Protected Areas Act 2003
The Government has promulgated the Protected Areas Act, 2003. This Act has the ability to ban flying in a huge amount of airspace. In essence the Act precludes flying below 2500 feet above the highest point of a designated area.
Designated areas include special nature reserves, nature reserves (incl. wilderness areas) and protected environments, World heritage sites, Specially protected areas in terms of National Forests Act 1998 and Mountain catchment areas in terms of Mountain Catchment Areas Act 1970.
No areas have yet been included in the Register of Protected Areas.
- Aero Club Press Release(pdf 19kb)
Despite a continuous attempts to contact the official tn the Department of Environmental Affairs responsible for this Act a representative of the Aero Club has not been able to do so. It has therefore been impossible to arrange a meeting with that representative to discuss the issue. There has also been no action by CAA in this regard even though this matter has been on the agenda of NASCOM. This matter is fundamental to the regulation of airspace. It is impossible to have different departments of government each regulating parts of the airspace over South Africa. Aero Club intends to meet with the Minister of Transport to resolve this issue.
This matter has now been refered to the SACAA as the sole body responsible for airspace. At a high level meeting between the Departmens of Transport and Environmental Affiars the matter has now been referred to the Government legal advisors.
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