Global ATS, in partnership with the South African company, APMS, has been supporting the Swaziland CAA Regulator (SWACAA), to certify the Air Navigation Services Provider (ANSP) for its new airport due to open in September 2013.

Sikhuphe International Airport, under the jurisdiction of the SWACAA, is busily working with Global ATS specialists to complete the relevant ICAO regulatory training and systems ahead of the inaugural opening.

Global’s Chris Stock has been working with SWACAA’s ANS Inspector and has been managing regulatory on-site activity:

“There is a great deal of work  to certify a new international airport to ICAO regulatory standards. To obtain ANSP certification requires regulatory approval of various documents such as SMS, Unit Training Plan (UTP) and MATS Part 2.  With the new airport due to open in early September, this has added to the regulatory burden because of the need to approve greenfield training, procedures and equipment ie. new Thales MSSR radar, Doppler VHF Omnidirectional Range (DVOR) and Voice Communications and Control Switching System (VCCS).

Additionally, I will be instructing two ATC training courses, OJTI and Examiner, in July for SWACAA personnel in preparation for the extra ATCO training required for this project.”

The SWACAA, together with other key industry players are aggressively marketing Swaziland as an air-accessible destination that meets all ICAO safety and security standards. Talks with a number of carriers to operate in and out of the new airport are progressing well and aim to put Swaziland on the map for dual destination travel.

The 3.6 km long, 60m wide runway has been designed on a Code E aircraft – Boeing 747, Boeing 777 or Airbus 340 and the apron has been designed to handling/parking two Code E aircraft and three  Code C aircrafts – J41.

For more information about Global ATS’s training and services please contact Marcus Mimms. For more information about Sikhuphe International Airport and SWACAA, please visit their website athttp://www.swacaa.co.sz.