New deal for city airport

Tshwane metro and the Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) have entered into a new agreement over the management of Wonderboom national airport.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Tuesday to facilitate collaboration on compliance and technical aviation advisory, management and the execution of identified projects.

The memorandum was signed by Tshwane mayor Randall Williams who was joined by acting city manager Mmaseabata Matlaneng and CEO of Acsa Mpumi Mpofu.

“We welcome this opportunity to work with Acsa in taking the development of Wonderboom airport further and enhancing its operations into the future,” Williams said.

He described the airport as a general aviation airport “which was unarguably the training ground for hundreds of pilots across the country”.

“Training activities account for 70% of the total airport traffic, with maintenance, flight charters, recreational flying, fly-overs and private flying constituting the remaining 30% of the traffic mix.

“The airport is a strategic transportation asset for the city – both for air travel and tourism in the capital city,” he said.

Williams said that the airport held immense potential for future development and the generation of increased economic opportunities in the city, especially as a logistics hub – in the automotive sector.

“To do that requires a partner that understands how to optimise its operations as a strategic asset [and] it is for this reason that this administration decided to enter into this agreement with Acsa,” he said.

He added that it would be through this collaboration that Acsa would provide end-to-end aviation project development, execution and management services to the airport as and when it was requested.

“The Tshwane metro and Acsa will work together to address issues of common interest and mutual benefit which seek to enhance operations at the airport.

“Together we will embark upon a strategic collaboration and establish regular contact in order to realise the opportunities associated with a growing aviation market and opportunities at Wonderboom airport,” Williams said.

Meanwhile, Acsa CEO Mpumi Mpofu said they were excited by the potential which was opened up through the signing of the MoU.

“We are proud of the expertise and skills that Acsa has developed through projects such as the development of Terminal 3 at Ghana’s Kotoka international airport and at Brazil’s Guarulhos international airport ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

“The organisation is, therefore, keen to demonstrate what it has to offer our colleagues at Wonderboom,” Mpofu said.

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