Nkangala Airport near Delmas ‘not needed’

The planned construction of an airport to be built in the Nkangala district of Mpumalanga, near Delmas, would struggle to generate traffic and might have idle capacity as passenger numbers dwindle, according to transport economist and aviation specialist Joachim Vermooten.

In a report published on www.bdlive.co.za Mr Vermooten stated that there was ample capacity at Gauteng airports for the next 25 years and the new airport was not needed. The Nkangala airport would be situated close to the border with Gauteng and about 40km from OR Tambo airport.

The website stated that the owners of the proposed new airport were of the view that Gauteng airports are struggling with increasing demand and limits on expansion.

OR Tambo has sufficient capacity for years. There is no need (for an airport) in the Gauteng area at this stage, Mr Vermooten was quoted.

But Nkangala International Airport Developments CEO Peter Hunter is optimistic and stated that feasibility studies had shown there was “sufficient unmet demand” that could be serviced by the new airport.

The R4bn project, which was originally envisaged as a cargo airport, would provide low-cost facilities and therefore be a “no-frills” airport, Mr Hunter stated.

The airport would target the charter tourism market bringing in tourists on wide-bodied aircraft. A cargo-only airport was not commercially viable because SA did not have sufficient freight volume, Mr Hunter said.

Nearly 500,000 passengers were expected to arrive at the new airport in the first year, and the number was expected to grow to 3-million in the near future.

If you look at projections, Johannesburg would reach 45-million passengers in 2035, Mr Hunter said.

However, according to the report, the airport had not been able to secure funding from potential investors as it was waiting for international status from the Department of Transport, to allow international flights to land.

Mr Hunter said investors, mainly from Europe and China, were not willing to invest or conduct a due diligence report on the airport until it had received international status.