ACSA growth on track

AIRPORTS Company South Africa (ACSA) has reported an increase in turnover of 18,2% (from R467m to R553m) in its unaudited interim report for the six months ending September 30, 2000.
The report states that operating profit was up 19% at R260m from R218m for the same period last year.
Overall departing passenger volumes increased by 3,4% year on year (5m from 4,8m) with domestic, regional and international passenger growth at 1,8% (3,42m from 3,36m); 5,6% (139 117 from 131 760) and 6,3% (1,4m from 1,3m) respectively.
However, air traffic movements or landings have reduced by 1,4% compared with the previous year with international aircraft landings down from 10 011 to 9 725 and domestic landings down from 57 924 to 56 516.
ACSA's acting managing director, Justin Williamson, said lower international traffic movements could be attributed to a number of reasons including re-routing, where airlines halted their services to other domestic destinations due to low yields, and the problems of granting more airline frequencies to fly to Cape Town. He also cited the recent announcement of Sabena pulling out of the country in the new year, saying even though the airline had excellent load factors, it was losing money because the majority of tickets were being sold in South Africa and not in Europe.
On the domestic front, ACSA said the reduced figure was mostly attributable to the closure of Sun Air in August 1999. In the previous year, Sun Air accounted for 4 583 domestic movements up to its date of closure.
The company added that retail revenue increased by 53% which was boosted by the opening of the new Johannesburg International Airport (JIA) Departures retail mall and the effect of the new multi-storey parkade being open for the entire accounting period at JIA.
ACSA concluded that a number of new infrastructural developments - including the soon-to-be-opened five-star Inter-Continental Hotel; the SA Post Office Mail Distribution Centre and a new Domestic Terminal at JIA, as well as a complete revamp of the Durban Terminal and Cape Town's new International Arrivals Terminal - would improve service levels to customers.

(Miguel de Sousa)