By Albertina Nakale
WINDHOEK – The Namibia Airports Company (NAC) has suspended two of its senior firefighters following a routine audit that abruptly downgraded Hosea Kutako International Airport from Category 9 to Category 5 last week on Tuesday.
A well-placed source said yesterday: “I know that two senior fire officers have been suspended but the process is still ongoing. We expect more suspensions. There will also be some transfers.”
The two suspended are deputy chief fire officers Jerome Mouton and Raymond Isaak.
The Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA) conducted the audit on Monday last week, which found that two of the airport’s three firefighting trucks were dysfunctional, leading to the costly downgrade that saw a trans-continental flight from Frankfurt diverted to Botswana in an incident that triggered a firestorm of criticism.
Air Namibia’s Airbus A330-200 long-haul aircraft require a Category 8 airport for landing and take-off.
Dan Kamati the NAC spokesman yesterday confirmed the suspension but declined to give more details.
“I can confirm that we suspended some senior firefighting officials on Thursday. I cannot tell you the exact number and details of those suspended because it is an internal matter under internal investigations,” Kamati told New Era.
Speaking to New Era last week on Thursday, the Minister of Works and Transport Erkki Nghimtina blamed the NAC for the costly downgrading.
“Two firefighter trucks were found dysfunctional and I can only attribute this to people not being serious with their jobs,” Nghimtina said at the time.
After nearly three days of uncertainty, the DCA on Friday certified that Airbus A330 flights at Hosea Kutako International Airport would resume.
He said the reversal came after Air Namibia on Thursday undertook a risk assessment to determine the safe operation of their aircraft – including the Airbus – at the airport, which was successful.
“The process involved and involves assessing the firefighting capacity of the airport and Air Namibia was satisfied with the standards and DCA subsequently authorised its operations,” he said.
He said South African Airways on Friday morning carried out their risk assessment too and after being satisfied were in the process of requesting approval as well.
SAA and Air Namibia are the only airlines operating Airbus A330s from Hosea Kutako.
The NAC was granted 15 days to rectify all operational issues as identified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Kamati said NAC remained confident of meeting the deadline.
“NAC remains committed to management and developing safe and secure airports with due consideration to the interest of our stakeholders. Hosea Kutako International Airport remains operational as the flagship airport of Namibia and the gateway to the rest of the world,” said Kamati.
When asked what measures NAC has taken to ensure such problems do not reoccur, Kamati said they procured 11 fire trucks through a public tender of which the first delivery was made last Wednesday.