critical for ATNS’s continued operations and progress was being made, Creecy said.
The committee of experts identified vital staffing shortages, particularly in air traffic services; lack of critical communication, unreliable navigation and surveillance systems; flight procedures suspended as a result of not being maintained and gaps in safety governance and practices.
Critical staff were being employed and the training pipeline was in the process of being re-established.
The upgrade of communication, navigation and surveillance was under way.
“Original equipment manufacturers have been engaged and procurement processes are under way to upgrade the national air traffic management system, arrivals manager and the air traffic flow management system.
“Progress has also been made with datalink implementation to support ground-to-air communication,” the statement said.
With regard to the maintenance of instrument flight procedures, the statement noted the current alternative means of compliance at key airports would expire in early April 2025.
ATNS was required to maintain these procedures, which are crucial for efficient airport access in all weather conditions, and ensure that they were flight ready before this expiry date.
“It is unlikely that these flight procedures will be flight ready before April 2025. Consequently, urgent steps are being taken to prioritise procedures for minimal impact at major airports.
“Focus will be on accelerating contracts with international flight procedure designers and charting specialists. Other airports may face access impacts during poor visibility or bad weather. These procedures will be maintained after completing work at the key airports with domestic and international scheduled operations.”
The statement said the independence of safety oversight was being re-established across ATNS.
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