Preparations for refurbishments at Cape Town International Airport are under way, regardless of resistance by informal dwellers in areas surrounding the airport.
Airports Company SA (Acsa) confirmed that on December 13, 2013, Acsa and the City of Cape Town (CoCT) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) called the Symphony Way Development Corridor (SWDC).
“This memorandum of agreement is a mutually acceptable and beneficial approach to the development of the land located on the eastern and western side of Symphony Way. This strip of land is defined as the Symphony Way Development Corridor and includes the Symphony Way Urban Park.
“Through the development of the Symphony Way Development Corridor, the CoCT agreed to prioritise the relocation of the three informal communities of Freedom Farm, Malawi Camp and Blikkiesdorp and place these communities into formal housing as aligned with the vision of the City’s human settlements directorate.
“The relocation of these informal settlements is also essential for the future development of the airport because the current informal settlements are currently on land which is required for the construction of the new realigned runway and future second runway at Cape Town International Airport,” Acsa said.
Acting Mayco member for human settlements James Vos said: “This is a complex, multi-year programme and has been impacted by criminal activity and unlawful occupation. The City is aware of the challenges and is prioritising the resolution of the myriad of issues in conjunction with Acsa,” he said.
Thea Govindsamy from Acsa confirmed that a total of 3 200 units of state-subsidised Breaking New Ground (BNG) units are planned for construction on this site.
“All major projects were placed on hold due to the significant reduction in air traffic movements and passenger volumes. In the year 2019, Cape Town International Airport processed just under 11 million passengers. This reduced to 7.8 million passengers in 2022. Acsa currently forecasts a recovery to the pre-Covid-19 passenger volumes in the year 2026,” she said
Govindsamy said Acsa adopted a new strategy due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The focus was on ensuring business continuity, sustainable operations and the health and safety of passengers and customers. Whilst we have not yet fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels, we are pleased to record an upward trend in passenger volumes and increased activity at the airport.
“This has triggered a review of the capital investment programme and the re-commencement of some of the major expansion projects that were suspended in 2020. We are therefore reviewing the project programme for major capacity projects, which includes the new realigned runway,” she said.
Govindsamy said Acsa is currently in consultation with the industry and regulating committee and will provide more detail on the project timelines of major capacity projects in the next three months.
“Due to the confidentiality of this process, no further information may be provided at this stage,” she said.
Govindsamy said Acsa will ensure that jobs will be created in the refurbishment of the airport.
“A key measurable benefit of our infrastructure development is to ensure job creation. This is a key measurable outcome in Acsa’s strategic objectives and outcomes. Acsa is aware of its social responsibility in the promotion and facilitation of skills development, socio-economic development and job creation through the implementation of infrastructure projects,” she said
Vos said the renovations at Cape Town International Airport will attract investments, which in turn creates jobs and leads to further economic opportunity.
“A key driver of growth through tourism and trade is aviation. To grow the aviation economy, the City provides funding to the Air Access initiative which is mandated to expand current flight routes and to secure new routes to boost tourism and trade.
“The next exciting step is to grow Cape Town’s cargo footprint for export. Air cargo at Cape Town International Airport is a growing sector that holds huge benefits for the residents of Cape Town and the locally produced goods market. This is evident from the most recent statistics which show that international cargo freight has grown by 52%,” he said.
Vos said that the expansion of the airport will see the construction of a new realigned runway, the refurbishment of the domestic arrivals terminal and the expansion of the international terminal.
“This expansion will also make a meaningful contribution to the local economy. The City’s enterprise and investment department is working with the airport to maximise the benefits of this expansion for local contractors and communities,” he said.
Vos said that so far, there will be no road closures or any inconvenience to motorists when the process begins.
“As I understand it, the upgrade to the Cape Town International Airport is primarily focused on upgrading the terminals to accommodate larger aircraft and passenger volumes. All of this work will be accommodated within the precinct of the aerodrome which is in the primary control of Acsa. The City has not received any applications for road closures in relation to the airport project, nor any engineering submissions for road or intersection upgrades,” he said.