SAA and other airlines' planes. Picture: EPA/Udo Weitz
Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) is advising that air travellers arrive at airports an hour earlier than usual for their flights for the remainder of the festive season.
International passengers must now arrive three hours before their departure time, with domestic travellers due two hours before their departure.
Acsa say the extension of the check-in window is due to the large volumes of passengers they are expecting during their peak operating season.
Acsa held a joint briefing with the Border Management Authority (BMA) on Thursday, 19 December, a day before the start of their peak operations.
Acsa CEO Mpumi Mpofu stated that 119 696 international passengers are expected to either depart or arrive between 20 and 24 December.
ALSO READ: ‘Delayed indefinitely’: Planes ‘refuelling’ as OR Tambo chaos spreads across the country [VIDEO]
For domestic traffic, Acsa booking records show 262 108 passengers are expected to travel between Friday and Christmas.
On the Friday, 20 December, alone, 20 886 international travellers will pour through terminals, while 39 428 will do so domestically.
Mpofu spoke of a second wave in January to compliment the outbound peak, but said the inbound traffic was staggered throughout January.
She also promoted the Acsa app, which is designed to help travellers navigate the various airports, adding that airports have received added information kiosks.
On hand luggage, Mpofu said to avoid irritation and inconvenience, passengers must adhere to the rules on size and weight stipulated by their chosen airlines.
“Please work with us. Pay attention to those elements and plan your journey very carefully,” said the CEO.
Recently, OR Tambo International suffered lengthy delays due to a refuelling malfunction at the airport.
Mpofu confirmed it was due to a driveshaft failure caused by overheating and an overload of torque, saying they have also replaced the valves of the refuelling system as a precaution.
She admitted that the failure was due to a lack of maintenance and not having installed a new jet line before December, as projected.
Mpofu explained that the losses of the past five financial years have allowed standards to slip, stating that Acsa made a loss of R43 million in the last financial year.
To address the entity’s shortcomings, a R21.7 billion budget has been allocated for Acsa over the next five years.
“That amount comes in tranches every year for a five-year period during which we can confirm 70% of that amount has been allocated for refurbishment and rehabilitation projects, such as this jet line,” said Mpofu.
She said the goal would be to fast track the implementation of these projects to ensure all systems are restored to the highest level of quality and efficiency.
NOW READ: Acsa warns of delays at OR Tambo International Airport due to technical glitch
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