South African airport benefits from World Cup

Lanseria International Airport has seen substantial growth since the country host the 2010 World Cup.

Lanseria International Airport has seen substantial growth since the country host the 2010 World Cup.

The airport, created in 1972, has become of the busiest in South Africa since being privatised in 1991 and is planning further expansion to cope with the increasing number of flights to South Africa, reports African Business Review.

It is estimated that the major football event boosted the profile of the airport, with around 6,000 World Cup-related movements recorded.

Gavin Sayce, manager of Lanseria International Airport, explained that the location of the airport makes it popular with travellers, especially as the local area develops.

He said: “We are ideally located between the flying population areas of Johannesburg and the rest of the Gauteng province. It is well situated and it is becoming more accessible due to the much improved road infrastructure.”

The next stage for the airport includes a runway extension so that it can handle larger aircrafts such as the Boeing 767 and Airbus A300 models. Other plans include the upgrading of car parking, a hotel and a new terminal building.

Written by Ruth Norris.