There was a lot that still needed to be clarified concerning
changes to the immigration regulations, Acsa ceo, Bongani Maseko, told media and members of the aviation industry on
Thursday morning.
He was speaking at the presentation of Acsa’s financial
results at the Hyatt Regency in Johannesburg.
Home Affairs Minister, Malusi
Gigaba, said on Tuesday morning that, rather than requiring foreign minors
to travel with a birth certificate, government would “strongly recommend” that
the parents of these minors carry documentation to show their relationship and,
in the absence of one or both parents, documentation to show parental consent.
These amendments are expected to be gazetted at the end of
October.
The same leniency is not on the cards for South African
passport holders, although a still-to-be-rolled-out child passport listing both
parents’ names will eventually replace this need.
Bongani said the airports company had a good relationship
with the Department of Home Affairs and would be approaching the department for
clarity.
He said clarity was especially important because airlines
flying into SA airports needed this clarity as they were responsible for bringing
passengers into South Africa.
Acsa reported an R800 million profit for the 2017-18 year, a
decline from the R2 billion profit reported for the previous year. The decline
in profit was largely attributed to a 35,5% reduction in airport tariffs for
the period.
