New SA international airport makes headway

PRIMKOP Airport Management – which owns and will operate the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMI Airport) scheduled to open for regional flights in September 2002 – says the ‘Acceptance Test’ of the instrumentation landing system (ILS) to be used at KMI airport will take place in Europe this month. Thereafter the ILS will be shipped to KMI Airport for installation.

Direct International flights are scheduled to commence in December 2002.

Company spokesperson, Helen Teall, says independently monitored test flights confirm that there is no noise impact from KMI Airport, on the Kruger National Park. The South African Air Traffic and Navigation Service has designed the Air Space Operations and Management Plan, with this end in mind. In compliance with the Environmental Management Plan, an environmental team performs a monthly performance audit.

The African-themed terminal building is currently under construction and will cover an area of 7,800 square meters.
Last month, Nelspruit Airport Management (NAM) – a subsidiary of Primkop Airport Management – assumed the responsibility of managing the Nelspruit International Airport, which will be in operation until the opening of KMI Airport.

NAM recently took receipt of two brand new Rosenbauer Buffalo fire engines (Air Crash Rescue Vehicles). These vehicles were bought at a cost of approximately R6m. The equipment was manufactured in Austria and imported to South Africa.

John Manning, md of Primkop Airport Management said: “This is the first delivery of equipment destined for Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport. In the interim the two vehicles have been assigned to service both Nelspruit and Skukuza Airports, until the opening of KMI Airport in September 2002. These fire engines represent the ‘state-of-the-art’ technology and facilities being implemented at KMI Airport which is being built to enhance tourism, export and economic growth in our region”.

KMI Airport has a 3km long, 60m wide runway, with the capacity to land Boeing 737, 747, 767 and the Airbus series.
Commercial traffic to the Nelspruit and Skukuza Airport’s will divert to KMI Airport when it opens. Both Nelspruit and Skukuza Airport’s will therefore close for commercial traffic in September 2002.

The airport is positioned in the heart of the tourism and freight industries of Mpumalanga, only 22 kilometres from Nelspruit and 40km by road from the Kruger National Park.

(Miguel de Sousa)
Information supplied by Travel News Now