Milestones in our history

Airports Company South Africa’s history has seen a number of key events over the years that have helped to shape the progressive, award-winning company we know today. Here are just a few of those key milestones:

1993 - Airports Company South Africa is formed as a public company

1998 - Airports Company South Africa is partially privatised when a 25,4 percent shareholding is sold to private sector shareholders. The transaction values Airports Company South Africa at around R4 billion

2003 - Airports Company South Africa’s Cape Town International Airport celebrates the official opening of its new R120-million international departures terminal

2005 - Airports Company South Africa’s 20 percent foreign shareholding is sold to the Public Investment Corporation, a local asset management company

2006 - Airports Company South Africa and a consortium comprising the Indian company GVK and South African listed company Bidvest, win a concession to manage Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, India

2007 - Airports Company South Africa signs an R6,8 billion contract with the Ilembe Consortium to design and construct a new airport at La Mercy, north of Durban

2007 - Airports Company South Africa upgrades George Airport through an investment of R43 million

2009 - Airports Company South Africa’s Cape Town International Airport opens its new central terminal building

2009 - Airports Company South Africa announces the opening of the R500 million multi-story parking facility at O.R. Tambo International Airport

2010 - Airports Company South Africa’s O.R. Tambo International Airport welcomes the world’s largest civil passenger aircraft, Air France-KLM’s A380.

2010 - Airports Company South Africa celebrates the opening of King Shaka International Airport in Durban

2010 - Airports Company South Africa officially opens the new central terminal building at O.R. Tambo International Airport.

2010 - Airports Company South Africa contributes significantly to the successful delivery of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, handling thousands of international and domestic fans through its airport network

2011 - Airports Company South Africa records the highest number of passengers processed to date at just under 30,8 million.

2011 - Airports Company South Africa welcomes the largest Boeing 747-8 Freighter jet aircraft at O.R. Tambo International Airport: its first landing in Africa.

2011 - Airports Company South Africa’s O.R. Tambo International Airport welcomes Lufthansa as it names one of its A380s ‘Johannesburg’.

2011 - Airports Company South Africa’s King Shaka International Airport welcomes thousands of delegates, VIPs and Heads of State visiting the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban

2012 - Airports Company South Africa signs a landmark 20-year concession agreement in Brazil to manage Guarulhos International Airport

2012 - Airports Company South Africa wins a record number of awards for its operations and facilities, including Best Airport in Africa by Airports Council International

2012 - Airports Company South Africa wins ‘National Disability Champion Award’ at the National Disability Awards.

2013 - Cape Town International wins the Airports Council International (ACI) ‘Best Airport in Africa’ award for the fourth successive year. King Shaka International won second place and O.R. Tambo International, fifth place

2013 – Upington International won the ACI ‘Best Small Airport in Africa’ award for the third consecutive year

2013 – East London Airport won the ACI ‘Best Improvement in Africa’ award

2013 – In the Skytrax rankings of the world’s top 100 airports, Cape Town International is placed 22nd, King Shaka International 26th and O.R. Tambo International is 28th

2013 – In the Skytrax rankings of the world’s best airports by passenger numbers, King Shaka International is placed first in the under 5 million categories and Cape Town first in the 5 to 10 million category

2013 – O.R. Tambo International is host airport for Africa’s first holding of the Airport Cities World Conference and Exhibition

2013 – Airports Company South Africa showcases its unique international and regional connectivity at the Air Cargo Africa Exhibition

2013 – Bongani Maseko appointed as Managing Director of Airports Company South Africa and Maureen Manyama-Matome as Finance Director

2013 – Airports Company South Africa celebrates its 20th anniversary

2014 – Tebogo Mekgoe is appointed the first Chief Operating Officer in the history of Airports Company South Africa

2014 – Airports Company South Africa enters a strategic partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ghana Airports Company Limited to provide advisory and technical services on all airport-related matters

2014 - Brazil’s long-awaited new international airport terminal – Terminal 3 – opens on 11 May 2014, thanks to the extensive involvement of Airports Company South Africa and in anticipation of the scores of passengers that will utilise Guarulhos International Airport during 2014 FIFA World Cup
2016 - Annual Report Awards (hosted by the Chartered Secretaries Southern Africa in partnership with the JSE Limited): The company received a Merit Certificate under the Large State-Owned Company category.
2016 - Sister airport agreement signed with Munich Airport in Germany
2016 - Photo-voltaic solar plant installed at George Airport

2017 -Annual passenger numbers hit 40 million, translating into 33% growth over 6 years
2017 - O.R. Tambo International Airport conducts the first smart security trails in Africa
2017 - Ranking 10 out of 138 countries for airport infrastructure
2017 - Top Employers South Africa
2018 - Official opening of Kotoka International Airport in Ghana where our expertise was central to construction and opening
2018 - In July 2018, we celebrate the 25-year anniversary of Airports Company South Africa as a leading provider of airport services
2018 - ACI Carbon level 1 re-certification for four airports
2018 - Established Gauteng Route Development Committee
2019 - ACI Carbon accreditation status for 5 Airports. O.R. Tambo International and Cape Town International Airports have been upgraded to Level 2 status. King Shaka International, Port Elizabeth international Airports have been renewed at Level 1. George Airport has entered the carbon accreditation program at Level 1.