Acsa seeks urgent funding for Pietermaritzburg Airport upgrade

Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) is exploring multiple funding options to modernise Pietermaritzburg Airport as a newly updated Airport Master Plan warns that ageing infrastructure is hampering the facility’s growth and long-term competitiveness as a regional aviation hub.

The review, commissioned by the Msunduzi Municipality, found that while the airport remains a strategic asset to the regional economy, major infrastructure and operational shortcomings must be addressed before it can realise its full potential.

Among the key concerns identified were outdated navigational aids that continue to cause occasional flight diversions, a deteriorating runway in need of extensive maintenance, and ageing technology that is affecting passenger processing and operational efficiency.

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The airport also faces growing pressure from competition with King Shaka International Airport, while relatively high ticket prices and slow passenger growth remain ongoing challenges.

Presenting the findings during a recent council meeting at city hall, Acsa senior airport planner Lukhanyo Tilana said the review of the existing master plan revealed that the airport requires significant maintenance and modernisation to meet current operational standards.

Although the airport has adequate parking and a terminal building large enough to accommodate passengers, Tilana said parts of the current infrastructure did not comply with Acsa’s operational standards.

The terminal building is sufficiently large but not optimal to operational standards. The hangar creates an obstruction, making the control tower non-compliant with Acsa’s operational standards.

He added that the airport’s navigation instrument also contributed to flight diversions, affecting the reliability of operations.

Despite these shortcomings, the airport has ample land available for future expansion, offering opportunities for long-term development once existing constraints are addressed.

Tilana said ageing and dilapidated infrastructure remained one of the biggest risks to the airport’s future.

Unless these barriers were removed, he said, the facility would struggle to attract investment and expand its operations.

To fund the proposed improvements, Acsa is considering a combination of government grants, financing from development institutions such as the Development Bank of Southern Africa, and commercial loans.

Tilana said Acsa was proposing phased infrastructure improvements as part of the airport’s long-term development strategy.

He said he believed the planned investment would increase the airport’s operational capacity, create opportunities for additional flights and seating capacity, and position the facility for future growth.

However, he said the airport’s expansion ambitions would only become a reality once the identified infrastructure and operational challenges were comprehensively addressed.

The master plan warns that without targeted investment, the airport will struggle to compete and grow sustainably.

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It recommends phased infrastructure upgrades, improved navigational systems, diversified revenue streams and stronger stakeholder collaboration to reduce operational risks and improve competitiveness.

The review concluded that Pietermaritzburg Airport remains a critical regional asset, but its future depends on addressing the infrastructure, safety and financial challenges that continue to limit its growth.

Airlink said the most recent information it had on the airport master plan was from a year ago and that it had not been briefed on the updated one.

That said, for many years Airlink has supported the communities, businesses, and economies of Pietermaritzburg and its surrounds by providing crucial air connectivity for passengers and air cargo customers. It’s a contributing role Airlink looks forward to continuing to play in service to the city’s economic expansion.

“Airports are critical infrastructure and require ongoing investment in maintenance, modernisation, and expansion to meet the evolving needs of their markets. This includes bricks and mortar projects as well as IT systems and other elements that are vital to modern, operationally efficient and passenger-friendly facilities,” spokesperson Linden Birns said.

The Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business (PMCB) said the city’s airport would never realise its full economic potential unless it was managed by private-sector experts with the experience to develop it as a competitive regional hub.

PMCB chief executive Melanie Veness said well-run airports were powerful economic drivers, supporting tourism, improving market access for businesses and attracting investment, particularly from industries that rely on efficient logistics.

The Pietermaritzburg Airport has the potential to serve an area that extends well beyond the Midlands if the offering is compelling enough, especially once the roadworks on the N3 have been completed.

Veness said several regional airports in South Africa were successfully operated by private companies with the expertise required to manage and grow aviation facilities.

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“It makes no sense for the municipality to try to run the airport when it doesn’t possess the required expertise and cannot do so efficiently,” she said.

She also criticised the above-inflation tariff increases implemented in recent years, saying they were undermining the airport’s long-term sustainability.

“The more than triple-inflation increases in tariffs over the past few years are counterintuitive because they’re eroding the sustainability of the current route, and therefore the airport. We can’t continue doing that. In our view, private-sector experts should be engaged to manage and develop the airport on behalf of the city,” she said.

The Msunduzi Economic Development Agency said the revised plan showed that the current status quo of the airport was not self-sustaining.

Spokesperson Kantha Naidoo said this was concerning.

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“The report on the plan touches on external funding; however, privatisation of the airport, or outsourcing it to a private entity that possesses the necessary skills to run it, is the way to go in future. The airport is needed, and its convenience for travellers goes without saying. The potential for it to grow is highly probable if it is properly invested in and run,” Naidoo said.