City airport reports 10% spike in tourists
A record 40 million passengers were processed through SA’s airports
DESPITE the drought putting a damper on tourists frequenting the Cape, the Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) has seen a spike in international visitors, with a 10% increase in international flights over the past financial year.
An annual Aviation Barometer conducted by the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) on passenger traffic through the nine airports in the country noted that a record 40million passengers were processed for the first time in the financial year, which concluded in March 2018.
The 40-million figure was achieved in spite of more low passenger figures for the months of January to March, which saw growth of 2.48% compared to the same period last year. King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) experienced the highest growth with passenger numbers increasing by 7.7%, which is an additional 5.64 million passengers for the financial year.
KSIA also continued to build its domestic passenger base with a growth of 8.47% in the first three months of the year, but OR Tambo International Airport remains Africa’s busiest airport, with a total of 21.23 million passengers.
“The six regional airports saw total passenger growth of 3.78%. George Airport was the stand-out performer with passenger growth of 8.5%, putting it over the 800000 passenger mark. “The passenger figures gives us a snapshot of the air travel trends. This will help various stakeholders to track the sector’s performance,” said FTI consulting communications consultant Refuwe Makhubo.
CTIA also continued its strong performance in attracting international passengers and airlines with a growth of 16% for the year. – Staff Reporter