The Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) intends to conclude an expansion of the cargo terminal at the OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) within the next five years.

The existing cargo terminal is currently constrained, necessitating the expansion, ACSA Cluster 1 regional GM Jabulani Khambule noted during a briefing on March 28.

He added that the current passenger terminal is designed to accommodate 35-million passengers a year and, at 18.6-million a year, it has sufficient capacity.

Further, ACSA is focusing on getting the basics right and is prioritising key projects during the current financial year in response to passenger requests and complaints.

Firstly, the company will refurbish the roofs of the ORTIA, as some sections tend to leak during heavy weather. It is currently busy with this project and expects it to be complete by October.

It is also revamping the ablution facilities in the airport. This requires closing off single facilities at a time. This project is also expected to be completed by October.

Similarly, it is upgrading parking infrastructure, which includes the replacement of aging equipment to ensure the parking process remains reliable and efficient.

“We currently have more than 12 000 parking bays available and operational at ORTIA, and the infrastructure upgrade will ensure that passengers and visitors to our airport can enjoy a seamless and hassle-free experience, whether making use of our short-term or long-term parking facilities,” Khambule said.

“The revamped parking system includes multiple payment options, additional high-technology security elements, round-the-clock surveillance and variable parking fees.”

Additionally, ACSA is also developing an intermodal transport facility, which will provide passengers and employees with a safe and convenient environment to use their preferred mode of transport.

The movement of public transport operators, such as taxis, e-hailing services, shuttles and metered taxis to a central pick-up at the busy Parkade 2 aims to ease traffic congestion on the roadways.

The upgrades to parking and intermodal facilities are expected to be complete by August, Khambule said.

Meanwhile, the ORTIA is also having e-gates installed. These have biometric scanners, currently using only fingerprint biometrics but more will be available as they are added to the Department of Home Affairs' automated biometric identification system.

The e-gates, which were successfully trialled at the Cape Town International Airport, allow South African passport holders to be processed through immigration without visiting an immigration officer. This will provide several benefits, including increased processing rate at immigration and reduced waiting times, which will result in a vastly improved passenger experience, he said.

Additionally, ACSA has completed a number of enhancements at the airport, which include the rollout of the South African Traveller Management System (SATMS) in conjunction with the South African Revenue Service (Sars).

“The Web-based SATMS enables travellers entering and leaving the country to pre-declare goods bought, received or otherwise acquired and pay applicable taxes. This is part of Sars’ efforts to strengthen its controls to detect and deter illicit financial flows,” Khambule explained.

“The system makes it easy and simple for travellers to comply with their legal obligations. Sars plans to implement this new system at all points of entry within the coming year, following the completion of a successful pilot project at King Shaka International Airport,” he noted.

Meanwhile, ACSA confirmed that both domestic and international passenger volumes and aircraft movements at ORTIA were steadily recovering to pre-pandemic levels, following a boost over the festive season and a strong start to the year.

Khambule highlighted that domestic passenger volumes at the airport totalled 720 816 in February this year, which reflects a 77% recovery rate compared with February 2019. This is slightly down from January when domestic passenger volumes totalled 731 188, or a 78% recovery rate, and December, which saw a total volume of 837 611 domestic passengers, reaching a 79% recovery rate.

Further, international passenger volumes are recovering at a slightly slower but still satisfactory rate.

In February, the total number of international passengers stood at 486 422, which is a 72% recovery rate compared with February 2019. In January, the ORTIA recorded a total number of 582 372 international passengers, which was a 71% recovery rate, while in December, the airport recorded 646 847 international passengers, or a 70% recovery rate.

“We are pleased with the rate of recovery for both domestic and international passengers at ORTIA, with the recovery to near pre-pandemic numbers being spurred on by the increased demand during peak season,” said Khambule.

“We are also satisfied that our response to the peak season passenger volumes was adequate and allowed us to comfortably deal with the increased numbers of travellers passing through our airport. Thanks to our Integrated Peak Season Plan, we were able to ensure that we had sufficient resources on hand to meet demand and be able to deliver a world-class passenger [experience].”