KNP: Skukuza airport to reopen for commercial flights

[Toko]

Everything is, of course, in line with SANParks Strategic Plan for Commercialisation but do you still have a Plan for Biodiversity Conservation, SANParks?

[Richprins]

“Seeing that the Skukuza Airport is located in a conservation area that falls under the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), the bidder will be required to reduce noise and visual impacts and pollution levels,” stressed van Jaarsveld.
“We are encouraging the use of whisper jets

What a joke! I hope to high heaven no international flights land here...they do not have the necessary security, in my opinion...can't even keep rhino DNA fridges running!

[Sprocky]

There are a lot of civil issues that will have to be sorted out at great expense to upgrade Skukuza to international standards. I am prepared to put my.........it will not happen.

As far as I am aware, Airlink is the only carrier operating "whisper jets". If they get the tender, it will put them out of price range for even the wealthy WN's! They will also not afford to have 10 schedule flights a day in Skukuza. They can barely fill the seats on the schedule flights to Phalaborwa, Hoedspruit and KMIA. Any flights into Skuks would result in less seats on these other flights.

But, there is a new airline starting soon, I am trying to find the name, but the one major share holder is Edward Zuma, son of the President. And just to add a bit, the "secrecy bill" was approved in parliament today.

Now you tell me that this is not a political game, with SANParks and .gov in partnership!!!

[Richprins]

What does "category 5" mean, Sprocks?

[Sprocky]

This in the news now...

Low-cost African airline Fastjet could start operating in South Africa in partnership with an investment company linked to one of President Jacob Zuma's sons, it was announced on Wednesday.

Under a memorandum of understanding signed with Blockbuster, Fastjet could start operating on the Johannesburg to Cape Town route by the end of May, it said in a statement.

Blockbuster, which would own a 75 percent stake in the entity, is associated with Zuma's son Edward Zuma and local businessman Yusuf Kajee.

[Sprocky]

What does "category 5" mean, Sprocks?

I will have to check on that RP, can't remember. As far as I can, it has to do with firefighting capabilities.

I will check up on that.

[Sprocky]

A cat5 airport has to have at least one fire tender and can only accommodate aircraft with a length of less than 29m.

It gets quite involved, but that is the basic safety requirement.

[Richprins]

Thanks, Sprocks!


"Edward is the oldest son of Jacob Zuma and he is a lawyer, he is the son of a politician but he is not involved in politics, he is a businessman and he is very interested in aviation," and interested in bringing down the cost of aviation, Mr Winter said.

Durban-based Velvet Sky, which failed last year, was linked to the president through his nephew, Khulubuse Zuma, whose business consultants at the bankrupt Aurora gold mine - Solly Bhana, Fazel Bhana and Thulani Ngubane - were also consulting at the airline when it was liquidated over unpaid fuel bills.

SA Airlink CEO Roger Foster said Fastjet’s move into South Africa’s "bloodbath market" was bold and required "brave" investors with deep pockets.

Comair CEO Erik Venter described Fastjet’s proposition as "an interesting approach". However, he said it raised questions about whether the airline would be treated as "quasi-state-owned", given Edward Zuma’s involvement.

"We will have to see if this is some sort of fronting exercise by Fastjet to comply with South Africa’s regulations," Mr Venter said.

"Ultimate control will be with Fastjet and this looks like some sort of fronting arrangement to cover the requirements for local control."

Comair, which operates British Airways flights as well as low-cost operator kulula, is in the midst of a legal challenge to government support for South African Airways, which has borrowed against a R5-billion loan extended to it last year after the national carrier reported a R1.25-billion loss for the year.

Mr Venter expressed doubt about Fastjet’s commercial prospects.

"Technically, they will have an intermediary running the operations for them and the industry is running on a margin of 1% to 2% at the moment, and I imagine Federal Air would like to make something out of this too. I can’t really see how they are going to make a go of it."

Mr Winter said Fastjet would hold 25% of the business while the remaining 75% will be held by Edward Zuma, Mr Kajee and a "handful" of other partners that he was not in a position to name.

Mr Winter said he was not able to give information on the deal’s structure since he was uncertain how much he was able to share, given that it was a "commercial arrangement" between the partners.

In an e-mailed response to questions about the empowerment partners and the financial model being used, Kyle Haywood, who will manage Fastjet in South Africa, said the company would be meeting with the new venture’s shareholders on Thursday.

http://business.iafrica.com/businessday/855460.html

[Richprins]

FASTJET MAKES FAST MOVE WITH ZUMA’S SON

Low cost airline Fastjet has joined forces with President Jacob Zuma’s son Edward Zuma and businessman Yusuf Kajee to launch cheap flights in South Africa. UK-based Fastjet, which had hoped to buy the bankrupt 1Time airline, said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Blockbuster, an investment company owned by Zuma and Kajee. It said in a statement the new airline would have a 75% South African shareholding, which would make it compliant with regulations on air license ownership. Fastjet and Blockbuster will be using Federal Air, a South African air charter service based at OR Tambo International Airport, to operate its flights.

http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/ ... 673963d58/


Hopefully Fastjet will not get this, as it does not resonate with SanParks' mission to enable local suppliers, beecause it is 25% foreign owned?

[iNdlovu]

Don't bet on it RP