THE international airport is getting a major facelift ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ to accommodate the anticipated influx of football-loving visitors.
With many airlines now offering flights from Lanseria Airport, and the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ on the horizon, the airport is being upgraded to cope with increased traffic.
Gavin Sayce, the airport manager, puts the number of passengers using the facility at 1500 a day.
With its proximity to centres of commerce, the airport – in the northeast of Mogale City – is expected to provide alternative landing for the extra aircraft it is thought will land in the country for the football tournament, bringing teams, sponsors and fans.
It will, therefore, play an integral part in the World Cup as an additional airport to OR Tambo International Airport, in nearby Ekurhuleni.
“With this in mind, we are busy with various projects to ensure charter, scheduled and international passengers experience the convenience of flying to and from Joburg’s second airport,” Sayce said.
Apron extension
The upgrade of the airport includes an extension of the apron to accommodate the Kulula Airline fleet, which has increased its operations from the airport. It will be big enough to accommodate the new Kulula Boeing 737 fleet, and Sayce says it is now nearing completion.
The baggage carousel has been improved to allow passengers to reclaim their baggage without hassle.
An additional 600 parking bays have been constructed, bringing the total number of bays at the airport to 1 200. “The bays are demarcated and tarred already. What remains is for the covers to be erected,” Sayce explains.
Golf carts are also being introduced to transport passengers from the far end of the parking lot to the terminal building.
The domestic lounge has been expanded to accommodate the increased number of passengers. “We had to expand our domestic lounge to accommodate over 270 seated passengers at any given time,” says Lize Nel, Lanseria’s marketing and public relations manager.
Work to revamp the general aviation departures and arrivals area has also been completed. “As the general aviation market has different needs from the scheduled market, we decided to create a separate area which would be mainly used by the charter operators, corporate companies and individuals. All International flights will still use international departures,” Sayce explains.
Airport of choice
Lanseria is steadily becoming the airport of choice for many local airlines. The key airline operating from it is Kulula, which now offers daily return flights to Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. “With Kulula’s new schedule we have two flights departing close to one another and we have to accommodate all the passengers at the same time,” Nel says.
Another airline, Air Travelmax, offers scheduled flights to Inhambane and Vilanculos in Mozambique. In addition, the airport is still home to various charter and corporate aircraft, and freight operations continue. There are also various aircraft maintenance organisations and flight schools based at Lanseria.
The airport should, therefore, hold a particular appeal for members of the Fifa family, including sponsors and officials who will arrive in their own jets and could travel to the various stadiums from Lanseria.
As the leading general airport in Africa and the only other international airport in Gauteng, Lanseria has positioned itself to handle the demands of an airport with full international status while still keeping the human approach to all facets of aviation, Sayce says.
Unique tenant mix
It offers a unique tenant mix, ranging from scheduled airlines; charter operators; and maintenance organisations specialising in avionics, engineering, instrumentation, spray painting, upholstery and designers, to aircraft sales, pilot training and freight, Sayce adds.
He says Lanseria is not only a favourite among corporate companies, but celebrities also prefer to enter South Africa via the facility. The list of heads of state, important persons and celebrities who have stepped on to the Lanseria apron is endless and the number of exclusive and rare aircraft spotted at the airport is known worldwide.
“As we are home to various operators and accommodate different sizes and types of aircraft, we endeavour to be more user-friendly to the general aviation market. We have created a separate departure and arrivals area on the side of the terminal building, moving them away from the activities of the scheduled operations,” Sayce explains. “We have to keep their different needs and requirements in mind.”
Going forward, infrastructure upgrades will continue to accommodate the ever-increasing number of aircraft operating from Lanseria.