24 bids submitted for the Mthatha Airport Upgrade

A total of 24 bids were received for the repair and upgrade of the Mthatha Airport, when the bidding process was closed yesterday at 11h00.

The Acting Head of Department Mr Linda Salie has instructed the department’s Bid Evaluation Committee to sit next week in order to ensure the quick appointment of the contractor that is expected to resume the project within 90 days after that the appointment.

The Eastern Cape Department of Transport has allocated R63 million for the project.In order to qualify and be considered, bidders had to be registered with Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), have a designation of eight GB.

Expected to take 10 months to complete, this upgrade is in line with the department’s Blue Skyway Aviation Strategy which seeks to improve the conditions and services of provincial airports, particularly Bhisho and Mthatha airports.

According to Transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu, the department is vigorously embarking on a campaign to have an airline between Cape Town and Mthatha via Port Elizabeth and Bhisho with the service geared for faster movement between these areas and to ensure that our airports are economically active.

This week, the South African National Taxi Council has publicly expressed its intention to launch an airline that will operate between Lanseria and Bhisho Airports.

“We welcome any effort that contributes to the realisation of the objectives of our Blue Skyway Aviation Strategy,” said MEC Marawu.

Mthatha Airport has further received international attention at the Department of Transport International Investors Conference held in Cape Town earlier this week, when the provincial department made the presentation on the future plans for the airport.

There were companies that showed interest and the department has mandated the Director for Civil Aviation, Noel Godwin, to further engage with these potential investors.

In his address during the conference, Transport Minister S’bu Ndebele announced Mthatha Airport as one of the key strategic areas for investment in South Africa.

Enquiries:
Ncedo Kumbaca (Director: Communications)
Cell: 082 5626 023

Source: Eastern Cape Transport