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East London airport upgrade is under way
Posted on: Tuesday, 10 April 2007. Article source: Eastern Cape Business News
By NICOLETTE SCROOBY
WORK on the R120 million upgrade of the East London airport is under way.
“We are upgrading everything, making the terminal area bigger, adding more food and beverage facilities and extending the aircraft parking,” said airport manager Tebogo Mekgoe yesterday.
By the end of this week, he said, the airport would have 90 new parking bays, which he hopes will help to alleviate some of the problems.
The overall upgrade of the airport will take five years.
“The upgrade will make the airport function better in terms of expected growth,” Mekgoe said.
Part of the reason for the upgrade, said Mekgoe, is to increase the facility’s capacity to enable it to handle the expected 1,1million passengers, who will be using the airport by 2012.
Currently, there are around 700000 passengers a year using the airport.
Mekgoe said the upgrade will result in an additional 2300m˛ of new floor space, bigger luggage carousels, an extended passenger holding lounge, 17 extra check-in counters and a new air traffic control tower.
Work on the terminal will start in October.
By next March, an additional 150 parking bays will be made available for the public, along with about 250 extra car rental parking bays.
Mekgoe said they were in discussions on whether to build a new car rental building or upgrade the existing one.
In an attempt to improve its food and beverage offering, two new coffee shops will be opening at the airport.
Fast food outlet Wimpy is expected to be operational by the middle of the year.
“We initially hoped Wimpy would be complete by the end of February but we encountered some structural problems because it’s an old building,” said Mekgoe.
Work on the building that will house Wimpy will start on April 17.
Mekgoe asked the public to be patient while they upgrade the food court, adding that by December 2008 they should have a brand new terminal.
“There’s going to be a lot of pain and inconvenience for the next 18 months, but it’ll be for a better airport,” Mekgoe said.
Border-Kei Chamber of Business executive director Les Holbrook said the upgrade was long overdue.
“It’s good that the airport recognises growth and invests in it,” he said.
“That investment is long overdue, but welcomed by the public and business centres. East London deserves a first-class facility.”
WORK on the R120 million upgrade of the East London airport is under way.
“We are upgrading everything, making the terminal area bigger, adding more food and beverage facilities and extending the aircraft parking,” said airport manager Tebogo Mekgoe yesterday.
By the end of this week, he said, the airport would have 90 new parking bays, which he hopes will help to alleviate some of the problems.
The overall upgrade of the airport will take five years.
“The upgrade will make the airport function better in terms of expected growth,” Mekgoe said.
Part of the reason for the upgrade, said Mekgoe, is to increase the facility’s capacity to enable it to handle the expected 1,1million passengers, who will be using the airport by 2012.
Currently, there are around 700000 passengers a year using the airport.
Mekgoe said the upgrade will result in an additional 2300m˛ of new floor space, bigger luggage carousels, an extended passenger holding lounge, 17 extra check-in counters and a new air traffic control tower.
Work on the terminal will start in October.
By next March, an additional 150 parking bays will be made available for the public, along with about 250 extra car rental parking bays.
Mekgoe said they were in discussions on whether to build a new car rental building or upgrade the existing one.
In an attempt to improve its food and beverage offering, two new coffee shops will be opening at the airport.
Fast food outlet Wimpy is expected to be operational by the middle of the year.
“We initially hoped Wimpy would be complete by the end of February but we encountered some structural problems because it’s an old building,” said Mekgoe.
Work on the building that will house Wimpy will start on April 17.
Mekgoe asked the public to be patient while they upgrade the food court, adding that by December 2008 they should have a brand new terminal.
“There’s going to be a lot of pain and inconvenience for the next 18 months, but it’ll be for a better airport,” Mekgoe said.
Border-Kei Chamber of Business executive director Les Holbrook said the upgrade was long overdue.
“It’s good that the airport recognises growth and invests in it,” he said.
“That investment is long overdue, but welcomed by the public and business centres. East London deserves a first-class facility.”
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