World AirNews June 2018

AFRICAN
AIRPORTS
an artiSt’S impreSSion of what the new upgraded lanSeria
international airport will looK liKe
Pretoria which was initially built
in the early 1970s mainly to
cope with the growing general
aviation sector in the country,
but which is today used also
by airliners serving domestic
destinations, as well as many
corporate aircraft in addition
to the busy general aviation
sector. It is now generally
considered as being Johannesburg’s
and Pretoria’s gateway
to the north.
To keep pace with this
development, in recent years
the main terminal building has
been enlarged and modernised
to include facilities for scheduled
air services, along with
a new runway, a new control
tower equipped with the most
modern communication and
navigation aids, and facilities
for emergency vehicles and services.
The latest development
now nearing completion, is a
massive undercover car parking
facility.
Lanseria will soon be Africa’s
first airport to introduce selfbag
drop and mobile boarding
for airlines and passengers to
introduce self-service technology.
The airport has invested
in SITA’s Scan&Fly drop units
and airport iValidate systems
to offer its customers greater
efficiency and more convenience
when choosing to fly
from Lanseria.
The new technologies will allow
passengers to check in online,
or via their mobile devices,
tag and drop their bags in less
than a minute before proceeding
directly to their boarding
gate. Traditional check-in
counters will be converted into
intuitive technology equipment
that will allow passengers a
simpler, faster solution for their
air travel experience.
The new technology will
not only allow passengers to
check in their own luggage, but
will also automatically verify
all types of boarding passes,
including home-printed A4 and
mobile boarding passes, enhancing
security and speeding
AFRICAN
AIRPORTS
cape town international iS to have a new main runway to realign the exiSting one
the world are African – Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Tanzania) and
attract greater levels of foreign investment capital, many are
looking to invest more heavily in their national carriers and airport
capacity. Constructing new airports alongside the renovation and
expansion of existing infrastructure continues to gain higher prominence
in the on-going national development strategies of a wide
range of African countries.
As the African aviation industry continues to expand, liberalise
and mature, investment opportunities will continue to broaden in
turn. The need for new infrastructure and equipment, alongside
the renovation of existing facilities, has already seen African governments,
airport operators and aviation companies seeking out
greater levels of capital at home and abroad, in order to fulfil their
ambitious future plans for this region.
South of the equator, airport infrastructure activity is a lot
quieter than it is to the north. Zambia is, however, waking up to
its full reputation as a “must visit” tourism Mecca with numerous
undertakings already started or on the way to completion. Take
up the check-in process for passengers.
For airlines, the airport will roll out new baggage reconciliation
technology, providing passengers with more confidence that their
luggage will arrive with them at their destination. It will also enable
airlines using the airport to comply with IATA’s Resolution 753 that
requires airlines to track bags at key points during the journey.
Still more plans are being drawn up to ensure the airport keeps
pace with the eventual construction of Lanseria City – a proposed
huge housing, commercial and industrial development planned for
the immediate neighbourhood. This will also include the airport
being linked to the Gauteng Train system which has revolutionised
travel between Pretoria and Johannesburg as well as to and from
the O.R. Tambo International Airport.
MORE BIG CHANGES COMING
Africa may have one of the world’s largest populations, but its
aviation industry remains comparatively small, only accounting
for between two and three percent of the global market. But big
changes are already in motion. The past five years have demonstrated
the huge growth potential for African air travel, thanks to
runaway success stories like Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways
whose passenger numbers grew by 7, 5% and 5, 8% respectively
in 2016. This is in stark contrast to the cash-strapped, struggling,
top-ranking South African Airways which annually has to rely on
billions of rands in hand-outs from its owner, the SA Government.
As various African nations experience a rapid surge in economic
development (three of the top-10 fastest-growing economies in
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World Airnews | June 2018
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World Airnews | June 2018
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