Johannesburg – Significant progress has been made in restoring and strengthening the country’s flight procedure capability and the resilience of the overall air navigation system, says the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS).
The ATNS has been criticised for how it manages airport operations, particularly around capacity, delays, and airline growth constraints.
However, on Thursday, 23 July 2026, ATNS stated that since the implementation of the Flight Procedure Recovery Programme, it has made substantial progress in reviewing, maintaining and restoring critical instrument flight procedures across the country.
“The majority of priority procedures serving South Africa’s main commercial airports are now in place, ensuring the continued safe and efficient movement of air traffic,” said ATNS Spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe.
“ATNS also maintains continuous engagement with the aviation industry through established stakeholder forums, technical working groups and operational coordination meetings.”
Airlines, including Safair, are regularly updated on programme progress, implementation plans and operational developments.
“This collaborative approach ensures that stakeholders are informed of ongoing initiatives, have the opportunity to raise operational concerns, and contribute to discussions on proposed changes affecting the national airspace system,” explained Phasiwe.
“ATNS continuously measures, monitors, and reports on service delivery and air traffic flow management performance.
“This information has been shared with airlines and their representative associations regularly — initially weekly and more recently every second week.”
Based on the O.R Tambo International Airport’s declared maximum departure capacity of 30 air traffic movements per hour, ATNS stated that it has consistently delivered between 26 and 32 departures per hour on average.
This equates to between 87% and 107% of declared capacity — before taking into account the operational complexity associated with managing different aircraft categories, including heavy and slower-moving traffic.
“When these operational complexities are considered, ATNS consistently delivers in excess of 110% of the declared departure movement capacity during peak periods,” said Phasiwe.
“Against this backdrop, any suggestion that ATNS is constraining Safair’s growth is factually incorrect.
“The capacity pressures experienced across the aviation ecosystem are real and well understood by all stakeholders.”
However, air traffic flow and capacity management are influenced by multiple interdependent factors, many of which fall outside of ATNS’ direct control.
Phasiwe further stated: “Departure delays and extended taxi times are therefore the result of a combination of operational factors and cannot be attributed to ATNS alone”.
He said ATNS remains proud of its record in delivering safe and efficient air navigation services that meet international standards.
“Safety remains our highest priority and is continually tested in a complex operating environment,” the spokesperson said.
A recent example was the severe weather in the Western Cape on 11 May 2026, which resulted in challenging operating conditions and fuel emergencies, which required careful management to ensure the continued safety of all aircraft operations.
Phasiwe said it was also important to note that flight schedules should be developed with due regard to operational realities and safety considerations, and not solely on commercial objectives.
“Unrealistic scheduling assumptions can contribute to operational inefficiencies, stakeholder frustration, and increased safety risk for both pilots and air traffic controllers,” the ATNS spokesperson said.
“We therefore encourage all stakeholders to continue reviewing schedules within the context of actual operating conditions.
“In this regard, we welcome Safair’s stated commitment to a safety-first approach.”
Phasiwe said, furthermore, it should be recognised that every aviation network operates within finite infrastructure and operational constraints.
“No airport in the world functions with unlimited capacity, and South Africa is no exception,” he said.
“ATNS is also concerned by comments relating to the skills and competency levels within the organisation.”
Phasiwe added: “We question the basis for these assertions and note that no evidence has been presented demonstrating that ATNS service delivery has adversely affected Safair’s operations in the manner that has been cited in recent media reports.
“Consequently, we are left with concerns regarding the motivation for such statements.
“As a valued user of ATNS services, Safair has access to a range of established stakeholder engagement platforms, both directly with ATNS and through broader industry forums.
“We remain committed to constructive engagement and believe that these channels provide the appropriate mechanism for addressing operational concerns and advancing solutions that benefit the entire aviation sector.“
