Remove people encroaching the Solwezi airport, CAA tells Deputy PS

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has called on the local authority in North-Western province to remove people encroaching the Solwezi airport to avoid possible accidents.

CAA Acting Board Chairperson, Patrick Nswana implored on the council to engage people who have settled in the airport premises as any accident with an aircraft may attract international attention and create problems for the regulators.

“I’m appealing to the council to give superiority to the title holder of the land but as they do that let them engage them peacefully so that they understand that it is good for them,” he said.

“Any mishap that involves an aircraft attracts international reaction,having them there, we might be sitting on a time bomb because you know airport places are very dangerous,” he added

Mr Nwansa expressed concern over a church which is sitting at the threshold of a run way, making it dangerous in case any aircraft overshoot.

Mr Nwansa said this when he and his entourage paid a courtesy call on North-Western Provincial administration in Solwezi yesterday.

Meanwhile, CAA Director General, Gabriel Lesa noted that moving the airport may cost even more than relocating the communities as building the runway is very expensive.

“In deciding the relocation of the airport, a lot of time should be given, to do a runway would cost too much money because the construction of a runway is one of the biggest costs of the airport… but for a few individuals and churches it should be easier to compensate them if need be to at least preserve the current asset that we have”, he said.

And North-Western Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Emmanuel Chihili has commended the Civil Aviation Authority for ensuring safety and security at the airports.

“Previously, you could do anything at the airport, others could even play football but it is not there anymore, which is a good thing”, Mr Chihili said.