Acsa is ready to welcome large volumes of travellers to its airports across the country this high season, with contingency plans and strategies to deal with the busiest days of the year. 

Acsa is currently in its peak season, which started at the end of October and runs until the end of March next year, for which preparation started three to four months ago. The group is readying to ensure smooth operations and a seamless travel experience during the busy December-January time frame. 

“We are ready to face the festive season, and I’m confident that our carefully planned response to the massive numbers of passengers who will be passing through our airport network is more than adequate to ensure a safe and comfortable journey for holidaymakers,” says Acsa CEO, Mpumi Mpofu. 

Busiest weeks

Regarding the busiest weeks during the high season, OR Tambo International Airport’s busiest week is expected to be December 11-17.

Cape Town International Airport’s busiest week will be January 1-7, with January 1 being the busiest day with 264 aircraft movements and 32 750 passengers arriving and departing.

King Shaka International Airport is set to record its busiest week from December 11-17. 

Peak season strategy

Terence Delomoney, Group Executive Operations Management at Acsa, says its peak season strategy involves collaboration by various stakeholders, among them Acsa, the airports, the South African Police Service and the Border Management Authority, as well as other state entities that have each contributed an operational deployment plan for the festive season.  

The main factors that were considered include infrastructure availability (such as parking and check-in counters), capacity and demand analysis, fuel management and operational risk mitigation plans. 

Delomoney explains that, with this plan, every stakeholder is aware of what to expect and what is expected of them regarding resource planning for the busiest time. He notes that Acsa has been hard at work to increase its human resources within its network and that it has also deployed new infrastructure and introduced technology solutions to provide excellent service during this holiday season. 

“A main focus area is the availability of key services and infrastructure across the airports to ensure that these operate reliably and efficiently. This includes lifts, escalators, travellators and trolleys – all the equipment needed to facilitate the seamless movement of passengers. In this area, Acsa has exceeded its availability targets,” says Delomoney. 

He notes that in terms of airport security, various critical areas and potential risks were identified, with terminal buildings, airside, landside, cargo, general aviation and remote side being identified as critical sectors.

Potential threats include unruly passengers, robberies, unauthorised access, trespassing, sabotage, theft and vandalism.

To mitigate these risks, Delomoney says several interventions have been put in place such as guarding, patrols, surveillance, screening (searches of persons and baggage), monitoring of passenger behaviour and large bags and access control. 

“I would say that it is all systems go at Acsa’s airports and we are looking forward to a successful festive season that will see a huge number of passengers arrive and depart to their holiday destinations in a stress-free and well-managed environment,” concludes Delomoney.