Management
of OR Tambo International Airport anticipates more than 210,000 passengers will
use the airport in September as the recovery in demand for domestic air travel
begins to gain momentum.
Airlines
have booked airport slots for more than 2,500 flights to depart from and arrive
at the airport for the month. The anticipated load factor, critical for airline
sustainability, is 85%.
Speaking
at a briefing this week on readiness to facilitate greater volumes of
passengers, airport general manager Bongiwe Pityi-Vokwana said the gradual
recovery in demand would be positive for thousands of employees and hundreds of
small businesses within the airport’s ecosystem.
“We
are seeing encouraging signs that there is confidence in our ability to provide
a safe environment for passengers across the journey from check-in to baggage
collection at destinations. The forecast figure of 210,000
passengers for September is only some 12% of what we would have experienced
before the pandemic. However, we are re-building from virtually zero with just
575 passengers for the entire month of May, for example.
“We
believe that we are on the road to recovery and that demand will accelerate
with Spring weather and growing trust that we are applying health protocols
rigorously and consistently.”
Since
the start of Level 2 last week, airport management reports that passengers
appear comfortable with the health rules and processes, many of which have
already become normalised across the country.
On-time
departure performance for airlines is currently 95% in spite of the additional
processes and time required for passengers to proceed from parking to check-in,
health screening and security.
Pityi-Vokwana
also expects more employees to return to work as passengers return to the
skies.
She
says employees are screened when coming onto and going off shift and are
well-drilled in the rules and practices that keep them and the travelling
public safe.
The
airport’s response to the pandemic included mass screening of 6,000 employees
in April and May, which was made possible by the collaboration of the National
Department of Health. Since Level 5 of the lockdown, a total of 110 employees
out of 38,000 normally working around the airport have tested positive for
Covid-19. The airport ecosystem, which has had a 100% recovery rate, currently
has six active cases where the individuals are in isolation.
Pityi-Vokwana
also provided an update on the airport’s activities during early phases of the
lockdown. Air cargo flights reached a total of more than 5,300 by mid-August
with demand driven by shipments of PPE, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.
The
airport has also facilitated a total of 1,555 aircraft movements for
repatriation and evacuation flights that have carried more than 50,000
passengers since April.
“The
involvement and cooperation of embassies and other stakeholders has been
invaluable in establishing processes that enable repatriation to take place in
the most effective way possible,” she says.
Pityi-Vokwana
says successful application of key changes in and around the airport will need
the active cooperation of travellers who most likely have not been inside an
airport for several months.
Screening
by Port Health officials now takes place in front of the security checkpoint
with queueing mazes in place to facilitate the flow of people.
“We
have found that about 30% of travellers arrive at the airport without having
completed the required health questionnaire. This can cause unnecessary delays
while people fill in the questionnaire. We appeal to passengers to ensure that
they complete the form before they leave for the airport.”
Pityi-Vokwana
also expects a learning period for people who travel to the airport by car.
“The
terminal-side roadways and the drop-off areas remain closed. We now use the
parkade closest to the terminal buildings with different levels dedicated to
drop-off and pick-up.”
She says this is an important change for anyone coming to the airport, especially during peak periods. Pityi-Vokwana appealed to passengers planning on leaving their vehicles at the airport to ensure that they do not park on the parkade’s drop-off and pick-up levels where tariffs are higher.
