Transport committee impressed with ACSA operations
The Portfolio Committee on Transport has voiced satisfaction with the operations of the Airports Company South Africa.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Ms Dikeledi Magadzi, says the Committee is particularly impressed with the fact that more emphasis is placed on safety at airports.
“The emphasis on safety is reassuring; all the improvements that ACSA is initiating are noteworthy and deserve to be supported. This is one entity that gets South Africa working and interacting with Africa and the world,” Ms Magadzi said.
The Committee visited Cape Town International Airport earlier in the day where it was shown all the improvements that ACSA is introducing in areas of passenger safety, boarding, flights and airport communication, luggage, and air traffic control. It was indicated to the Committee that some security checks were a requirement of the Civil Aviation Authority and that were a challenge during peak times, but were being reviewed. The CTIA had, as a result of the spike in mall robberies, introduced special measures particularly around parking when picking passengers.
Ms Magadzi said functionality of airports in the country was central to the economy. “The inconveniences associated with being searched prior boarding are a necessary inconvenience. ACSA could still improve on flight delays and processing international visitors. The Committee is really pleased with the kind of work that is put into improving our airports,” she said.
She said ACSA and SAA are a face of Africa in the world and that their sustenance was paramount. “Eventually Africa could rely on Africans without involving other continents,” she said.
Enquiries:
Sibongile Maputi
Tel: 021 403 8041
Cell: 081 052 6060
E-mail: smaputi@parliament.gov.za
