Paragon Aviation, the local company that has taken over ground handling operations at Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) from Menzies Aviation, yesterday lashed out at Namibian media houses by alleging an “orchestrated campaign”.
According to one of the owners of Paragon Aviation, well-known business personality Lazarus Jacobs, the alleged campaign, apparently consisting of media queries, is meant to discredit the company.
In a social media group set up by Paragon Aviation, Jacobs lashed out at local media for sending similar questions on the same day and emphasised that Paragon “also owns a media house”.
“We’ve been getting the same questions (on the same day) which are clearly coming from the same source. It deals with our qualifications and competencies and registration with NCAA, IATA and all kinds of institutions.
This is clearly an orchestrated campaign to discredit our company and we know who the source is as they accidentally sent this to our reporters. Please don’t forget that Paragon also owns a media house,” Jacobs stated via the media group.
“Don’t you find it interesting that you didn’t pose these questions to us as early as last year when we won the bid. It’s simple, because you were not fed with this information.
We honestly don’t have time for orchestrated campaigns and propaganda. Paragon is on the ground with highly qualified staff members and will focus on the operations to ensure that all passengers and airlines are serviced better than ever before. That’s our main focus right now,” Jacobs continued.
“Paragon doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone except for the civil aviation authorities and the NAC which is the owner of the airport. The rest is just noise. Let’s get to work,” Jacobs vented.
Earlier yesterday, New Era queried Paragon’s security accreditation and its European standard audits as this relates to HKIA cargo services as required by airlines such as Qatar Airways and Eurowings.
Meanwhile, a participant on the same media group forwarded a message warning airline passengers flying out of HKIA to arrive at the airport “at least three to four hours before flight departure” to avoid missing flights. This should apparently be done to avoid extremely long queues at check in counters and passport control.
However, New Era was unable to confirm this state of affairs at the time of going to print.
On Monday, the High Court stated it will decide on Menzies Aviation’s urgent application on 1 September to retain ground handling services at HKIA, following an urgent hearing before High Court Judge Hannelie Prinsloo.
Over the past weekend, Menzies Aviation filed the urgent application against the manner in which they were evicted from the airport. Menzies is arguing that the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) ignored a notice of appeal and a Supreme Court order that gave them until 10 September to vacate the premises.
Menzies Aviation therefore remains adamant that their continued involvement in ground handling services at HKIA is valid, pointing to an agreement allegedly struck with the NAC in 2022.
Despite this position, NAC kicked Menzies out from the airport over the weekend, paving the way for Paragon to take over baggage handling responsibilities from the British-based firm.
“On 30 June 2022, and despite the eviction order handed down by Justice Sibeya, the NAC published to the world at large that Menzies must continue to render the ground handling services at Hosea Kutako International Airport,” reads a Menzies statement.
What’s more, Menzies claims that in terms of the new agreement, NAC must provide them with at least a 12-month notice to vacate HKIA and emphasized that no such notice has been received to date.
As such, Menzies is convinced that it is not only entitled, but also obliged, to continue providing ground handling services at HKIA.