TENDERS are due to
go out soon for the
R7bn expansion of
Cape Town International
Airport, with construction
scheduled to start in
February next year and
completion due in 2025,
says gm, Deon Cloete.
Work will include the
realignment of the runway
(due for completion in
2022), the simultaneous
construction of a new
domestic arrivals terminal
and the redevelopment
of the international
departures terminal
by 2025. Deon says
passenger process
through the airport will
be redirected during the
construction, but CTIA will
do its best to minimise
impact on passengers.
He was speaking to
TNW on April 4 during a
site visit of the planned
upgrades by Western Cape
Economic Opportunities
MEC, Beverley Schäfer,
and City of Cape Town
Mayoral Committee
Member for Economic
Opportunities and Asset
Management, James Vos.
This follows CTIA clinching
the Skytrax Best Airport in
Africa Award for the fourth
year running and being
ranked 22nd in the world.
Commenting to TNW,
Beverley said: “Once the
upgrade is in place, it
will be of huge benefit
to the economy, job
creation and the tourism
industry. A bigger airport
will mean we can land
bigger planes and process
far more passengers,
which will contribute
to growing the tourism
industry. Increased
connectivity allows us to
drive business, trade and
foreign direct investment.”
Following a slow-down
of 9% in tourism growth
in 2018, she said the
province was hoping for
increased tourism growth
now that the water crisis
was over. “We certainly
want to make sure that
any blockages, which
include visa regulations
or queues at the airport,
are mitigated to the
maximum. I will be writing
to the Tourism Minister
because we want the
visa regulations to be
scrapped.”
Beverley said the
expansion plans would
go a long way toward
extending the success of
the Cape Town Air Access
project, which since
2015, had resulted in 13
new routes and 18 route
expansions. International
seat capacity has doubled
by 1,5m seats, resulting
in 20% growth or 2,4m
more international
passengers in 2017.
