A PLAN to implement peak
season intervention to ease
the congestion at airport
immigration counters is not yet in
effect, despite Acsa offering to fund
the costs.
While TBCSA ceo, Mmatšatši
Ramawela, says full details of the
festive season intervention plan
are yet to be announced, industry
insiders told TNW that Acsa had
offered financial support to Home
Affairs to deploy additional staff at
OR Tambo International.
In a letter to Acsa ceo, Bongani
Maseko, DHA dg, Mkuseli Apleni,
outlined the proposed operating
model required for OR Tambo during
the festive season.
“The reality is that the shortage of
staff at this port remains a critical
vulnerability in the management
of immigration and results in
numerous complaints about lengthy
queues and delayed flights,” he
says.
In his letter, the DG calculated
that the cost of 80 additional staff
members for OR Tambo between
December 9 and January 12 would
be R3 950 000.
Acsa was unable to confirm at the
time of publishing whether these
plans were going ahead.
Meanwhile, travellers continue
to queue at immigration counters.
Comair ceo, Erik Venter, says
there has been no improvement in
the delays at OR Tambo and that
tourists could be delayed for up to
four hours.
In the November 16 issue of TNW,
Mmatšatši outlined a contingency
plan developed by the TBCSA to
alleviate delays across the country
in time for the festive travel season.
They included the deployment
of SAPS officials at immigration
counters in the departure area of
the airport so that officials currently
staffing those counters could be
redeployed on the arrivals side.
At the time, Mmatšatši, told
TNW that, to be ready for the peak
season, these measures would
need to be implemented within the
following two weeks.
But this deadline has passed
and nothing has changed at the
country’s airports.
“There do not appear to be any
additional officials at immigration
counters,” says ceo of Barsa, June
Crawford.
The DHA was unable to comment
at the time of publishing.
Delays do not seem to be affecting
departing passengers as badly as
those arriving. Megan Wilson, gm of
Border Air, which represents Latam,
says passengers are advised to
arrive three hours prior to departure
which currently seems to be
sufficient for clearing immigration.
In terms of arrivals, the worst
period is between 07h00 and
09h00, when the bulk of the
international flights arrive.
