KIA aviation staff demand allowance over grounded lift

Aviation staff at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) want to be paid hardship allowance for walking up and down 210 steps in the airport’s control tower, Weekend Nation has learnt.

The aviation officers argue that they have been subjected to the hardship because of government’s failure to fix a grounded lift for nearly three years.

The demand follows a recent 30-day ultimatum which air traffic control officers gave civil aviation director Alfred Mtilatila to fix the lift in the control tower which is critical to the handling of departure and landing of aircrafts at the airport.

In an interview on Monday last week, Mtilatila refused to comment on the matter, but confirmed receiving the letter from air traffic controllers, saying he has just met the members of staff.

“Who has given you that information? I have just met the air traffic controllers. They are the ones who wrote me on this issue. Go back to your sources for more information,” he said.

The director also refused to comment on what government is doing to fix the lift in the control tower saying: “Can you get back to the sources who have given you that information? I think they can also give you the rest of the details.”

Principal Secretary for Transport and Public Works Moffat Chitimbe on Tuesday referred Weekend Nation to Mtilatila to comment on the matter.

Mtilatila did not answer his phone on Tuesday.

Air traffic control tower is a vital component of any airport with its specific function being to control the airfield in terms of aircraft traffic on the ground, flying aircrafts in the airfield vicinity and the vehicles on the ground.

Air traffic control is generally settled in a 35-metre high building with an overview of the vicinity of the airfield.