Three years of disruptions loom for major South African airport

Cape Town International Airport is gearing up for extensive renovations that will cause disruptions for passengers for the next three years. 

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) held a media briefing at Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) on Sunday, where the state-owned entity announced a R9 billion investment in expanding and improving the airport. 

This includes a new domestic terminal valued at R2.4 billion, the expansion of the international terminal, upgrades to security infrastructure, and the development of a new main runway, which will cost R6.1 billion. 

ACSA said that the construction, which is set to begin in March 2026, will cause disruptions to passenger movement. Construction is expected to continue through 2029. 

This is part of a wider, R21.7 billion investment in South African airports. CEO Mpumi Mpofu, said that the airport is expecting disruptions. 

“We really are expecting that passenger movement in the airport will be somewhat disrupted,” she said. 

“But if we show you how we’ve done, for instance, the ablution facilities in the airports…we phase, and we schedule the works in a way that allows us to close off particular areas while we work on them. “

She said CTIA will have temporary shelters and facilities to lessen disruptions for tourists, and that passengers will be redirected away from construction as the airport works on one phase at a time. 

“We do the best we can. We are aware of the situation, but really, when we say construction site, we’re not suggesting that there will be dust everywhere, except that we left cordoned off.”

Passenger flow will be restricted during this time. Following the announcement, the Democratic Alliance, the ruling party in the Western Cape province, said it is concerned about the impact this will have on tourism. 

Construction plans unclear

“Our tourism offering is one of the Western Cape’s most important economic assets, and we welcome this significant investment in its long-term growth,” said DA Western Cape spokesperson on Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism Noko Masipa. 

“At the same time, we need assurances from ACSA on their efforts to mitigate disruptions these upgrades will cause.”

The DA has asked ACSA to brief the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Tourism on the upgrade programme and disruption mitigation measures. 

ACSA has not provided implementation timelines, specific disruption mitigation strategies, coordination with airlines and tourism stakeholders, contingency measures for peak travel seasons or measures to safeguard passengers during construction. 

This is after Cape Town International had its busiest peak season yet. ACSA said that between late October and the end of January, nearly 11.7 million passengers passed through the airport. 

This puts CTIA at the forefront of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 98% recovery, recovering faster than OR Tambo International or King Shaka International.

Masipa said that the new upgrades are a significant vote of confidence in the airport’s continued growth as an aviation hub. 

Meanwhile, South Africa’s biggest airport, OR Tambo, is progressing with a R14.5 billion, five-year modernisation. 

ACSA said the airport is currently refurbishing escalators and travelators, renovating seating, replacing carpets at international boarding gates and upgrading ablution facilities. 

The next phase involves the refurbishment of the airport’s 780 individual toilets. ACSA anticipates that this will cause minimal passenger inconvenience.