George Airport are Welcoming more arrivals than before COVID

SA’s smaller airports are recovering quicker – with George welcoming more arrivals than before Covid…

Regional airports are recovering far quicker, signaling a return to normal movement trends among domestic travelers.

George Airport on the Western Cape’s Garden Route is leading this charge, welcoming almost 36,000 passengers in March, up more than 1% of activity recorded during the same period in 2019. Bloemfontein’s Bram Fischer Airport has recovered to 83% of its pre-pandemic passenger volumes, according to data from Airports Company South Africa (ACSA)

These smaller airports, according to ACSA CEO Mpumi Mpofu, are recovering quicker because their traffic is dominated by passengers arriving for the “purpose of leisure, visiting friends and family/relatives.”

South Africa’s airports are recovering from two years of travel bans and movement restrictions, some much faster than others.
The country’s smaller airports are leading the charge, with George in the Western Cape welcoming more passengers than it did before the pandemic.
That’s because regional airports don’t rely as much on business travelers, according to Airports Company South Africa.

“On the other hand, the meeting, incentive travel, conferences and exhibitions and business market segments have been heavily impacted due to reduced travel budgets and the rapid development of virtual meeting and conferencing platforms.”

This reduction in business travel has hit international airports hardest.

“It must be emphasized that OR Tambo International’s recovery has lagged due to its air travel demand being largely influenced by corporate/business traffic, which is the most severely affected market segment and its extensive route network covering all habitant continents pre-Covid 19,” added Mpofu.

Mpofu admits that South Africa’s “regional Airports have contributed significantly to ACSA’s recovery” and expects those smaller terminals that have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels of activity will fully recover in within a year. The country’s international airports are expected to take longer to recover.

This Article has been Amended Specifically for George

Full Article on… Georgeherald