$35m for SA airports

2009-09-09 15:32

Johannesburg - A $35m preparations programme to improve check-in and self service facilities in South African airports ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup is underway, said aviation information technology and communications company, Sita, on Wednesday.

"The five year contract will see Sita provide the equipment and infrastructure for both agent check-in and passenger self-service kiosk check-in for the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa), which operates ten of the country's airports and handles 98% of South Africa's commercial air traffic," Sita said in a statement.

Sita also agreed with ACS, which represented some 75 airlines using South African airports, to provide continued maintenance and operation of the Common Use Terminal Equipment and Common Use Self Service check-in environment.

The company currently supplies many of the airport systems in South Africa, but Acsa and ACS undertook to review and upgrade services before 2010 in a bid to ensure that the surge of passengers travelling to the World Cup games could be handled with ease.

Sita's regional president in Africa, Khodr Akil, said airports in South Africa would have to handle up to 78 000 passengers and 260 international flights per day and that it would require the capability to respond flexibly to airline schedule demands at peak times.

"Our common use check-in technology, Sita AirportConnect Open, will ensure that all work stations across the country's airports will be available for use by the approximately 75 different airlines handling these passengers," he said.

Acsa operations director, Bongani Maseko, said: "This is the first time the continent of Africa is hosting this world-class event and in South Africa."

"As the host country, our airports will be the first and last experience our international visitors will have during the World Cup, so it is vital that we are well prepared," he said.

Maseko also said that as part of the preparations programme, Acsa has already installed new check-in equipment and trained all airline staff at the Central Terminal Building in Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport.

"The combined efforts of ACS, Acsa and Sita are key to delivering these new services on time and of course we will continue to provide these world class services to our passengers after the games are over," said Juan van Rensburg, ACS's chief executive officer.

- SAPA