Ortia overhaul into focus

The Airports Company of

SA (Acsa) has appointed

a consultancy to examine

possible future plans for the

‘out-of-date’ cargo centre at

the OR Tambo International

Airport (Ortia) and discussions

are now taking place between

the cargo operators, cargo

handlers and the consultants.

It desperately needs to be

replaced for more efficient

handling of airfreight imports

and exports, according

to Alwyn Rautenbach,

cargo director of Airlink

International Cargo and

chairman of the Air Cargo

Operators' Committee

(ACOC).

“We are in negotiations with

Acsa on where we go from

here,” he told FTW.

“But it’s going to be a

relatively lengthy process until

we get to the design stage,” said

Rautenbach. “Matters such as

the interaction of the various

areas of customs control,

like the ramp access and the

bonded section of the centre,

need to be decided upon.”

There is also the matter of

the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan

Municipality’s plans to create a

new ‘Aerotropolis’.

“Airfreight is a key element

in this Aerotropolis scheme,”

said Rautenbach, “and that’s

where we need the new cargo

centre.

“We need to make the

processing and handling of

imports and exports faster and

more efficient.”

CAPTION

A South African Airways (SAA) Cargo shipment being unloaded

at the cargo terminal, OR Tambo International Airport.