CIA battles theft for better landings

CAPE Town International Airport (CIA) authorities have announced that low visibility approaches and landings on the main runway would become available from Thursday this week, "well in time for the Cape's notorious winter season". According to the regional general manager at CIA, Hennie Taljaard, the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) is working around the clock to meet the deadline. An instrument landing system (ILS) is used to assist aircraft to land in adverse weather conditions. The ILS upgrade on the opposite approach to the runway at the airport is set for commissioning by the middle of the year. "The Airport has two instrument landing systems and we decided two years ago to replace both systems as the existing ones have reached the end of their lifetime. Despite delays in the tendering process due to a legal challenge by an unsuccessful tenderer we are on schedule to switch on the upgraded system as planned. Safety standards will never be compromised. The upgrade will augment our impeccable safety standards. ACSA has undertaken several upgrade projects during the past two years in their quest for world best safety standards," says Taljaard. The main runway was resurfaced and the runway lights were replaced in 1999. "During the past week, security was partially impeded on the southern side of the N2 highway. Consequently we have suffered some thefts of cabling which was earmarked for the new system. We had to replace it at great cost. We also experienced thefts of a few of the approach lights on the southern side of the N2 highway. "We take action as these thefts occur and fortunately it does not affect the runway lights which are all operational. Various security precautions have been undertaken to eliminate the tampering with the approach lights," says Taljaard. The total cost of the ILS upgrades on both runways amounts to R12m. (Simon Farrell)