Run airports
Overview

Running airports is our core business and is essential to our value-creation process. As we recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, subsequent geopolitical events and low economic growth at home, this remains our primary focus as we work to secure our sustainability and create a viable platform for future growth.

Since 2020, we have reimagined the way in which we run our business and have reconfigured our operations to ensure that we are a more flexible, efficient and adaptable organisation. Within this context, our most immediate task in the post-pandemic period was to restore our operations to full functionality, build passenger confidence, diversify our revenue and begin laying the foundation for a new kind of airport network in a new kind of socio-economic environment.

Airports are not only transportation nodes but have an important role to play in economic growth and social wellbeing. We see our portfolio within this broader context and as a means to facilitate economic integration at both national and local level.

At local level, each of our airports is an engine for economic development in the region that surrounds the airport and an integrator of economic opportunities, as illustrated in the adjacent graphic.

From this, it is clear to see that our network has an essential role to play in supporting national efforts to build a strong and sustainable economy.

During the reporting period, we were able to restore all of our infrastructure to fully operational status and, although we were still faced with budget constraints, to resume our infrastructure capex and maintenance programme. Detailed information about the programme is available in the Transformation section of this report.

Further, while passenger traffic and aircraft movements remained unpredictable, ACSA was able to secure a firm recovery position and to embark on a new strategic phase focused on innovation, growth and sustainability rather than just on recovery. We are nevertheless mindful of the structural changes to the air travel and air cargo markets over the past four periods and continue to focus on diversifying our revenue streams.

Business travel, for instance, continues to recover mainly in the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) segment as both businesses and government have cut back on more general business travel.

At local level, each of our airports is an engine for economic development in the region that surrounds the airport and an integrator of economic opportunities, as illustrated in the following graphic:

At national level, our airports are a modal integrator that facilitates trade, tourism and investment:

Airport arrivals

Recovery in both business and leisure travel naturally varies across the network, with Cape Town International seeing a notable increase in international arrivals and departures, supported by the city’s highly active marketing programme. OR Tambo, on the other hand, has continued to see increases in local and regional passenger traffic as well as in cargo movement.

Core operational indicators
PASSENGER TRAFFIC
  FY2023/24 FY2022/23 FY2021/22
AIRPORT CODE DEPARTURE
PAX
ARRIVAL
LANDINGS
DEPARTURE
PAX
ARRIVAL
LANDINGS
DEPARTURE
PAX
ARRIVAL
LANDINGS
JNB 8 953 794 102 152 7 828 651 90 775 4 819 924 70 025
CPT 5 033 936 49 581 4 216 937 45 145 2 850 795 37 767
DUR 2 502 622 20 560 2 166 478 18 672 1 613 224 14 929
PLZ 715 473 19 901 597 570 20 001 455 748 22 052
BFN 173 893 6 251 160 120 6 868 103 197 6 236
UTN 27 011 2 970 24 671 2 825 14 272 2 127
ELS 420 510 8 524 364 601 8 831 327 227 9 284
GRJ 407 004 14 622 384 060 14 349 306 732 10 213
KIM 78 516 3 775 70 127 4 322 47 222 4 184
Total 18 312 759 228 336 15 813 215 211 788 10 538 341 176 817
DEPARTURES AND ARRIVALS
  FY2023/24 Scheduled FY2023/24 Non-Scheduled FY2019/20 Scheduled FY2019/20 Non-Scheduled
FLIGHT CODE DEPARTURE
PAX
ARRIVAL
LANDINGS
DEPARTURE
PAX
ARRIVAL
LANDINGS
DEPARTURE
PAX
ARRIVAL
LANDINGS
DEPARTURE
PAX
ARRIVAL
LANDINGS
D 12 718 733 122 601 45 034 51 885 14 527 118 132 324 41 166 62 766
I 5 092 590 39 249 17 888 2 031 5 821 311 40 707 13 550 1 729
R 435 001 11 494 3 513 1 076 517 641 12 134 2 559 1 231
RECOVERY IN RELATION TO FY2019/2020
  FY2023/24 Scheduled FY2023/24 Non-Scheduled
FLIGHT CODE DEPARTURE
PAX
ARRIVAL
LANDINGS
DEPARTURE
PAX
ARRIVAL
LANDINGS
D 88% 93% 109% 83%
I 87% 96% 132% 117%
R 84% 95% 137% 87%
Occupational health and safety

In the 2024 financial year, we continued to manage occupational health and safety (OHAS) in accordance with the principles of ISO 45001. Our OHAS procedures and business processes were reviewed and updated.

