The Garden Route is preparing for a big tourism boom, with air travel capacity at one of its airports set to more than double by 2029.
According to George Herald, Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) will kick off a R310 million expansion and refurbishment project to modernise George Airport.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026 and will take around three years to complete.
George Airport to get an upgrade
The airport, which currently handles up to 900 000 passengers annually, will be able to accommodate two million passengers per year once the upgrade is complete.
Acsa spokesperson, Thea Govindsamy, outlined several key improvements for the airport, including:
- Major upgrades to the terminal and check-in area,
- Better baggage handling systems,
- Upgraded security processing.
- Enhancements for the departure lounge, boarding gates, as well as arrivals baggage claim hall.
Public concourses, retail areas, and commercial lounges at the airport will also be redesigned, while terminal frontage and landside parking will be reconfigured for better traffic flow and accessibility.
Govindsamy confirmed, as per George Herald, that planning is already on track, with funding secured, consultant appointments underway, and the approval process for stage 1 reporting and concept design in progress.
George Airport currently serves as a regional hub for several domestic airlines, including FlySafair, Airlink, and CemAir, offering direct connections to major cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.
Which other hub in South Africa could do with an upgrade?
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