Ortia rental issue concludes amicably

THERE’S BEEN an amicable end to a long-standing battle for market-related rentals at OR Tambo International Airport. Following a June decision by the Regulating Committee for the Airports Company that Acsa reduce rentals at Ortia, FTW learned this week that the company had complied and that the implementation date was backdated to June this year. It ends a long process of negotiation by the Airside Operators’ Association and the Air Cargo Operators’ Committee initiated in August last year in which Acsa was accused of charging double the going rate for office and warehouse space at the airport. It was claimed at the time to be an abuse of its monopoly position. The ruling by the Regulator is only applicable to tenants using the warehouse as an airport terminal, also described as relevant activity in the Act. In other words when it is not possible to conduct the business at an alternative premises. Chairman of Acoc, Alwyn Rautenbach, told FTW that his members were delighted that the ruling had been actioned and that the Regulator had indeed acted on their complaints. He said that they were now satisfied with the rentals being charged. An independent survey was commissioned at the time to establish the going rate for rentals in the area and although the recommended rates were set at the upper level of the market, there were no complaints from cargo operators.