No date set for Hosea Kutako audit
The Namibia Airports Company reassured travellers that there is no reason to expect a security audit within the next 90 days as there has been no notification from authorities as yet.
The Namibia Airports Company (NAC) has allayed fears of a possible status downgrade of Hosea Kutako International Airport, saying that it has not received a mandatory three-month notice for an audit at the airport yet.
According to the NAC, no date for an International Civil Aviation Organisation security audit has been confirmed yet.
The company stressed that it is customary that an airport due to undergo an audit must receive a mandatory 90 days' notice prior to the commencement of an audit.
“To date no such formal correspondence has been received and therefore there is no reason to believe an audit is due in 90 days' time and that the airport will therefore be downgraded.”
The NAC said an audit might take place during the fourth quarter of this year at the earliest, or early next year. “In conformity with international best practices, the NAC endeavours to provide the best facilities we can under extremely trying circumstances as experienced by all operators at Hosea Kutako due to the congestion-related challenges. We report on all safety- and security-related compliance issues to the regulator as stipulated in law.”
The NAC added that it was in the final planning stages of remedial works to address issues of congestion, safety and security at the airport. It said information on the progress would be shared in the coming weeks.
The NAC statement follows media reports at the end of February which stated that the company had three months to upgrade facilities at Hosea Kutako to avert a downgrade of the airport.
The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) at that stage painted a bleak picture of the possible impacts of such a downgrade for the country, saying that major airlines would pull out of Namibia.
The PDM said the impact on the local economy would be huge and would result in job losses as transport companies shut down.
According to the PDM a downgrade would also harm the country's reputation internationally.
ELLANIE SMIT
According to the NAC, no date for an International Civil Aviation Organisation security audit has been confirmed yet.
The company stressed that it is customary that an airport due to undergo an audit must receive a mandatory 90 days' notice prior to the commencement of an audit.
“To date no such formal correspondence has been received and therefore there is no reason to believe an audit is due in 90 days' time and that the airport will therefore be downgraded.”
The NAC said an audit might take place during the fourth quarter of this year at the earliest, or early next year. “In conformity with international best practices, the NAC endeavours to provide the best facilities we can under extremely trying circumstances as experienced by all operators at Hosea Kutako due to the congestion-related challenges. We report on all safety- and security-related compliance issues to the regulator as stipulated in law.”
The NAC added that it was in the final planning stages of remedial works to address issues of congestion, safety and security at the airport. It said information on the progress would be shared in the coming weeks.
The NAC statement follows media reports at the end of February which stated that the company had three months to upgrade facilities at Hosea Kutako to avert a downgrade of the airport.
The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) at that stage painted a bleak picture of the possible impacts of such a downgrade for the country, saying that major airlines would pull out of Namibia.
The PDM said the impact on the local economy would be huge and would result in job losses as transport companies shut down.
According to the PDM a downgrade would also harm the country's reputation internationally.
ELLANIE SMIT
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