KMIA has its eyes fixed on the skies
The airport has officially been named the safest on the continent for its size.
MBOMBELA – The Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) was recently bestowed the highest accolade in the industry, but it is aiming ever higher.
The airport was named the Airports Council International (ACI) winner in the category for airports moving fewer than 10 000 aircraft a year at the council’s Africa Safety Awards in Mauritius last week.
KMIA CEO Marius Nel told Lowvelder that the win was made all the sweeter because it was the first time that they were in contention.
KMIA is also one of only two privately owned airports in the whole of South Africa. To top it all, their win was announced in the week that KMIA celebrated its 15th birthday last Saturday.
“That was nice,” Nel said. “From a team point of view, we didn’t do anything different. It was an unbelievable team effort.”
The ACI Safety Awards recognises the achievements of airports of different sizes and are presented to those that “have demonstrated their commitment to providing excellence in safety and compliance practices”.
The judging-criteria list is long and strict. Nel said it was an honour to share the stage with Cairo International Airport (which won in the category for airports handling 10 000 to 20 000 aircraft movements a year) and Cape Town (the winner in the more than 20 000 category for the continent).
The award convinced Nel that KMIA could aim for the stars.
Nel added that they are continually in negotiations to have airlines decrease their fares and set new routes.
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