This, after the Department of Transport has confirmed that it is amongst those that have met the requirements of the South African Civil Aviation Authority and would be able to open for business travel as of July the 21st. 

Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) spokesperson, Senzeni Ndebele, says the reopening of the Kimberley Airport will include that of East London and George. She says this will greatly contribute to the re-building of local economic activities. Ndebele in a statement confirms it is all systems go and that health screening resources had been allocated by the Northern Cape Provincial Government as well as the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape provinces.

“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 said.   

She added that managers and staff at the three airports had already implemented the required physical distance measures and training to ensure that they can operate effectively under Covid-19 regulations.

Ndebele advised passengers to be patient and 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.

“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.”

OFM News