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Airports: SA's islands of excellence

SOUTH African airports are expensive. But there’s no doubt that the (state-owned) airports are also among the best in the world. They are clean, efficient and pretty (for airports), especially if you’re into neon blue and yellow lighting and like lots of steel and concrete.

They’ve definitely come a long way since the 1980s when they were primarily dingy, dark portals pretty much designed to dissuade anyone from considering entering the country.

Today three Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) airports - Cape Town International, King Shaka and OR Tambo - are ranked in the top 30 airports on the 2012 Skytrax Top 100 airports worldwide.

These South African airports are all listed ahead of major international airports like JFK in New York, Charles de Gaulle in Paris, Dubai, Shanghai, Sydney and Stansted and Gatwick in London.

And yes, our airports are expensive. Critics also claim they are too big. Why build huge airports like King Shaka airport in Durban for 7.5 million passengers if you only receive 4.6 million passengers a year?

Or upgrade OR Tambo International airport at huge cost to have capacity to deal with 28 million passengers per year, yet only see 18.6 million people passing through?

Good question. I would argue in the words of Kevin Costner: Build it and they will come. Eskom, for example, learnt an expensive lesson by not building pre-emptively. The result? Blackouts in 2008 and a build programme since then that is struggling to play catch-up. 

Remember that spare capacity also allows for growth. There’s never a good time to build new capacity, but in hindsight it’s better to be prepared.

Instead of slamming Acsa for being expensive, government should be doing what it can to ensure there is more traffic that passes through Acsa airports.

Policy and tourism strategy is pivotal to ensuring more and more foreigners come to South Africa, using the airport infrastructure and thereby ensuring the airports are better utilised.

Columnist David Gleason recently wrote in Business Day about his unhappiness with Acsa. Gleason calls their parking charges “vulgar” and says Acsa has been tasked with making money for government, being the “only SOE making substantial profits”.

This must be the first time that a state-owned entity is blamed for making money. Usually there’s only complaints over the bailouts SOEs have to get because they’re making losses.

Some would say but our airports are monopolies, which is basically true (if we forget about airports like Lanseria), but it has to be remembered Acsa is regulated and does not determine its own tariffs.

And the regulators are tough. Severely undermanned and underfunded, but tough. If there’s truly concern over the fairness or unfairness of Acsa tariffs, have a commission investigate the regulator or provide more funding for the regulator.

The group is also involved in two international enterprises, one in Mumbai and one in Sao Paulo where Acsa  is sharing its 2010 Soccer World Cup experience to help develop and operate the Guarulhos International Airport.

Is this not a brilliant idea? This is the type of thing all South African state-owned companies should be doing – sharing skills outside our borders, thereby expanding their market and earning income outside the country.

Acsa should be applauded for this move and government should do everything it can to sell Acsa’s skills in Africa. African airports are generally in a terrible state with a few exceptions, and who better to turn this around than Acsa?

On a governmental level, the department of transport should be advocating for Acsa on the continent. Why should Chinese companies come into Mozambique to build the new airport terminal building in Maputo if Acsa is right next door?

Disclaimer: I have never had a bag stolen or broken into. And I don’t wrap my bags in reams of plastic; I don’t even lock them. It’s become kind of an experiment for me to see when and if this run will end.

Granted,  I don’t put much of value in my luggage. It should be a basic travel tip - don’t put jewellery and iPads in your suitcase. Simple. And leave your underwear all over the top end of the bag.

It works for me.

 - Fin24

*Follow James-Brent Styan on Twitter at @jamesstyan. Views expressed are his own.
 
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