Kaleb Nghishidivali
Windhoek, 23 August – The transition of ground handling services at Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) has been successfully completed, and operations are back to normal, announced Bisey Uriab, the Executive Director of Namibia Airport Company (NAC). The seamless handover from Menzies Aviation Namibia to Paragon Aviation Services occurred on 19 August 2023.
During the transition, three flights, two Eurowings Discover, and one Qatar Airways, chose to divert to Johannesburg voluntarily. Uriab clarified that this decision was unrelated to HKIA’s conditions, as the airport was fully capable of providing necessary ground handling services. Qatar Airways returned the next morning, and Eurowings resumed normal operations on 21 August. All 13 daily departures from HKIA are now proceeding as scheduled.
Uriab praised Paragon for their adept management of the transition and their collaboration with airlines and stakeholders. He highlighted improved baggage arrival times on the carousels, particularly for priority baggage.
Expressing gratitude for airline partners’ cooperation during the changeover, Uriab emphasized the seamless switch to a new ground handling service provider at HKIA.
In addition to ground handling services, Paragon has taken charge of cargo and freight operations since the transition. They operate their own internationally accredited warehouse and scanning facilities. However, there is a pressing need to address cargo already delivered to Menzies’ former warehouse, currently secured. NAC has requested cargo inventory and is facilitating its release to Paragon.
Uriab confirmed that requests were sent to freight forwarders’ representatives and Menzies to designate an employee for handing over relevant cargo to Paragon at HKIA. This step is vital for a smooth transition of cargo handling responsibilities.
Despite lacking responses from Menzies and the freight forwarders’ organization, Uriab assured stakeholders that NAC will follow up to resolve the matter swiftly. He urged Menzies to promptly release the cargo to Paragon to ensure proper handling.
Regarding claims questioning Paragon’s industry certifications and capacity for ground handling at HKIA, Uriab unequivocally denied such assertions. He pointed out Paragon’s well-documented industry certifications from the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), readily available for verification.
Uriab expressed disappointment over misleading information from certain stakeholders and urged all parties to verify facts directly from Paragon, the NCAA, and NAC. He emphasized seeking accurate information from credible sources to prevent further misinformation regarding Paragon’s capacity and certification.- Namibia Daily News
