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Oppenheimers` Fireblade VVIP terminal up and running

Source: IOL, 18/02/2018


Pretoria - More than two years after then Minister of Home Affairs
and now Minister of Finance, Malusi Gigaba gave Oppenheimer-owned
Fireblade Aviation the go-ahead to operate an international customs
and immigration service at OR Tambo International Airport, the first
international flights at this terminal were processed last week.
It took Fireblade months of fighting fierce legal battles, despite
numerous judgments in its favour, before it could eventually start
operating from OR Tambo.
Gauteng High Court, Pretoria Judge Sulet Potterill in October last
year gave Fireblade the green light to run the customs and
immigration services.
But despite various court applications, mainly brought by the
Department of Home Affairs in its attempts to appeal Judge
Potterill’s ruling, and undertakings made by it that the company
could go ahead with the running of its VVIP centre, Fireblade was
still not able to do so until now.
Although the department and Fireblade had reached an agreement that
it would be all systems going, the company at the end of December
once again had to turn to court for an urgent order allowing it to
operate.
The latest reason for the delay was due to technical reasons on the
side of home affairs, which said a specific IT system had to be in
place before it could render custom services from this terminal.
But the company had now confirmed that it is all systems go.
Fireblade said in a statement that the seven-star facility last week
successfully handled international tourists arriving in South Africa.
It regarded this as a significant milestone following its uphill
battle with government.
Home affairs, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the police
were, among others, on site at the Fireblade terminal to provide the
required government clearance for the international flights.
The Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) meanwhile said there were
several benefits to having fully operational international border
control capabilities at Fireblade.
It said the main terminal at OR Tambo will be freed up for additional
capacity when commercial business aviation can use the Fireblade
terminal.
It will also reduce runway crossings and thus improve safety and
reduce departing and arrival times for aircraft.
Judge Potterill last year ruled that Gigaba did give the
Oppenheimers, through Fireblade, permission to run the customs and
immigration services at the airport.
The Oppenheimers lodged their application after Gigaba denied that he
had given them permission in January 2016 to go ahead with their
plans.
They argued that Gigaba went back on his word after Denel suddenly
cited security concerns over the proposed terminal.
Fireblade argued that the Guptas were behind the backtracking.
Judge Potterill, however, concluded that Gigaba’s approval was “of
force and effect and may not be revoked without due cause”.


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