Plans for Grahamstown's new airport are still on track, according to Cemair CEO Miles van der Molen.
Plans for Grahamstown's new airport are still on track, according to Cemair CEO Miles van der Molen.
With an agreement drawn up between the company and Makana Municipality, Council approval is all that is required to get the operation off the runway, he told Grocott's Mail on Wednesday 14 January.
Developer David Davies, who is also involved in the project, said the right processes were under way.
"It's moving to contract," he told Grocott's Mail in a telephone interview on Wednesday 14 January.
Davies said the respective lawyers of Cemair and Makana Municipality were set to meet to discuss the contract. He anticipated no problems with obtaining Council approval when it meets on 29 January.
Makana's director of public safety and community services Mandisi Planga, who has served as acting municipal manager for extended periods in recent years, confirmed that Makana was finalising a memorandum of understanding with CemAir.
Planga said he was hoping to present it to Council on 29 January.
"We have taken the MOU for legal scrutiny," he told Grocott's Mail this week. "All things being equal, it should go before Council at the next meeting."
He said he couldn't predict Council's response, but reflected that there was a lot of excitement in Grahamstown about the project.
Planga said he had discussed CemAir's operations in Plettenberg Bay with officials in that municipality.
"We've discussed best practice," he said.
Cemair's service has been operating there in March 2014.
"And I can tell you that our aerodrome is far better than the one they have in Plett."
Grahamstown residents and businesses and educational institutions expressed great interest when in late November Johannesburg-based air company CemAir announced plans for direct scheduled flights between Johannesburg's OR Tambo airport and Grahamstown.
Planga said direct flights to Cape Town were to be introduced in a later phase.
