As one of the busiest and most important airports in Africa, O.R. Tambo International is a triumph in the South African transport and travel industries. As demand for extra capacity increases, investments are being made to grow this already sizeable facility.
Oliver Reginald Tambo was an inspiration to many South Africans; his work in politics attracted much international attention and many international visitors to South Africa and now, just as he was a beacon for the country, pulling in guests from around the world, the international airport in Johannesburg that bears his name does the same.
The O.R. Tambo International Airport, located in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, is South Africa’s busiest airport. You’ve probably travelled through its terminals and runways as one of millions of passengers that pass through each year. With capacity to deal with up to 28 million people per annum, the airport is recognised as one of the largest airports in Africa and one of the major gateways to South and Southern Africa with the domestic terminal and central terminal building alone covering 200,000 m2.
With two major runways, some of the longest in the world, the airport deals with many types of aircraft and, because of the positioning of the airport 1700m above sea level where the air is thinner, it is recognised as a ‘hot and high’ airport. It is also one of the only airports in the world which offers non-stop flights to all six inhabited continents.
Of course, dealing with the huge amount of traffic that passes through the airport is no easy task and in recent years, O.R. Tambo International has received investment to ensure it remains a facility that can offer world class service to travellers and airlines.
In preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) reported that major upgrades had been made to deal with the influx of international guests. The international terminal was expanded, the R535 million international pier was expanded to increase capacity, the R2 billion central terminal building was completed in 2009, a R470 million parkade was added close to the central terminal building, and terminal A was upgraded to deal with increased volumes of international departures.
O.R. Tambo International acts as a hub for a number of local and international airlines including Airlink, Comair, FlySafair, Mango, Kulala, South African Express and the country’s largest international and domestic carrier, South African Airways.
In February, major refurbishments across various parts of the airport were announced. General Manager, Bongiwe Pityi told the Citizen that the aim was for the upgrades to have minimal impact on travellers.
UPGRADES
“Our Retail Duty Free Mall was opened in 2001 and has over the years been subjected to normal routine maintenance and minor refurbishments.
“We have an appreciation of the fact that it is never an easy task to undertake construction in a live environment, to this end we appeal to our passengers, stakeholders and business partners to be patient with possible operational challenges that may be experienced during this period. Passenger satisfaction and ease of travel through our facilities remains our number one priority,” she said.
Refurbishments included upgrading of ablution facilities, replacement of directional signage, improvement of lighting, replacement of ceiling tiles, and upgrading of bulk services which includes amongst others replacement of air conditioning units to improve air circulation in the area.
And these are not the only upgrades and investments for 2016. ACSA CEO, Bongani Maseko told Engineering News in July: “We have a five-year planning cycle and in the 2015-2020 planning cycle there are plans to start work in the domestic terminal in Cape Town. In this cycle we’re also planning to start work on the mid-field terminal [at OR Tambo], between the runways.”
The need for expansion comes as the domestic terminals at both airports begin to reach peak-time capacity. This is on the back of increased international arrivals from all over the world and, according to Maseko, more international airlines are looking at the possibility of flying into Johannesburg and Cape Town in 2017.
The capability of O.R. Tambo International to host the Airbus A380 has also contributed. “We currently have three airlines that fly A380s into OR Tambo in the peak season – Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa. And Emirates has indicated an interest to start flying A380s to Johannesburg next year,” Maseko told Engineering News.
In a bid to maximise efficiency, ACSA will also look at the potential for opening a new cargo terminal at O.R. Tambo International. “We’ve started the planning for a cargo terminal,” Maseko told Engineering News. “That will be funded on the balance sheet. We don’t generate income from air cargo operators except for landing fees. So we’re in talks with air cargo operators about the interest they’d have in occupying dedicated cargo facilities at OR Tambo.”
AWARD-WINNING
All of this improvement, which will only enhance the reputation and ability of the airport, comes after O.R. Tambo International was named as African Airport of the Year for 2015. As part of the Air Cargo Africa 2015 conference and exhibition, the awards ceremony was attended by senior figures from the global air cargo industry.
The largest cargo airport in Africa, O.R. Tambo’s award came after the airport signed a partnership agreement with Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding of Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany which sees the two cooperate to expand market opportunities and share information for the benefit of both parties.
At the time, Pityi said: “We are especially proud as this is the second time in a row that our airport has been bestowed with this accolade.
“Together with our excellent location, accessibility and connectivity, O.R. Tambo International also has great and reliable infrastructure. We also collaborate well with the relevant stakeholders to continue providing efficient service to our cargo customers.”
SECURITY
Airport security is clearly one of the most important and most topical issues surrounding the global travel industry right now and at O.R. Tambo International, major success in recent times have underlined the success of security features that have been installed and the work of security forces.
In February, a man was ceased at the airport with R4 million worth of crystal methamphetamine; in July, a bust saw a man arrested in possession of R1 million worth of heroin and cocaine, and in July, another bust discovered R3.2 million worth of crystal meth coming in from Nigeria. This follows on from the discovery of R7 million worth of illegal drugs that were confiscated by SARS in May.
To further enhance security, the biometric system which initially had caused some delays at the airport has now been optimised and is operational. It is part of a strategy from the Department of Home Affairs to aid the movement of people through the airport. The system requires a scanning of finger prints on both hands as well as capturing a digital image of each traveller and is being phased in at airports around the country.
Following initial delays caused by the biometric system, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said the problem has now been resolved and the department is working to help travellers navigate the system. “I have directed our senior managers to step up the biometrics’ communication campaign, effectively and sufficiently to inform the public about the biometric system and its benefits,” he said.
FLYING HIGH
O.R. Tambo International remains poised for further growth and excellence, and as an industry leader, the airport will continue to grow as the tourism and travel needs of South Africa increase.
In May, Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said that R110 million had been allocated to the promotion of domestic tourism.
“Amongst several other initiatives, a series of television commercials have been produced telling the stories of South Africans travelling for the first time and how much it means to them. This will inspire others to do the same,” he said.
Minister Hanekom said the Association of Southern African Travel Agencies and SA Tourism are forging a partnership to extend corporate travel into leisure.
He said a project has been initiated to take children on visits to the World Heritage Sites and attractions operated by the South African National Parks and South African National Biodiversity Institute.
“This will help ignite their curiosity about their country and the many special places to visit. It will also establish … their desire to become tourists in their own country.
“This is really just the beginning – the promotion of domestic tourism and the creation of opportunities for lower income South Africans to share in the wonders of our country is so important to us, that there is much, much more to come.”
In July, Stats SA announced that tourist arrivals in South Africa are continuing on a growth trajectory with 11% more arrivals in May 2016 compared to the previous year.
This brings the total tourist arrivals for January to May 2016 to over 4.2 million, which is an increase of 15.7% compared to the same period last year — more than three times the average annual global growth rates experienced in international tourism.
Of course, this is great news for O.R. Tambo International and backs up the decisions made to invest in the airport’s infrastructure.
As the leading international airport in Africa, O.R. Tambo is truly an example to follow, and stands as a business case that leads the rest in the travel and transport industry.