Airports Company South Africa’s nine airports provide vital connectivity,
accessibility and location benefits for air cargo links between South Africa,
Africa and rest of the world
Johannesburg, 21 February 2013 - Airports
Company South Africa (ACSA) is showcasing its unique connectivity attributes at
the Air Cargo Africa exhibition and conference taking place in Johannesburg from
20 to 22 February 2013. Last year, the company provided the logistics platform
for the movement of more than 317,000 metric tons of cargo in and out of its
nine airports.
With South Africa being the only BRICS (Brazil, Russia,
India, China and South Africa) member nation to have air connectivity with each
of the BRICS countries (excluding Russia) and Southern African Development
Community (SADC) countries, ACSA’s O.R. Tambo International Airport provides a
vital gateway for regional and international air cargo and trade
links.
Around 1 000 daily visitors are expected to attend Air Cargo
Africa – being held at Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park – which will feature
over 65 exhibitors. It is only the second Air Cargo Africa exhibition to take
place – the first was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2011.
ACSA, one of the
event’s main sponsors, believes it has merely scratched the surface of
developing bulk air cargo opportunities in South Africa and its links with
Africa and many other parts of the world. Air cargo handled by ACSA’s airports
has grown significantly over the past decade.
“We have the best network
of air linkages and ports in the SADC region and we want to place this network
at the forefront of developing the region,” says Tebogo Mekgoe, General Manager
of O.R. Tambo International Airport, stressing that ACSA is committed to
building stronger relationships with cargo operators to increase its handling of
bulk cargo from South Africa, Africa, the BRICS grouping of nations, and the
rest of the world.
“Our network of airports harnesses connectivity,
accessibility and excellent locations with each being an important development
node in its own right. We have an exceptionally well developed airport network
and system and want to leverage this in the air cargo arena, which will continue
to grow as African economies go from strength to strength.”
ACSA’s
airports include O. R. Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg) – Africa’s
busiest passenger and cargo airport - King Shaka International Airport (Durban),
Cape Town International Airport, , Bram Fischer International Airport
(Bloemfontein), Port Elizabeth International Airport, George Airport, East
London Airport, Kimberley Airport and Upington International Airport.
In
addition, continues Mekgoe, ACSA is playing an important role in developing
“airport cities” or “aero cities” with O.R. Tambo International, Cape Town
International and King Shaka International/Dube Tradeport being prime examples
of airports that are the core of neighbouring industrial and commercial growth.
Increasingly, “aero cities” are becoming part of “aerotropolis” nodes that can
stretch as far as 60 kilometres – such as O.R. Tambo to Pretoria or the Vaal
area.
“Air cargo has shown good growth in South Africa and regionally in
recent years. We expect this growth trend to continue in the years ahead,”
concludes Mekgoe.
For more information, please contact:
Unathi
Batyashe-Fillis
Manager: Communication and Brand Management
OR Tambo
International Airport
Direct: +27 (0) 11 921 6087
Cell: +27 (0) 79 882
7307
Email: unathi.Batyashe-Fillis@airports.co.za |
