KMI Airport receives Iata 3-digit code

THE three-digit code for KMI (Kruger Mpumalanga International) Airport was registered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on April 5, 2002. According to Primkop Airport Management (PAM), the sought after code KMI was unfortunately unavailable. Alternative codes KIN (Kruger International) and KSA (Kruger South Africa) were also unavailable and MQP was finally assigned to Mpumalanga's new international airport. Meanwhile according to PAM marketing manager, Helen Teall, KMI Airport was inundated with business at the Indaba earlier this month. "At Indaba, we enjoyed extensive media interest and enquiries from key international tour operators regarding this new opportunity to charter flights directly to Mpumalanga's new private international airport (KMI Airport) - scheduled to open on September 30, 2002." Both Skukuza and Nelspruit Airports will be downgraded to private airstrips and all commercial traffic from these two airports will divert to KMI Airport when it opens. PAM also announced that Nationwide, SA Airlink and SA Express recently scheduled their first flights into Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport. The respective airlines can be contacted for more information. Other developments at the airport include: * More than 121 rock blasts have transformed this former greenfield tobacco farm into a state of the art private international airport; * 3.8 million cubic meters of earth and rock has been moved to date, out of a total of 4.4 million cubic meters ; * Six hundred and fifty nine workers are currently on site; * KMI Airport's access road from the R538 was asphalted in April 2002; * The 3.1km runway will be asphalted during the month of June; * Work on navigational aids has commenced, and * Earthworks on general aviation hangers and cargo facilities will be finalised by the end of June 2002 providing the platform for the construction of the hangars which commences immediately thereafter. (Miguel de Sousa)