New Durban tradeport will have capacity to handle 100 000t of airfreight

TERRY HUTSON THE DUBE Tradeport and King Shaka International Airport to the north of Durban will be ready for their first customers and aircraft by 2009, ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, says KZN’s minister of finance and economic development, Zweli Mkhize. By September this year the province will be ready to announce the name of the preferred bidder to build the R1.8 billion airport and Tradeport. There are currently four contenders who include Prop 5, Siyakhupuka (Basil Read), Isando (Grinaker/LTA) and Ilembe (Group 5). Mkhize said that good and steady progress was being made in negotiations with the Airports Company regarding both the land transaction (Acsa owns the La Mercy site) and the decommissioning of the existing Durban International Airport, including its use once King Shaka is operational. The scoping report for the environmental impact assessment for the new site is almost ready. The design of the new airport will cater for six million passengers initially and for 100 000 tonnes of airfreight cargo. There will be a strong emphasis on perishable type airfreight including cut flowers. One of the challenges facing the designers of the new airport is noise abatement. Flight paths are being investigated although it remains inevitable that some built-up areas will fall within the noise impact zone. Mkhize indicated that national government assistance would be necessary to finance half the cost of the project. Originally the airport and Tradeport were mooted as a public/private venture but this now appears to have fallen through. The promoters see the airport as being of national importance and therefore worthy of central government assistance to the amount of R900 million.