The Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) is making progress on four workstreams to fix issues that were identified at the State-owned entity and causing problems at airports, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said during a March 17 media briefing on the overhaul of the ATNS.

The briefing followed the precautionary suspension of ATNS CEO Nozipho Mdawe to investigate if she failed to properly fulfil her duties and Creecy’s meeting with the ATNS board and management on March 17.

Creecy has ordered the ATNS board to appoint an independent law firm to investigate the conduct of the CEO in fulfilling her duties and responsibilities during her tenure to date.

In December, Creecy appointed an intervention team to explore critical difficulties at the ATNS.

A draft report from January highlighted four problem areas – critical staff shortages, critical communication equipment, flight procedures and systematic weaknesses in safety management systems – and workstreams are being pursued to mitigate these.  

In terms of flight procedures, the ATNS will be holding a meeting with the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) on March 18 to apply for a limited extension on alternative means of compliance for 35 priority flight procedures, Creecy said.

There are 66 flight procedures that are due to expire on April 10, after the SACAA granted special dispensation for outdated flight procedures in the country.

Creecy explained that the 66 procedures have been separated into two categories. The first is 35 procedures relating to large airports, that is, OR Tambo International Airport, Lanseria International Airport, King Shaka International Airport, Cape Town International Airport, Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport, King Phalo Airport and George Airport.

She said all of these procedures are not expected to be ready by April 8; therefore, the ATNS is submitting for the limited extension, with the intention to ensure it can continue to use instrument procedures that are currently being flown for these airports.

With regard to the other airports of Polokwane, Richards Bay, Upington, Mangaung, Mthatha and Kruger, the ATNS would need to apply for a longer-term alternative means of compliance to ensure these procedures are submitted later in April or May, Creecy pointed out.

She said ATNS’s priority is to ensure that the major network airports can still function, even while submitting these procedures for smaller airports.

She explained that flight procedures ensure that flights can fly on instruments during bad weather. If “worst case scenario” of no extension is realised, planes would still be able to fly; however, this would be without instruments in bad weather, which could pose safety risk.

“The most important issue is safety. So, we are working to ensure that we will be able to continue to fly on instruments to the big airports. If we land up with a situation, worst case scenario, it may mean that in bad weather, flights will be delayed to smaller airports,” Creecy explained.

OTHER WORKSTREAMS
The Minister noted that, for the workstream on critical staff shortages, the ATNS has advertised for air traffic controllers, flight procedure specialists, air traffic instructors and all other categories of skilled staff.

Thus far, it has appointed two former ATNS officials to deal with air traffic navigation. This week, the ATNS would also be making offers to 13 other personnel in approach and radar procedures, she informed.

These staff will not be operational immediately, but only by November, as they have to serve notice at their current jobs and undergo a complex validation procedure, Creecy explained.

The ATNS is also looking to recruit ten instructors. Creecy said four candidates were interviewed, but were not suitable; however, an international head-hunting process is under way.

Creecy pointed out that there is a need to rebuild a sustainable pipeline, with high-skilled people lost to more lucrative offers abroad, given that South Africa’s skills are in demand, owing to its credible air safety record.

For the communication equipment workstream, in terms of computer hardware and air traffic flow management systems, among others, the ATNS has been in touch with the original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs), who have indicated that they would be able to respond by mid-April to begin to address issues, Creecy averred.

In terms of ground to air to radio communication, ten priority services are in the process of being implemented by March 31.

Also, in terms of the issue of direct speech services between air traffic centres and third parties, the ATNS is busy working with OEMs, with this work dependent on the deployment of new data links and radios along the southern and eastern cape coast, which is receiving attention, Creecy said.

Creecy highlighted “good progress” in the safety management systems workstream.

She said that the safety executive role has been re-evaluated and is now at the same level as other executives.

The SACAA and internal technical service findings have also been closed. Safety investigation reports and recommendations have been implemented.

The Safety Action Group has been established and is meeting weekly, which would proactively manage future findings and recommendations, Creecy noted.

The safety review board has been established, and it will meet quarterly, and would provide governance on management of overall safety performance. The first meeting will take place in April.

There is a process to implement remedial measures on high-risk findings, while medium-risk ones would be attended to by the end of March, Creecy said.