SAA volcanic ash flight cancellations

20 Jun 2011

Update Monday: Seems like flights are leaving on schedule. Passengers are advised to call their airlines before heading for the airport, to make sure their flights are leaving on time (this is good practice whether or not there's volcanic ash floating about).

“In total, around 13 departing and 12 arriving flights were affected.  We immediately deployed additional ground staff to assist passengers with information and to provide support to the airlines. We also increased staff at the security check point in order to make sure people passed through quickly once the flights were back up and running.  Through our Airport Management Centres at the three main international airports, we ensured that all parties took decisions in a collaborative manner and were able to quickly respond as and when required.” said Deon Cloete, The General Manager of Cape Town International Airport.

Volcanic ash from Puyehue

Kulula and SAA cancelled a number of flights to and from Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London as a result of the eruption of the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic complex in Chile. Puyehue is part of the Andes Mountain range and is over 2200m high. On the 4th June 2011 Puyehue started spewing volcanic ash 10,000m into the sky. Kulula also cancelled 2 flights to Cape Town.

SAA Travel Advisory : 22 June

SAA Travel Advisory : 21 June

Date:  Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Advisory No:  17
Time: 14h00  (GMT +02)

SAA Travel Advisory : 20 June

South African Airways (SAA) advises customers that our flight operations into and out of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London, that were disrupted due to Volcanic Ash on Saturday, 18 June and Sunday 19 June, have returned to normal schedules, as of today Monday, 20 June 2011.

SAA will continue to closely monitor the situation and customers will be advised accordingly of any changes.

SAA Travel Advisory : 19 June

Date: Sunday, 19 June 2011
Advisory No: 16 
Time:  19h00 (GMT +2)

Volcanic Ash - Latest Update

South African Airways (SAA) advise customers that we will maintain our flight schedules into and out of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London for this evening , Sunday 19th June 2011 and tomorrow morning , Monday 20 June 2011, subject to any change in flight circumstances. SAA will continue to closely monitor the situation and customers will be advised accordingly.

For further assistance with flight rebooking please contact the SAA Call Centre or your Travel Agent. It is recommended that passengers do not go to the Airport , unless they are in possession of a confirmed flight reservation to or from Cape Town , Port Elizabeth and East London for today Sunday, 19 June 2011 and tomorrow morning Monday 20 June 2011.

SAA Travel Advisory : 19 june

Date: Sunday, 19 June 2011
Advisory No: 15 
Time:  15h00 (GMT +2)

Volcanic Ash - Latest Update

The safety of all South African Airways (SAA) customers will not be compromised, and the airline has elected to cancel flights only as a safety precaution. All customers are continuously advised of the situation and will be accommodated on the next available flight. For the remainder of today, Sunday 19 June 2011 , we will maintain the flight schedules into and out of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London subject to any change in flight circumstances. SAA will continue to closely monitor the situation and customers will be advised accordingly.

For further assistance with flight rebooking please contact the SAA Call Centre or your Travel Agent. It is recommended that passengers do not go to the Airport , unless they are in possession of a confirmed flight reservation to or from Cape Town , Port Elizabeth and East London for today Sunday, 19 June 2011.

SAA Travel Advisory : 19 June

South African Airways (SAA) has only cancelled the following flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town for today , Sunday 19 June 2011.

• SA 3367 Johannesburg - Cape Town Depart 06h00
• SA 308 Cape Town - Johannesburg Depart 08h40
• SA 307 Johannesburg - Cape Town Depart 07h00
• SA 322 Cape Town - Johannesburg Depart 09h50

The safety of all SAA customers will not be compromised, and the airline has elected to cancel these flights only as a safety precaution. All customers are continuously advised of the situation and will be accommodated on the next available flight. 
The following SAA flight for this morning were/will be operated as follows

• SA 313 Johannesburg - Cape Town Depart 08h30
• SA 3377 Johannesburg - Cape Town Depart 08h30 (additional flight)
• SA 314 Cape Town - Johannesburg Depart 08h30
• SA 9220 Cape Town - London Depart 09h00

For the remainder of today Sunday 19 June 2011, SAA will maintain the flight schedules into and out of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London subject to any change in flight circumstances.

SAA will continue to closely monitor the situation and customers will be advised accordingly.

SAA Travel Advisory : 18 June

ACSA announcement 2

JOINT RELEASE: – 16h00
AIRPORTS COMPANY SOUTH AFRICA (ACSA) AND AIR TRAFFIC AND NAVIGATION SERVICES (ATNS)
Update on Volcanic Ash Cloud in South African Airspace
Johannesburg, 19th June 2011

Further to information provided yesterday, Airports Company South Africa would like to advise all passengers that flight operations are returning back to normal.  ACSA wishes to advise travelers that despite flight operations returning to normal there could be rotational delays on certain flights as the backlog is being cleared.

To support the airlines ACSA has deployed additional staff on the ground in order to assist passengers where necessary. ACSA has also increased staff at the security check point in order to make sure people pass through quickly and through its Airport Management Centres at the three main international airports, ACSA is ensuring that all parties make decisions in a collaborative manner and that we are all able to quickly respond as and when required.  ATNS is constantly monitoring the situation with the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Action Centre (VAAC) and is regularly updating airlines.

Passengers travelling today and in the next few days are advised to contact their airline in order to confirm their flight details before going to the airports.

All airport role players are working together to help minimise the inconvenience to the passengers.

