Airforce Chief: Safety and prestige is paramount

Kim Helfrich

AS with commercial airlines the safety of passengers is paramount at all times, especially when they are the country's leaders, is how SA Air Force (SAAF) Chief Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano responded to yet another round of criticism on government VIP air transport.

He personally took responsibility for putting a second business jet in the air to shadow Inkwazi, the Presidential BBJ when it flew President Zuma to New York last week for the UN Security Council meeting.

"It's about safety and also about national prestige and getting important people to the places they need to be on time," he said in response to criticism of the need for a second aircraft to follow Inkwazi.

Gagiano attributed "a lack of communication" between him and Lindiwe Sisulu's Ministry on conflicting reports about how far the second aircraft, a Bombardier Global Express, had actually flown.

"One must accept the whole landscape of transporting government VIPS has changed radically since 1994 and the immediate years after. Then our Falcons (a 900 and two 50s) could cope. Now the President, Deputy President and Cabinet Ministers have to be all over the world representing South Africa.

"It is a massive loss of face if they cannot make it to places as far apart from Finland and Australia as well as other international destinations if aircraft either cannot fly the distance or are not 100% airworthy and safe."

Addressing the increased need for VIP air transport supplied by 21 Squadron, has long been a thorny issue for Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu.

Earlier this year a lease agreement for a pair of Embraer Lineage bizjets was apparently entered into by the Department of Defence. There have allegedly been contractual differences and it is now the subject of litigation in the North Gauteng High Court.

In another effort to ease the burden carried by an under-funded SAAF, approaches have been made to SAA for possible use of aircraft not needed by the national carrier.

"We have met with SAA and I expect a memorandum of understanding to be signed in the not too distant future," Sisulu said on Friday.

There have also been rumours of two or three additional inter-continental jetliners being added to the SAAF fleet over the course of the last six months. Nothing definite has yet been announced and defence and military aviation observers will be keeping a close eye on the defence budget to see, what, if anything materialises.

Source: The New Age