New Durban airport examines partnership options

Details of private involvement expected next month Alan Peat THE NEW airport for Durban - King Shaka International Airport at La Mercy on the north coast - is still very much on track. According to Hamish Erskine, project executive at Dube Tradeport - a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Kwa Zulu Natal provincial investment agency, Ithala, and managers of the new airport project - late 2006 or early 2007 is still the take-off date. “We are currently in the first of three phases of the treasury procedure, going through the public/private partnership issues,” Erskine told FTW. Erskine can reveal little else at this stage of the procedure. However, he added, there are a variety of options in this public/private partnership scenario. “International experience is very varied,” he said. “But we know from testing the market that there is a very good appetite for involvement in this type of long-term project.” However, Erskine also revealed that the model for fully maximising the economic potential of the airport includes separate passenger and cargo areas of operation. “The passenger terminal, which will carry the King Shaka International name, will occupy one side of the runway. “But there will be a totally separate cargo area on the other side of the runway which will be called Dube Tradeport.” Erskine expects phase one of the treasury procedure to be completed by the end of August or early in September and more detail of the private involvement in the airport will be available then.