by george, it was the runway after all!
Airlink welcomes today’s pronouncement by the Civil Aviation Authority that the aquaplaning accident at George on 7 December 2009 was caused by a combination of runway deficiencies resulting from; the use of bituminous fogspray, depressions in the runway surface allowing water to pool, and inadequate macro texture and micro texture.
The accident catalysed a sequence of events including; an intensive and rigorous audit by the CAA which culminated in some findings that jeopardised the airline, and the unrelated grounding of the Jetstream 4100 aircraft type on 23 December after a benign discontinued takeoff at Mpumalanga, which in isolation would not have justified any intervention by the CAA. Airlink was as a consequence of the George accident thrown into mayhem and the events that ensued with many flights being disrupted were particularly unsettling for our passengers. Public perceptions created by the media in response to the accident were that Airlink presented an imminent threat to safety and practised alleged “dodgy” maintenance. Travellers were concerned about flying with Airlink and many chose alternative means of getting to their destinations or cancelled their bookings. This has been the most difficult period in Airlink’s history and its biggest threat.
The thorough audits (and independent reviews by internationally accredited aviation experts including Captain Scully Levin) that Airlink was subjected to and voluntarily undertook, confirmed that Airlink’s aircraft are airworthy, are maintained to the highest international standards, and that Airlink’s operational and safety procedures and standards are world class.
Airlink CEO Rodger Foster said “the finding by the CAA that Airlink was not in any way to blame for the George accident is a further affirmation of Airlink’s integrity as a serious and committed airline to upholding the highest international operational and safety standards. Airlink has emerged from the post accident trauma as a stronger leaner more efficient business with enhanced procedures and standards”.
Cognizant that many customers have experienced service disruptions resulting from the restrictions imposed by the CAA on the use of the runway in wet conditions, Airlink is relieved that runway resurfacing is in progress and looks forward to this work being completed on or before 18 May and to the lifting of the restrictions such that air services at George can be normalised for all operators.
“Now that the cause of the accident has been made public, Airlink would like to acknowledge the efforts and skills of our crew, Captain Andre Bakker, First Officer Richard Halton and our Flight Attendant Anneena Hurling, in ensuring the safety of our passengers during the accident and subsequently evacuating our passengers was nothing short of heroic. The fact that there were no serious injuries, other than a sprained ankle sustained by the First Officer, bears testament to the professionalism of our pilots in the circumstances. This applies equally to all George airport emergency response staff and especially our passenger handling team led by John Spence, said Rodger.
“Airlink wishes to thank our many loyal customers for their continued support of our services and for their numerous messages of encouragement throughout these very challenging times. We apologise for any inconvenience and disruption they may have experienced”, Foster emphasized.
Media contact:
Karin Murray
011 451 7300
082 854 1988