We have third-party operated on-site clinics to provide emergency medical support at the following airports: OR Tambo International, Cape Town International, King Shaka International, and Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport.

To support the on-site clinics, new Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has been added to Cape Town International and King Shaka International. The EMS services at OR Tambo International, are expected to be online during the 2025 financial year.

OHAS occurrences

During the reporting period, ACSA recorded no work-related fatalities among its employees, stakeholder employees or contractor employees at any of the nine airports it manages.

However, there has been 22 medical-related fatalities among passengers recorded during the reporting period with no occupational diseases reported.

The table below summarises the cumulative safety, health and environmental occurrences reported for the period from FY2021 to FY2024:

Description FY2020/21 FY2021/22 FY2022/23 FY2023/24
Runway incursions 1* 6* 3 6
Runway excursions 1 1 0
Runway trespassing events 0* 5 1 2
Total airside trespassing events (including runway trespassing) 0* 5 1 2
Airside aircraft-related incidents/accidents 3* 13 18 14
Bird strikes 172* 195 254 322
Non-work fatalities 13* 0 24 22
Work fatalities 0 1 0
Work-related severe injuries 6* 6 16 23
Occupational diseases 0 2 0
Noise complaints 3* 5 5 1
Significant spillages 0 0 0 0
Non-conformances reported 1 1 0
*    These figures were overstated in the Integrated Annual Report 2023 and have been adjusted.
Security and compliance

ACSA’s airports are critical installations and some of our airports are designated as National Key Points in terms of the National Key Points Act (No. 102 of 1980).

Our Enterprise Security and Compliance encourages an integrated, multiagency safety, security and compliance approach throughout our network of airports. This provides the framework necessary to provide seamless security services at all ACSA-owned and/or operated airports in line with the mandate set out in the National Aviation Security Plan.

During the previous period, we rolled out an aviation security model that is vertically and horizontally integrated with other law enforcement authorities. This focuses on all aspects of our business, from passenger security to IT, cargo and infrastructure security.

The Enterprise Security and Compliance interventions focuses on three key areas, as illustrated adjacent.

An integrated approach to security service excellence

As mentioned in our IT review, new technologies will continue to play a vital role in enhancing our security capabilities, and the adoption of these is allowed for in our digital transformation roadmap. In particular, we have prioritised initiatives that focus on passenger screening and cyber crime.

Among others, these include an automated border control system, which we are implementing in collaboration with Home Affairs and the national Border Management Authority. We have also partnered with Microsoft to enhance our IT and cybersecurity, and work with various law enforcement agencies to identify and mitigate against security threats.

Airport arrivals
SECURITY
OPERATIONS
  FY2021/22 FY2022/23 FY2022/23
  Prevent acts of unlawful interference 0 0 Zero acts of unlawful interference
Preventing acts
of unlawful
interference
Protect baggage and reducing pilferage 33% 39% A 10% reduction in baggage pilfering incidents year-on-year
  Screen of all passengers and baggage 100% 100% 100% screening of passengers and baggage
Crime
management
Reduce criminal activities, especially major incidents 1 0 1 major incident
(heist, stowaway/s, armed robbery or attack)
Security
compliance
Reduce repeat findings by internal audit 13 4 Zero repeat findings
Reduce SACAA Level 1 findings 0* 0 Maximum 20 SACAA Level 1 findings
*    This number was overstated in the Integrated Annual Report of 2022 and has been adjusted.

Outlook

As we look ahead, we remain committed to our core business of managing and running airports efficiently to enhance passenger experience. Additionally, in the short- and medium-term we plan to kick-off the expansion of our cargo and logistics capabilities and capacity. This will include continuous exploration of our airports as transformation hubs and gateways into the destinations. In collaboration with our key stakeholders and industry, we plan to achieve this through diversification of our services with the aim to create integrated and interconnected aerotropolis at each of our major airports.