Mafikeng awaits international go-ahead

MAFIKENG INTERNATIONAL Airport retains its ‘international’ tag while awaiting approval of its application to handle overborder flights, with cargo its major target. Domestic flights will however be resumed from Johannesburg in the near future, according to the North West Department of Transport.
Regular flights to Mafikeng were halted last December while the airport was being upgraded, and safety equipment and services are still under reconstruction, says the department.
A number of airlines have submitted proposals for the use of the Johannesburg-Mafikeng route, with two flights a day the general suggestion, according to a statement released by the African ARC (Airports Redeployment Company).
“Although the route is an open air one and we cannot prevent anyone with a valid licence from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) from operating on it, the government wants to be convinced that the operator we decide to support is the best available,” says Martin Sebakwane, the transport department’s deputy director general.
Developments in the Mafikeng region, in particular concerning industries, will ensure regular cargo loads being available.