Outgoing South African airline CEO blasts ATNS for creating a 'serious safety risk'
In a hard-hitting and wide-ranging final speech to the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (the representative body for international, regional and local airlines and ground handlers operating to, from and within South Africa), outgoing local and regional carrier Airlink CEO and MD Rodger Foster gave particular attention to the state of South Africa’s State-owned air traffic management and control agency, Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS). “ATNS has created a serious safety risk,” he warned. “We are still denied the use of almost 300 instrument flight procedures that were perfectly fine to use until mid-July 2024 when ATNS missed its deadline to submit the revalidation paperwork to the [South African Civil Aviation Authority] for re-approval,” he highlighted. “Instrument flight procedures are fundamental to operational safety. By withdrawing them, as a fig leaf for its administrative failure, ATNS is obliging pilots to operate aircraft with far narrower margins than any of us would like.” All airlines operating in South Africa had invested in modern airliners, fitted with the latest-technology flight and navigation management systems. They had also, through the fees they paid to ATNS, invested in ground-based safety systems, including instrument landing systems, which allowed aircraft to operate safely in all weather conditions. “But when instrument flight procedures are withdrawn, we are prohibited from using those operational safety aids and equipment,” he pointed out. “How can this possibly be ‘safe’?” Further, it has been revealed that the Alternative Means of Compliance employed to allow the use of some procedures at key airports will expire early in April. This had huge implications for Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA), Cape Town International Airport, Durban’s King Shaka International Airport, Port Elizabeth’s Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport, and George Airport. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy had stated that the restoration of the procedures at the main airports, such as ORTIA and Cape Town, would be prioritised. But that implied that all the smaller airports would suffer.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2025-03-19/star/outgoing-south-african-airline-ceo-blasts-atns-for-creating-a-serious-safety-risk
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Outgoing South African airline CEO blasts ATNS for creating a 'serious safety risk'
In a hard-hitting and wide-ranging final speech to the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (the representative body for international, regional and local airlines and ground handlers operating to, from and within South Africa), outgoing local and regional carrier Airlink CEO and MD Rodger Foster gave particular attention to the state of South Africa’s State-owned air traffic management and control agency, Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS). “ATNS has created a serious safety risk,” he warned. “We are still denied the use of almost 300 instrument flight procedures that were perfectly fine to use until mid-July 2024 when ATNS missed its deadline to submit the revalidation paperwork to the [South African Civil Aviation Authority] for re-approval,” he highlighted. “Instrument flight procedures are fundamental to operational safety. By withdrawing them, as a fig leaf for its administrative failure, ATNS is obliging pilots to operate aircraft with far narrower margins than any of us would like.” All airlines operating in South Africa had invested in modern airliners, fitted with the latest-technology flight and navigation management systems. They had also, through the fees they paid to ATNS, invested in ground-based safety systems, including instrument landing systems, which allowed aircraft to operate safely in all weather conditions. “But when instrument flight procedures are withdrawn, we are prohibited from using those operational safety aids and equipment,” he pointed out. “How can this possibly be ‘safe’?” Further, it has been revealed that the Alternative Means of Compliance employed to allow the use of some procedures at key airports will expire early in April. This had huge implications for Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA), Cape Town International Airport, Durban’s King Shaka International Airport, Port Elizabeth’s Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport, and George Airport. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy had stated that the restoration of the procedures at the main airports, such as ORTIA and Cape Town, would be prioritised. But that implied that all the smaller airports would suffer.<br/>
