Others weren\u2019t so lucky \u2013 IFR procedures at FABL\/Bloemfontein, FARB\/Richards Bay and FAUP\/Upington<\/strong> will remain restricted until further notice.<\/p>\n The issue appears to be both a safety concern and a politically sensitive matter \u2014 the country currently faces what is being described<\/a> as a looming \u2018air navigation crisis.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n The Transport Minister is under growing pressure to provide answers, a process that has already led to the suspension<\/a> of the CEO of Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS). It\u2019s clear that all is not well within the ranks.<\/p>\n The CEO of ATNS has been placed on precautionary suspension.<\/p><\/div>\n So what exactly is going on there, and why do these procedures need revalidation anyway?<\/p>\n Three months ago an investigation<\/a> was launched into why the revalidation of over three hundred instrument procedures had lapsed leading to delays, and unnecessary headaches for pilots and flight planners.<\/p>\n The primary cause was identified as a critical staffing shortage.<\/strong><\/p>\n IFR procedures aren\u2019t just set-and-forget. Dig into the ICAO SARPs<\/strong> (more specifically Docs 9906 and 8168) and you\u2019ll see that instrument flight procedures should be periodically revalidated<\/strong> (usually every 3 \u2013 5 years) to make sure they remain safe and operationally relevant.<\/p>\n They must remain adequately clear of obstacles for instance, especially when terrain or construction has changed since a procedure was designed.<\/p>\n They must also comply with updated ICAO PANS-OPS or local regulations and keep up with changes to navigational standards (such as PBN). Not to mention, the charts themselves must remain correct and accurate.<\/p>\n It is a skill in demand, and there are comparatively few aircraft and crew in South Africa certified for this work \u2013 so much so that accusations have emerged of \u2018poaching\u2019<\/strong> of staff between competing service providers.<\/p>\n In the case of South Africa, procedures due for revalidation are being pushed back months, especially at smaller lower priority fields. The result is a major backlog of unvalidated procedures.<\/strong><\/p>\n Revalidations are a complicated business requiring both desk-based assessments and flight validation by specially calibrated check aircraft.<\/p>\n IFR procedural design is a complicated business.<\/p><\/div>\n Aside from shooting an approach for instance, a full procedural design check<\/strong> is required by qualified designers which includes an analysis of updated obstacle and terrain data along with a cross check against changes in airspace structure and traffic flows.<\/p>\n \u2018Accelerated\u2019 efforts are now underway to urgently recruit and train a bunch more of them, but this takes time.<\/p>\n While costs are circumstantial to the complexity of each procedure, it is not unreasonable to see bills for revalidations (including design, consultation and flight testing) to exceed $40,000 USD each.<\/p>\n In the case of smaller or regional airports this can fall on airport authorities or operators. At larger airports it is hard to know which entity is responsible for footing the bill.<\/p>\n A lack of consensus leads to delays, and the withdrawal of procedures.<\/p>\n In a nutshell, pilots can show up expecting IFR access only to find that procedures are \u2018not available until further notice.\u2019<\/p>\n ATC can\u2019t (and won\u2019t) clear you for an IFR procedure that isn\u2019t validated<\/strong> \u2013 even if it\u2019s charted and in your nav database.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re unfamiliar with flight planning in South Africa, this can be a challenge. South Africa’s Daily Airspace Plan<\/a> can provide some guidance on airports where procedures have been suspended – but it is important to consider the Notams carefully.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ATNS-1024x386.jpeg\")
Unapproachable Approaches<\/h4>\n
It just isn\u2019t a simple process.<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IFR-Reval-1024x683.jpg\")
Who is liable to pay for it?<\/h4>\n
What is the operational impact?<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/FABL-1024x279.png\")
Ultimately, the onus will continue to fall upon operators to search for IFR alternates to keep their flight plan legal.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/DAP-1024x240.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n