Management and staff at three further airports that will reopen for business travel from next Tuesday are fully prepared.
Senzeni Ndebele, spokesperson for Airports Company South Africa, says that reconnecting regional centres through air links is an essential element of reigniting local economies.
Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula announced that the airports serving East London, George and Kimberley had met the requirements of the South African Civil Aviation Authority and would be able to open for business travel from 21 July.
Ndebele says that suitable health screening resources had been allocated by the provincial governments of Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Northern Cape.
“These resources are an essential required element of the health protocols and procedures at airports. Other airports that opened earlier already had Port Health resources in place by virtue of their international status.
“We are therefore most appreciative of the efforts of the three provincial governments in identifying and allocating qualified people who can perform the screening role which is a critical aspect of ensuring that air travel is safe,” she says.
“The support of the provincial governments is all the more appreciated at a time such as this when healthcare resources across the country are stretched.”
She adds that managers and staff at the three airports have already implemented the required physical measures and training to ensure that they can reopen quickly.
All protocols and processes applied when other airports reopened from the beginning of June will also be in place at the airports serving East London, George and Kimberley.
However, Ndebele advised business travellers to check with airlines for available flights.
“Our experience of the past several weeks is that airlines will not necessarily commence with flights on the first day that airports are officially open again. Business passengers needing to travel to and from these centres should monitor the airline web sites for flight availability,” she says.
She advises passengers to give themselves enough time to get through the required protocols as well as to adapt to new arrangements in terms of parking and terminal access points.
Ndebele emphasises that the onus is on the passenger to ensure that business travel documentation is in order before booking a flight.
“We have also noticed at other airports that passengers are not completing the required health screening questionnaire before arriving at the airport. This causes congestion at terminal access points, so we appeal to passengers to ensure that the form is completed before getting to the airport.”
The health questionnaire is posted on airline web sites and may also be found at: https://www.airports.co.za/about-us/COVID19/frequently-asked-questions.