King Shaka International Airport is five years old2015-06-12 On 1st May 2015 King Shaka International Airport turned five years old. Can you imagine that this new airport has achieved so much in such a short time?
Certainly the move from the old airport to the new site was historical but King Shaka International Airport has created its own history on the new site. It has become a major catalyst for economic growth especially in the north of Durban and is part of the Dube TradePort IDZ precinct as the development of the aerotropolis starts taking shape. The airport has garnered many accolades to mention and the most recent is the ACI (Airports Council International) where we were voted the 2nd Best Regional Airport in Africa while the Skytrax voted us the Best Regional Airport in Africa for 2014! Now that is something to brag about but we want to be the best in the world and that is what the team at King Shaka International are busy with. To ensure we work towards being the best in the world, King Shaka International Airport has embarked on another exciting programme that has really placed King Shaka International as a destination airport. This is the launch of the Arts, Music and Ambiance Experience. Every week we have various artists and singers serenading airport users at different parts of the airport. The busker programme has taken off and we have seen very positive feedback from people in the social media space. King Shaka International is rapidly becoming a destination airport where people can come just for the experience and to shop. Our shopping experience is unique in that most of our facilities, post office, banking, pharmacy, shops, are open from 05:00 to 22:00 seven days a week. To add to the music experience we have placed two Baby Grand pianos, one in the general arrivals hall and the other in the departure gates area, to encourage the public to play at their will. This feature has really caught on and we have seen some positive feedback on Youtube and other social media platforms. To ensure we showcase our beautiful region of KZN, the airport has embarked on a major terminal ambiance project that features the colours, essences and textures of the region. This R9m project was done in collaboration with tourism partners Tourism Durban and Tourism KZN and we believe that this will go a long way to improve our scores on ambiance to ensure we maintain a top position globally during the ACI and Skytrax surveys going forward. We have created stories in strategic areas of the airport with mosaics (bush, buzz, beaches and battlefields) and in the arrivals hall there is a massive sculpture of the "greatest shoal on earth" the world famous Sardine Run, which is synonymous with KZN. In the international departure area we have showcased our world renowned beaches with colourful surf boards. The map of KZN and faces of people of KZN takes precedence in the general departure area. It may be true that to say those five years is a short period but King Shaka International Airport has not allowed that to hamper the way we want to succeed. Increasing flights to the region will be a challenge for the airport's sustainability; we will continue to work with our partners to increase flight frequencies to the region. It has been announced that from mid December 2015, Qatar Airways will commence with a four day a week schedule with a B787 Dreamliner to King Shaka International. This will complement the international flights of Emirates, Mauritius, Harare, Lusaka and Maputo that are currently operating out of King Shaka International Airport. Aiports Company South Africa www.acsa.co.za Communications and Brand Manager: Colin Naidoo |
King Shaka International Airport is five years old
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