At this point in time the areas affected by the Volcanic Ash Cloud are the Cape Town coastal areas up to East London and Port Elizabeth, whilst inland the risk is low to medium and weakening. The Ash Cloud is riding the Frontal Cold Weather System and is closely linked to that movement. The system is characterised by heavy rain and strong winds.

Currently the Ash Cloud is from surface to 20 000 feet and in some places it is at 35 000 feet and the density varies.  ATNS will continue to work closely with the airlines and the Airport Authorities to ensure the optimum and safe use of the airspace. 

ACSA and the Air Traffic and Navigation Services Company are monitoring the situation and will update travelers as and when new information becomes available. 

ACSA Contact:
Solomon Makgale
Group Manager Communications
Corporate Office
Airports Company South Africa
Direct: +27 (0) 11 723 1536
Fax to E-Mail: +27 (0) 86 602 0132
Cell: +27 (0) 82 781 8863
E-Mail: Solomon.Makgale@airports.co.za
Web: http://www.acsa.co.za

ATNS Contact:
Anna Sanfilippo
Internal Communications Officer
Air Traffic and Navigation Services South Africa
Private Bag X15
Kempton Park
Gauteng
1620
Tel:                  +27 11 961 0313
Fax:                  +27 11 961 0413
Cell:                 +27 82 569 9863
E-mail:             annas@atns.co.za
Visit our website:         www.atns.co.za

ACSA announcement 1

Volcanic ash in Cape Town airspace

Saturday, June 18, 2011 | 00:00 Airports Company South Africa would like to advise all passengers travelling today and in the next few days to contact their airline in order to confirm their flight details as volcanic ash has been sighted in the Cape Town airspace and has impacted various flights in and out of Cape Town International, Port Elizabeth and East London airports.  Other airports will be affected as well. ACSA and the Air Traffic and Navigation Services company are monitoring the situation and will update travellers as and when new information becomes available.

Announcement from South African Civil Aviation Authority

MEDIA STATEMENT
14 June 2011
SACAA AND ATNS MONITORS VOLCANIC ASH SITUATION
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and the Air Traffic and Services (ATNS)
are currently monitoring the Volcanic Ash situation.
A teleconference was held between ATNS and the Volcanic Ash Action Centre in Toulouse
France at 11h00 today, 14
th
June 2011. The situation is being closely monitored and a new
forecast is expected at 14h00.
The SACAA and ATNS are also closely interacting with the airlines and Airport Authorities and
at present there is no operational impact. Operators have been informed through the
aeronautical publications.
More information will be released as it becomes available.
-ENDS-

About the SACAA:
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (“SACAA”) is a juristic body established in terms of the Civil Aviation Act, 2009 (Act
No. 13 of 2009) (“the Act”). SACAA is governed and controlled by the Civil Aviation Authority Board (“the Board”). In terms of
mandate, the SACAA is tasked with promoting and maintaining a safe, secure and sustainable civil aviation environment, by
regulating and overseeing the functioning and development of the industry in an efficient, cost-effective, and customer-friendly
manner according to international standards.
For more information contact:
Ms Phindiwe Gwebu
Senior Manager: Corporate Communications and Marketing
SA Civil Aviation Authority
Tel: (011) 545 1086
Cell: 083 461 6070
E-mail: gwebup@caa.co.za

ATNS announcement

(12 June 2011)

VOLCANIC ASH MAY AFFECT FLIGHTS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN AIRSPACE
Volcanic ash from a Chilean volcano which has travelled around the world and may start affecting some flights in southern South Africa and may also affect air traffic for the next few days.
With the assistance of the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Toulouse and South African Weather services (SAWS), Central Airspace Management Unit (CAMU) is closely monitoring a large volcanic ash plume resulting from the eruption of Cordón Caulle in Southern Chile on 4 June. The initial eruption was estimated to reach a height of 50,000ft (15 km), with eruptions still continuing to 30,000ft (9 km).
While the main ash cloud is expected to pass to the south of the African mainland it has reached airspace in the Cape Town FIR and Johannesburg Oceanic Airspace. The Current density of the ash cloud is low. Crews have reported the ash as smog or smoke with a smell of smoke while flying through. 
The northern edge of the cloud is expected to reach Namibian southern border, De Aar, and towards Durban, but it is also diffusing. This part of the ash cloud is not expected impact the Johannesburg FIR for the moment, but other parts of the ash cloud are being closely watched in case they move over South Africa.
Volcanic Ash Advisories have been issued by Toulouse, Darwin and Wellington Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) for ash clouds which extend over parts of the Atlantic Ocean, southern Africa, the Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean.
ATNS’s Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) Specialists in the CAMU are working with airlines to minimise disruption by providing advice and if required rerouting advice to aircraft wherever possible through area control centres. CAMU will release updates regularly to the Industry.
Due to the current low density predications of the ash cloud, the decisions on whether or not flights will operate will be made by individual airlines and operators. Detailed information on the volcanic ash cloud is being provided to the airlines, SACAA and ATNS by the VAAC Toulouse. The airlines will make decisions on how flights operate based on a careful assessment of this information. If the ash cloud becomes denser, then the SACAA will assess the situation and may close parts of the airspace in collaboration with CAMU.
For the latest information refer to the VAAC Toulouse website. This contains current maps and forecasts of ash movements in relation to the African Continent. 
For more information:
Toulouse VAAC: http://www.meteo.fr/vaac/evaa.html
South African Weather services: http://aviation.weathersa.co.za/#aviation/metars?type=sigmet

Kind regards,


Central Airspace Management Unit
Air Traffic and Navigation Services
Tel: +27 11 928 6433
Fax: +27 11 928 6420
E-mail: camu@atns.co.za

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