African operators adopt ‘aerotropolis’ model

Distance to global markets and lengthy delays at border posts and ports are some of the driving forces behind the increasing adoption of the aerotropolis concept in Africa. “Airports will shape business location and urban development in the 21st Century as much as highways did in the 20th Century, railroads in the 19th and seaports in the 18th,” says John Kasarda, an American academic who was among the first to describe the aerotropolis concept. In 2013 Kasarda identified 38 operational or developing airport cities or aerotropolises in North America, two in Central and South America, 20 in Europe, 17 in Asia Pacific and seven in the Middle East and African regions. Two of Africa’s three airport cities are in South Africa – at Johannesburg and Durban. The third is in Cairo. An aerotropolis is best seen as an economic stimulus strategy designed to increase competitiveness in global markets by leveraging the access that air travel and air freight provides to global clients, according to Aurecon. An Aurecon-led consortium has the contract to develop the Ekurhuleni OR Tambo Aerotropolis in Gauteng. “Critically, an aerotropolis doesn’t involve simply building additional retail stores in an airport terminal or more light industrial parks on the land surrounding an airport. It is about taking advantage of all the economic opportunities an airport offers, reflected at times by new physical infrastructure, but also by alternative retail, entertainment, employment and commercial land uses – and these can stretch out in a radius of 30 km or more from the airport itself,” says the company. Dube TradePort is billing itself as the first African aerotropolis. Sub-Saharan aerotropolis developments outside of South Africa have been identified in Kenya and Nigeria. The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya has long been one of Africa’s top three aviation hubs despite ageing infrastructure, much of which has been modified following a terminal fire in August 2013. Four airports in Nigeria claim “airport city” status, but none of them meet Kasarda’s criteria. These include government support in the form of aerotropolis legislation and tax incentives. The Nigerian authorities are addressing some of the shortfalls. A Free Trade Zone has been established at Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport, with anticipated investment of US$500 million over five years.