SIKHUPHE AIRPORT OPENS IN 2 WEEKS

MBABANE – After about 10 postponements for the opening of the close to E3 billion Sikhuphe International Airport, the Swaziland Civil Aviation Authority (SWACAA) has given a new date.

The airport is expected to start operating in the next two weeks.
Solomon Dube, Director of SWACAA, says the airport will be fully licenced and operational before the end of this month.
From the initial announcement in 2010, there have been a number of ‘opening dates’ which have been announced and quietly forgotten.

Dube said this time he was ‘sure, confident and optimistic’ about the late October or early November date because the facility licencing was ongoing and was being undertaken by his department.

The airport will start operating but His Majesty will officially commission it early next year, when the new government is firmly in place. Dube said his department was using its own experts to undertake the task and the licence that would be issued would be valid and be recognised by the international aviation industry. 
Even though the airport would be open to the use of the public before the end of the month, it may not be officially opened by the king on this date.
This is because such a task coordination and implementation would be undertaken by the next government, immediately it assumes office in a few weeks time.
Dube said as the licencing was being concluded, his department had completed most of the tests for equipment of the airport.

“We are currently testing the emergency landing systems involving the teams’ response to such things as emergency landing incidents,” he said.
He identified these response teams as those of the control tower, aviation security, fire and emergency personnel, police, ambulances, runway and taxiway, technical building operators and hospitals among others. An aircraft from South Africa was used for this exercise, which involved emergency scenarios being created to see how teams respond.

Dube said observation of the exercise was undertaken by SWACAA experts, who would ultimately be responsible for the licensing of the facility.
“The exercise is going well thus far. That is why we believe we would be ready to issue a licence for the airport before the end of the month.
He said the licencing of the facility meant it was ready for use by the public.

The airport is designed with a runway to accommodate even the world’s largest plane, an Airbus A380.
Government has forecast an annual passenger turnover of 250 000 to 300 000, an almost fivefold increase in the numbers passing through the existing airport in Matsapha. Presently, the aviation industry of the country is slow.

There are only a handful of flights a day out of Matsapha - all to one destination, OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
All are operated by Swaziland Airlink, a joint venture between South African Airlink and the Swaziland government.
Flights to Johannesburg are usually undertaken through a 40-seater Embraer 135.
Besides the above issues on the industry , government says the new airport, which is in a remote location more than 80 kilometres east of the capital Mbabane, is necessary because it will offer more landing space for bigger planes that cannot be accommodated at Matsapha and will drive foreign investment, exports and tourism.

The licencing and launching of the airport will happen despite a report released by an engineer attached to the ministry of Public Works and Transport.
Senior Engineer Derrick Dlamini said the construction flaws were likely to render the facility unusable.
Dlamini is said to have submitted two technical reports to government alleging that there were major structural defects in the airport’s concrete apron and that it was unfit for use by large commercial aircraft.

However, government, through the then minister Prince Hlangusemphi rubbished the reports and said his claims were unsubstantiated.
“That engineer is not qualified to speak about the airport,” he said.
Dube, the director of SWACAA said engineer Dlamini’s reports were inconsequential and not official.

His department will, therefore, not consider them when it carries the task of licencing the facility.
Dube said what was good about the airport was the fact that it was built in accordance with international standards.
He also said there were experts who were in the country from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
They worked with SWACCA experts in the licencing of the facility.

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