East London Airport is flying – and a huge upgrade starting next year will see it reach even greater heights.
Airport manager Michael Kernekamp told a media briefing hosted by Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) that the loss of the SA Express flights had been picked up quickly by other airlines‚ which had the effect of bringing in new passengers.
A number of upgrades have started already‚ with the installation of a rainwater harvest system for the airport’s fire fighting section.
The next phase of big projects will bring "ease and convenience" to airport clients and "add lustre" to Buffalo City Metro and the Eastern Cape as a destination for work and play‚ he added.
These projects‚ due to kick off next year‚ include a R215m multistorey parking lot‚ a R72m expansion of the departure lounge‚ a R21m solar plant‚ and a R27m extension of the existing apron eastwards to make space for an additional new-generation Code C aircraft.
Kernekemp said with the new parkade above the present parking lot would come new access roads. Airport planners had found that the parkade was imperative to accommodate future traffic growth.
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