Durban - The Msunduzi Municipality Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla has given travellers looking to fly in and out of Pietermaritzburg an assurance that the city’s airport is fit for purpose.
He said travellers can trust the airport. Pietermaritzburg Airport is the only scheduled passenger airport in the greater Pietermaritzburg area.
Councillors sitting in the finance portfolio committee went on a site inspection visit of the airport this week. The state of the airport has been under scrutiny over the past few years. There have been concerns that the airport was operating at a loss.
“We visited the (Pietermaritzburg) airport. We went there and we are satisfied that the airport is running professionally. There was always a rumour that the airport was operating at a loss. While there is room for improvement, we can assure the public that the airport is up to the standard of aviation. It is an airport that you can trust and use and we are making a profit out of it, we just need to say that,” Thebolla said.
The finance portfolio committee also visited the Eastwood substation that had been vandalised.
“That substation was vandalised just after it was completed and that was a R70 million loss,” said Thebolla.
The municipality said in a statement that two transformers are in construction, with each transformer being 40MVA, making a total of 80MVA aiming to feed Willowton industrial areas and surrounding communities.
The committee said in a statement that it is pleased with the progress, as this will help in decreasing power outages, especially in the northern areas.
“The council remains committed to the resolution of prioritising the infrastructure,” it said.