The current DIA infrastructure would serve as an ideal relocation site for Virginia.
It would also be quite feasible to use DIA to create a "Durban City Airport" along the lines of the London City Airport using the current runway, taxiways, ATC tower and a limited portion of the perimeter. This Durban City Airport would cater for all general aviation activities such as non-scheduled operations, corporate operations, flight training, crop spraying as well as serve as a centre for maintenance and technical support.
With ample space to the south for a new GFA that could accommodate fixed wing and helicopter flight training, these activities in Durban could be expanded.This, in turn, would attract further students from all over the continent and Middle East, thereby generating jobs and income for Kwazulu-Natal.
As DIA is located in an industrial area, there can be no environmental objections.
The South African Air Force, also a major stakeholder, would prefer to retain its base facilities at DIA as it lacks the funds to move the current base to King Shaka International .If the runways at DIA are preserved for aviation use, a move by the SAAF would be unnecessary, thereby saving the tax payers hundreds of millions of rand.
Also, with the additional facilities and space available at DIA, it might be feasible for the SAAF to relocate its school for logistical and technical training to Durban, rather than move it to the Hoedspruit area.
The other interested stakeholder, Comair, has on various occasions indicated its willingness to buy the airport with a view of using it as an alternative commercial airport for kulula.com flights, similar to its operations at Lanseria.Comairs plans are based on the model of overseas low-cost carriers, such as Easy Jet and Ryan Air in the UK, using secondary, cheaper airports to keep their costs down so that it can offer more affordable travel to the consumers.
Airport charges in South Africa constitute around 30% of the price of a low cost ticket and with the prospect of ever larger ACSA tariff increases in the future, the only way of maintaining and even reducing the cost of air travel on the Durban route would be to use an airport which has lower charges.Comairs strategy of the Department of Tourism to make South Africa tourism more affordable and therefore accessible to the majority of South Africans.
It would also be quite feasible to use DIA to create a "Durban City Airport" along the lines of the London City Airport using the current runway, taxiways, ATC tower and a limited portion of the perimeter. This Durban City Airport would cater for all general aviation activities such as non-scheduled operations, corporate operations, flight training, crop spraying as well as serve as a centre for maintenance and technical support.
With ample space to the south for a new GFA that could accommodate fixed wing and helicopter flight training, these activities in Durban could be expanded.This, in turn, would attract further students from all over the continent and Middle East, thereby generating jobs and income for Kwazulu-Natal.
As DIA is located in an industrial area, there can be no environmental objections.
The South African Air Force, also a major stakeholder, would prefer to retain its base facilities at DIA as it lacks the funds to move the current base to King Shaka International .If the runways at DIA are preserved for aviation use, a move by the SAAF would be unnecessary, thereby saving the tax payers hundreds of millions of rand.
Also, with the additional facilities and space available at DIA, it might be feasible for the SAAF to relocate its school for logistical and technical training to Durban, rather than move it to the Hoedspruit area.
The other interested stakeholder, Comair, has on various occasions indicated its willingness to buy the airport with a view of using it as an alternative commercial airport for kulula.com flights, similar to its operations at Lanseria.Comairs plans are based on the model of overseas low-cost carriers, such as Easy Jet and Ryan Air in the UK, using secondary, cheaper airports to keep their costs down so that it can offer more affordable travel to the consumers.
Airport charges in South Africa constitute around 30% of the price of a low cost ticket and with the prospect of ever larger ACSA tariff increases in the future, the only way of maintaining and even reducing the cost of air travel on the Durban route would be to use an airport which has lower charges.Comairs strategy of the Department of Tourism to make South Africa tourism more affordable and therefore accessible to the majority of South Africans.
0 comments:
Post a Comment