Lanseria looks into airfreight growth

Leonard Neill LANSERIA INTERNATIONAL Airport has identified airfreight as a key growth area for the future, says airport manager Gavin Sayce. Phase one of the airport's projected R100 million expansion and redevelopment programme was launched last week by Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa, focusing on the investment in passenger facilities. But freight cannot be overlooked, said Sayce. "We have a couple of dedicated airfreight operators based here as well as airlines which do freight charter work when required," says Sayce. "Right now we still have the freight apron in operation, although this is used for other purposes as well. "As further development takes place freight requirements will be kept on the drawing boards." Freight volumes have dwindled in recent times, he said, as a result of instability in a number of the neighbouring countries previously served from Lanseria. But with peace returning to Angola, traffic is expected to increase once again. In fact, he said, air traffic to the rest of Africa is expected to increase generally, with Lanseria said to be the busiest airfield in Africa. It records the most take-offs and landings, handling around 100 000 flights a year. The 270ha site also serves as the base for about 75% of the country's charter operators and more than half of the aircraft maintenance operators. Currently the largest aircraft able to land and take off from the airport is a Boeing 727, which restricts the flight distances for freight purposes to no further than central Africa. But the airport has a significant advantage in that it is outside the fog belt, and rarely closes as a result of low cloud, he said.