Financial viability of Wonderboom airport will determine future
The airport is currently open for more business by creating an enabling environment to handle both general and commercial aviation operations.
The Tshwane metro wants to turn the Wonderboom National Airport in the north into a logistic hub and ensure it is financially viable.
This was revealed by mayoral spokesperson Sipho Stuurman recently.
Stuurman said the metro will explore the airport’s financial viability before it makes the final decision whether to sell or keep it.
“The financial viability is under evaluation to determine the best course of action for the airport’s future, following its upgrade from category 2 to category 5 aerodrome licence status,” Stuurman said.
He said this evaluation is crucial in determining whether the airport should be managed by a private company or remain under metro control.
Stuurman said the airport was open for business because it had created an enabling environment to handle both general and commercial aviation operations.
He said these catalytic economic operations of the airport would yield both social and financial dividends.
He said the new aerodrome status allows for both scheduled and unscheduled commercial flight services for cargo and passengers.
“This is a significant improvement over the previous category 2 licence, which limited the airport’s capabilities and its potential for economic growth.”
Stuurman said the airport’s operational, technical and financial performance will all be considered in the decision-making process.
“At this stage, it is speculative to depict and narrate the nuts and bolts of the developmental path and form of the airport.
“The current upgrade of the airport licence status from category 2 to category 5 is an essential and necessary achievement, which is a stepping stone in the set strategic direction.”
Stuurman said the airport has no debt but “operational losses from years of administrative inefficiencies and flaws within the local government service delivery model”.
He said work is already underway to lower the cost of doing business and reconfigure the air commerce of the airport.
He said revenues earned were commensurate to the cost of service and all revenue streams were competitively optimised and prudently managed.
“Strategic plans have not changed but are to be explored in detail. These are long-term considerations.”
The airport is currently well-maintained consistent with provisions of the civil aviation regulatory requirements and industry best practice, norms and standards.
Stuurman told Rekord that the metro is exploring different business models to achieve its vision to consolidate and guide the plans and future of the airport.
He said the metro is considering various detailed plans for the airport to achieve the best viable outcomes.
“The future business model of Wonderboom national airport is currently being explored and will dictate the structure and form of the required governance framework to achieve the envisioned development.”
Stuurman said work that has been done to date to develop and maintain the airport included looking after the condition of the infrastructure, serviceability of the aeronautical equipment, institution of procedures and resourcing of the administration.
“This was explored to maintain adequate compliance to all the licence requirements and should thus be upheld and continuously improved upon,” he concluded.
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