KNP: Skukuza airport to reopen for commercial flights

[iNdlovu]

It's another money making scheme. I would think that at present a few charter aircraft make use of the strip and SP benefits from landing fees. If they tender it out to say Airlink, they will be paid a retainer and share of turnover etc.

[H. erectus]

Sanparks are conservationists et al custodians of a reserve,

far away from that airport!! What makes them believe that
they can predict the turnover at that place

[H. erectus]

Oh my word,seemingly believing that they are our
gift to mankind!!

[Richprins]

Did a commercial outfit simply ask SP to open it for them?

The old Comair..Airlink now, I think...went along fine.

The neighbouring game lodges (Sabie Sands) have also been going along fine, presumably using charter flights.

Weird.

[H. erectus]

Hurry hurry, book now with sanair, before we go bust!!!
Unbelievable discounts up for grabs!!

[Richprins]

-O

[Sprocky]

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have started our decent for Skukuza International Airport. Once the aircraft comes to a halt please exit and make a hasty approach to the terminal building, and ignore any gun shots that you hear, it is only rhino poachers and they have no intent on harming any of you. Once again, please evacuate the aircraft as fast as you can in order for us to load our stash for the following direct flight to Mozambique. From your co-pilot and myself we thank you for Flying SANPair and please fly with us again if we are still in business."

[H. erectus]

Dear customer when next you choose a flight, reconsider the
san-itation flight over Kruger,....

We will have qualified stewardesses on board to clean the mess.

[Toko]

Skukuza airport commercialisation controversial

SANParks have got the ball rolling on the awarding of a controversial Public Private Partnership (PPP) tender to commercialise the Kruger National Park’s (KNP) Skukuza Airport.
On Tuesday, 24 April 2013, 30 interested parties from the private sector visited the airport to gather information required to present informed bids to win the tender for the exclusive use of the airport.
“The interested parties included airline carriers such as SA Airlink and SA express,” said Annemi van Jaarsveld, SANParks General Manager for Business Development.
The facility will be upgraded from its current Category 2 status to a Category 5 airport.
Van Jaarsveld said that the upgrade was in line with the SANParks Strategic Plan for Commercialisation.
“Since 1994, SANParks has had to adapt to reduced state funding. Currently, only 14% of our operations are funded by the state, so we decided to implement PPP’s in order to gain more access to capital,” she explained.
“We currently have more than 40 PPP projects across the country. These have created permanent employment for 1 932 people and, since 2000, have generated us a revenue of R555 million,” van Jaarsveld added.
Bidders will have to present their final proposals in a conference in Pretoria on 3 May 2013, before the tender is awarded to the winning bidder on 25 July this year.
The airport will be handed over to the new operator on 1 September, and the new operator contract will commence on 1 November.
“The bidder shall have the exclusive rights to operate the Skukuza Airport and provide scheduled flights to and from Skukuza Airport for a period of 10 years from the Operation Commencement Date,” said Van Jaarsveld.
However, the decision has proved to be unpopular amongst members of the public.
Dr Salomon Joubert, director of the KNP from 1986-1994, voiced outrage at the plans.
“It seems that SANParks is hellbent on making this another Disneyland. They want to squeeze every cent out of this. They are also building a spa at Skukuza and are planning to outsource the restaurants to fast-food chains such as McDonalds and Spur. This is a dramatic deviation from our Protected Areas Act,” said Joubert.
“I will as much as possible try to avoid Skukuza in the future,” he added.
Roaan Tor, founder of the Lanseria Airport in Pretoria, also criticised the decision.
“Trying to open Skukuza for commercial flights to take 300 people a day from Johannesburg into the KNP doesn’t make sense. It’s all based around greed for money. It’s sickening,” Tor said.
“Imagine being a tourist sitting at the camp at Skukuza and continually hearing planes flying overheard. The peace and quiet will be shattered and the wildlife that the Skukuza area is famous for will become scarce,” he said.
Van Jaarsveld claimed that the new airport would have minimal impacts on the environment.
“Seeing that the Skukuza Airport is located in a conservation area that falls under the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), the bidder will be required to reduce noise and visual impacts and pollution levels,” stressed van Jaarsveld.
“We are encouraging the use of whisper jets and the bidder will have to respect existing SANParks regulations regarding protection of the environment,” she added.
The airport will reportedly accommodate a maximum of 10 arriving and departing flights per day with a maximum of 70 flights, excluding SANParks aircrafts, per week.
- The Write News Agency

[Sprocky]

The next tender will probably be for a car rental company at the airport. Imagine the number of vehicles needed to service 300 incoming passengers a day!!