DURBAN MAY be well be turned into an aviation ghost town in 2013 if the actions – or non-actions – by the various authorities are any indication.

Harsh words or just a rumour? Just exactly what is going on and just who must those in general aviation believe? Recently, the Durban City Manager, Michael Sutcliffe, confirmed in writing to the Commercial Aviation Association of SA (CAASA), what had been rumoured for many months in the Durban general aviation sector (see World Airnews, August 2009).

Sutcliffe came straight out and advised CAASA that the property leases at Virginia Airport, in Durban North, would be expiring in 2012 and the leases would thereafter only be extended on a month-to-month basis. He also hinted that, after 2012, the Ethekweni Municipality might re-zone the airport land for other non-aviation uses. This admission by the Durban municipality serves as one more blow to a besieged general aviation industry in the Durban area which has recently been afflicted by two serious problems threatening the future prospects of their businesses, namely the looming loss of the general flying area (GFA), and the severe restrictions placed on helicopter training in order to placate some complaining residents in Durban North.

Add to this is the uncertainty of the future of Virginia Airport in general and the future of the tenants and operator in particular and one gets an idea of the gloomy picture facing GA. In light of the such treatment by the Ethekweni Municipality, one can only ask, firstly, what business would wish to operate on a month-to-month basis after 2012 and, secondly, what business community would choose to continue to operate in an area where the local government shows no appreciation of their contribution to the local as well as national economies?

The actual contribution made by general aviation to the Durban as well as national economy, should not be treated lightly. General aviation activities at Virginia contribute in excess of R311,2-million per annum to the local economy and in excess of 270 people (excluding owners, directors, municipal or Air Traffic Control staff) are employed at Virginia. More than R24,1-million is currently invested by the general aviation industry in hangars and other fixed assets at Virginia Airport. The general aviation sector also serves as the skills incubator for the airline industry with most pilots and technicians receiving their training in general aviation before transferring to the airlines. Seven flight training schools are currently situated at Virginia Airport which train a large number of domestic and foreign students to become either helicopter or aeroplane pilots.

So in order to retain a general aviation presence in the Durban area, to where could the Virginia Airport operation be relocated? Two possible relocation sites exist. The first one is the new airport being built at La Mery, on the North Coast. The second option is the current site of the Durban International Airport (DIA). Both these sites fall under the control of the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA). Despite the fact that the Airports Company South Africa has a statutory duty not to “unduly discriminate” against any users of its airports, it has decided only to cater for visiting GA aircraftat the new airport. The parastatal has also publicly stated that it does not want general aviation to relocate to La Mercy from Virginia Airport. ACSA has rejected any possible move by GA to its other property DIA. ACSA plans to sell off the DIA land for between two- to three-billion rand and use these proceeds to offset the construction costs of the La Mercy airport, the name of which still has to be confirmed, although King Shaka seems to be the preferred one at present.

The entire aviation infrastructure at DIA, including the runway and ATC tower, is to be demolished. The South African Air Force and SA Police Service which operate from bases adjacent to the current DIA, however support the retention of the current facilities as a general aviation airport where they can retain their base of operations, as well as save on the massive cost and inconvenience of relocating to La Mercy. Many within the aviation industry believe that the national government should intervene and prohibit ACSA from selling off the airport so that the airport infrastructure can be retained for the use of general aviation, the SAAF and the SAPS.

However, at this stage there is no sign of any intervention by the Minister of Transport. It is also rumoured that some people within the Ethekweni Municipality believe that Virginia Airport should be relocated to the airports at either Ulundi, Richards Bay or Margate. The fact that these alternate sites are being mooted indicates the extent of the ignorance that exists within the municipality about the contribution that general aviation makes to the city of Durban, as well as the type of environment that the general aviation industry needs to be sustainable. In order to be successful, general aviation must be located within a social and commercial hub like Durban.

A move to any of the above locations will overnight destroy a viable and important industry that has taken more than fifty years to develop to its current state. Also, many operators if faced with a move out of Durban to another part of kwaZulu Natal, will probably choose to relocate to Gauteng or the Western Cape instead. Despite the investment of many billions of rands in La Mercy airport, Durban, without general aviation, in all probability willbecome an aviation ghost town post-2012.

So what needs to be done to turn things around? Firstly, ACSA needs to consent to general aviation moving to either La Mercy or DIA on a permanent basis. Secondly, once a relocation site for Virginia Airport is decided, in order to maximise the benefit of the billions of rand currently being invested in aviation infrastructure in Durban, local, provincial and national government, as well as the general aviation industry, need to join hands to create a Durban aviation centre of excellence.

This centre should be committed to expanding Durban’s potential as a flight and technical training centre that is attractive to students from all over South Africa and the continent. Aviation will then be able to continue making a valuable contribution towards skills development, social upliftment and job creation within the Durban metropolitan area.