Johannesburg 25 February: Airports Company South Africa, owner and manager of
South Africa’s nine principal airports, and Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding,
representing Leipzig/Halle Airport, signed a cooperation agreement during the
Air Cargo Africa 2015 Conference and Exhibition. The partnership, signed by Tebogo Mekgoe, Chief Operating Officer of Airports
Company South Africa, and Markus Kopp, Chief Executive Officer of Mitteldeutsche
Airport Holding, will expand international air cargo market, elevating
Leipzig/Halle Airport and O.R. Tambo International airport’s status in air
transportation industry. The strategic partnership will involve the exchange of
information and individual expertise along with cooperation in the field of
customer acquisition.
The signing of this agreement follows the recent
creation of a cargo management division at O.R. Tambo International Airport,
affirming Airports Company South Africa’s commitment to implement its cargo
strategy. “This strategic partnership will provide industry-leading guidance in
developing the company’s cargo business model and approach,” said Tebogo
Mekgoe, COO of Airports Company South Africa. South Africa’s O.R. Tambo International Airport is the largest Air Cargo hub
on the African continent. Its economic stability, combined with a reliable and
stable legal framework has contributed to the growth of various industries. “Given the centrality of air cargo to, especially, the automotive,
electronics, telecommunications and perishable industries, an active exchange of
experiences and analyses of potential will develop the capacity and reach of
both airport management companies,” said Markus Kopp, CEO of
Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG. While Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding has existing cooperation agreements in
place with four Asian and two North American airports, today’s agreement with
the Airports Company of South Africa marks the first such agreement on the
African continent.
Editor’s Notes
Airports Company South Africa
Airports Company South Africa SOC Ltd is the largest airport authority in
Africa. With a global footprint spanning three continents Airports Company South
Africa provides a professional, world-class service for South Africa’s nine
principle airports as well as airports in Mumbai, India and São Paulo, Brazil.
Airports Company South Africa’s airports are responsible for more than 80
percent of South Africa’s commercial air travel, managing over 35 million
passengers per year. In support of Airports Company South Africa’s significant investments in
infrastructure, the company has implemented Airport Management Centres (AMCs)
throughout its network. AMC’s focus on improving all operational aspects of the
mobility value chain. For the last eight years Airports Company South Africa has managed and
operated Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. The airport
processes 29 million passengers per annum and 340,000 tons of cargo. Airports
Company South Africa has also developed, manages and operates Guarulhos
International Airport in São Paulo, Brazil. Guarulhos is the busiest
international airport in Latin America, handling 28 million passengers and
358,000 tons of cargo per annum. O.R. Tambo International Airport
O.R. Tambo International
Airport is arguably the largest and busiest airport in the African continent.
The airport is also the biggest cargo airport in Africa with freight at nearly
400,000 tonnes per annum.
Major expansion projects have increased the annual
passenger handling capacity at O.R. Tambo International from 6.5 million in 1993
to a current 28 million.
The award-winning airport currently processors
over 19 million passengers annually. A recent Airbus forecast recognises O.R. Tambo International Airport as the
only mega city airport in Africa, with more than 50,000 daily long-haul
passenger flights carrying cargo in their belly. Forecast to be a reality by
2032. Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding
Mitteldeutsche Airport
Holding is the umbrella brand of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG, a public sector
company. The Group has three subsidiaries: Leipzig/Halle Airport, Dresden
International Airport and PortGround. In 2014 the group handled 93,926 aircraft movements, about four million
passengers and more than 910,000 tonnes of freight. The group employs
approximately 1000 people with a further 9,478 employed at various companies and
public bodies operating at Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG airport sites.
In
2010 Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding, representing Leipzig/Halle Airport, signed
a cooperation arrangement with the Shenzhen Airport Group. In 2012
Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding signed a cooperation arrangement with the
Shanghai Airport Authority, including Shanghai Pudong International Airport. In
2013 Leipzig/Halle Airport signed cooperation agreements with Memphis
International Airport and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport,
providing closer cooperation in the international air freight market. Since
March 2014, Leipzig/Halle Airport has been working with Kansai International
Airport in Japan. 2014 also saw Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding link with The
Henan Province Airport Group through a strategic airport cooperation
arrangement. Leipzig/Halle Airport
Leipzig/Halle Airport which handles
freight volumes exceeding 910,000 tonnes is the fifth largest air cargo hub in
Europe. The airport has a 24-hour operating permit for cargo flights and direct
links to trans-European motor and railway networks. As such, Leipzig/Halle
offers ideal conditions for the intercontinental transport of goods by road and
rail. The take-off and landing system has two parallel runways, each 3,600
metres long, which can be used independently in CAT III b conditions. The
airport has a modern handling terminal for large animals, the Animal Export
Centre, and a veterinary border inspection post. DHL has been operating its
European hub at the airport since 2008. Since 2009 Leipzig/Halle Airport has
also been the base of Aerologic, a joint venture between DHL Express and
Lufthansa Cargo. Cargo flights currently operate from Leipzig/Halle Airport to
approximately 60 destinations in more than 30 countries on four continents. For further information:
Unathi Batyashe-Fillis
Acting
Group Communications Manager
Corporate Office
Airports Company South
Africa
Phone: 079 882 7307 / 011 723 1410
Email: Unathi.Batyashe-Fillis@airports.co.za
Web: www.airports.co.za Mobi: m.airports.co.za Uwe Schuhart
Head of Media Relations
Mitteldeutsche Airport
Holding
Phone: 0049 341 224 1157
Email: uwe.schuhart@mdf-ag.com
Web: www.mdf-ag.com
| 