There has been a temporary reprieve for Durban’s Virginia Airport, with city officials this week confirming that leases at the city’s only general aviation facility will be extended.
And while airport operators welcomed the news, they were desperate for a long-term decision to be taken about their futures.
Lease agreements were due over the course of next year – by August at the latest – and there was talk at one stage that the airport might be closed down. But this no longer seems to be on the cards and the airport looks set to stay.
Head of the eThekwini Municipality economic development unit, Shunnen Tulsiram, confirmed this week that it “is not in anybody’s interest” for the leases not to be extended.
However, he said a long-term decision was still pending.
Daryl Mann, managing director of Comair Natal, lashed out at the city, saying it was “ridiculous” that operators still hadn’t been told what was happening with the airport.
“We were led to believe that within 12 months of our leases expiring we would be told what our future would be. That time has come and gone. We need to know today – yesterday, in fact – what is happening. We have been trying to get answers for months.
“Being told six months before the lease expires just isn’t good enough. Business is bad without having this grey cloud hanging over our heads.”
Part of the frustration is that the matter has been under discussion since 2007. Four years ago, on July 19, the city’s economic planning and development committee was given a report from Tulsiram’s team on the future of Virginia.
In that report, six options for the airport were considered, namely:
l The airport remain as it is.
l It remains as it is with an extended runway.
l It moves to King Shaka International Airport.
l It moves to the Durban International Airport site after King Shaka International’s opening.
l It moves to a new facility at Cato Ridge.
l It closes and there is no general aviation airport in eThekwini.
In the report, the latter two options were emphatically ruled out because it was clear operators would not consider the move to Cato Ridge, nor would they consider closing the facility. Economically, closing the airport did not make sense, the report said.
It added that the move to King Shaka would be “difficult” because there was a lot of competition for space there.
The possibility of extending the runway was also taken off the cards because the R7.5 million required for that was “not viable” compared to its economic benefit.
Given the plans around the development of the Durban International site and its conversion to a dug-out port, the idea of moving general aviation operations there was also not considered.
This left keeping the facility as it is as the best option – and this is the option that will be presented to councillors in the next few months.
“Over the past few months the city has been reviewing the… 2007 report to identify the short, medium and long-term options with regard to Virginia Airport.
“This is due for discussion within the city in July and it is intended that the matter will be brought before the economic development and planning committee by September at the latest,” Tulsiram said.
One thing that was clear, he said, was that the city needed a general aviation facility.
“Fundamental to the future of the airport is the understanding that general aviation is considered to play an important economic role within the city and supports the role that the city is playing as an important logistics centre for the country and in Africa. In principle, the council did endorse that general aviation should remain in eThekwini.
“It is also acknowledged that due to the significant capital investments in these businesses, it’s not in anybody’s interest to not renew leases in 2012. The question is more around the period of extension and what the long-term plan is,” he said.
Aviation companies welcomed the announcement.
Virginia Flight School CEO Sheralee Scott said: “It has been a very uncertain time for us; it’s been tumultuous for some time. This is good news and it’s positive for the growth that we need. It’s a pity, though, that it’s not a long-term decision. We want that decision made as soon as possible.”
East Coast Airways owner John Dyer expressed similar sentiments.
“We welcome the news, but we all want long-term leases. There are companies that have invested a lot in this airport and they need to know what’s happening over the long term. This is not just about the companies that operate here; it’s about the additional business Virginia brings to the city.
“Cities need general aviation airports and Durban needs Virginia Airport. It is perfectly positioned for a businessman to fly into Durban, do his business in town and then get back to his charter flight or private aircraft and head home. There is no other space for Virginia Airport,” he said. - Sunday Tribune