GEORGE NEWS - Concern that the instrument landing systems of George Airport were non-functional when a FlySafair flight could not land here recently was allayed by Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS).
The flight, from Johannesburg to George, on Wednesday 3 January could not land at the airport due to thick mist. The flight was diverted twice, first to Cape Town and, after its second failed attempt at landing at George, back to Johannesburg. The flight eventually took 10 hours.
Passengers had to overnight on OR Tambo Airport, before finally being flown to George the following day.
Percy Morokane, a spokesperson for ATNS SOC Ltd, said all navigational systems at the airport were serviceable on 3 January and flight diversions were specifically due to adverse weather conditions beyond the navigation services' control.
"Multiple flights and airlines were affected by adverse weather conditions on the same day. There were many attempts to land and cancellations of flights as conditions continued to deteriorate," he said.
According to a private local pilot who wishes to remain anonymous, the height above the ground at which instrument landing systems can guide an aircraft is limited and when there is no visibility within that range from the ground, the pilot will not be able to land.
Morokane confirmed that George Airport is equipped with two instrument landing system (ILS) categories (CAT). "Runway 11 is equipped with a CAT I ILS with a decision height of 300 feet, while runway 29 is equipped with a CAT II ILS, with a decision height of 100 feet.
"These landing systems provide a precision approach toward the runway, enabling both vertical and lateral guidance for the pilots. They assist pilots in conducting an approach to land without visual reference to the ground and are most important during bad weather conditions.
"Even though these two system categories allow for landing in bad weather conditions, they are not suitable for all weather conditions, particularly extreme conditions with limited forward visibility on the runway. These kinds of extreme conditions will require more advanced systems such as CAT III ILS," said Morokane.
In April last year, George Herald reported that the instrument landing systems at the airport had been suspended due to the SA Civil Aviation Authority (Sacaa) not having done the required routine surveys on the systems.
The suspension followed an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao), an agency of the United Nations that promotes civil aviation safety.
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