Meteorological services at Walvis Bay International Airport have been fully restored following a connectivity disruption that temporarily affected the availability of current weather observations.

The Ministry of Works and Transport confirmed that the services, which were disrupted, are now fully operational. The disruption affected aviation operations at the airport, with some scheduled flights diverted to Hosea Kutako International Airport because current meteorological observations were temporarily unavailable.

During the disruption, the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) informing airspace users of the temporary unavailability of the affected weather services.

As a precautionary operational measure, the NCAA also temporarily reclassified the Walvis Bay airspace from Class C to Class G. The Ministry said the measure was implemented in accordance with applicable International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and Namibian civil aviation regulations and procedures. It was intended to allow flight operations to continue safely while the meteorological services were being restored.

Despite the disruption, Walvis Bay International Airport remained operational throughout.

The Ministry apologised to passengers and other stakeholders affected by the disruption and thanked those involved in restoring the services. “Steps are being taken by the ministry to strengthen the reliability and continuity of meteorological services and to reduce the impact of similar disruptions in future, particularly on services supporting aviation and public safety,” the Ministry said.

The incident highlighted the importance of reliable weather observation and communications infrastructure for aviation operations, particularly at a coastal airport where weather conditions can affect flight planning and operations.

The Ministry said it remains committed to providing reliable and continuous meteorological services to airspace users.

By Rudi Bowe