AIRPORTS COMPANY SOUTH AFRICA TO SHOWCASE ITS UNIQUE INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY ATTRIBUTES AND FEATURES AT AIR CARGO AFRICA EXHIBITION

2013-02-21 — /travelprnews.com/ — 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